Powerbook 12"... some issues
Hi everyone,
I just got my new Powerbook 12" today, and it's great, but there are a few things I'd like to run past people who currently have the machine...
1. It wobbles... :-( I have about 10 pieces of paper under the bottom right corner and it's a temporary solution... but anyone out there with this same issue have another suggestion or something permanent to address this?
2. The slot-loading drive... I have to insert a CD about 90% of the way in, and it makes an awkward mechanical noise... not really something I'm used to... like I figure it should be sorta quiet, like the slot-load in my car's cd player. And when it ejects it makes a noise too, not really sure if it's normal..
Other than that... everything seems great... thought it's only about 4 hours old, so hopefully nothing worse will happen... but yeah, great machine, i don't regret purchasing this at all... I was trying to connect it to my cable modem, so I plug it in, and being used to Windows, I go to system prefs to try to fiddle with the settings... it was nice to see everything had been taken care of by OS X. :-)
I just got my new Powerbook 12" today, and it's great, but there are a few things I'd like to run past people who currently have the machine...
1. It wobbles... :-( I have about 10 pieces of paper under the bottom right corner and it's a temporary solution... but anyone out there with this same issue have another suggestion or something permanent to address this?
2. The slot-loading drive... I have to insert a CD about 90% of the way in, and it makes an awkward mechanical noise... not really something I'm used to... like I figure it should be sorta quiet, like the slot-load in my car's cd player. And when it ejects it makes a noise too, not really sure if it's normal..
Other than that... everything seems great... thought it's only about 4 hours old, so hopefully nothing worse will happen... but yeah, great machine, i don't regret purchasing this at all... I was trying to connect it to my cable modem, so I plug it in, and being used to Windows, I go to system prefs to try to fiddle with the settings... it was nice to see everything had been taken care of by OS X. :-)
Comments
turn it over and see if all of the rubber stops are still attached underneath.
I've been reading around on some message boards... it seems like this issue is present on some 12" powerbooks, but I'm not sure if it's due to the rubber feet or due to the metal warping because of heat (! - i sure hope that doesn't happen to mine)
Now to serious issues: it appears to me as if there are some MAJOR problems with the NVIDIA drivers..I am whining so much because it no one else noticed/experiences this! First, DVDs lag full screen in DVD Player.
Second, there are horizontal lines in the screen whenever something is moving a lot, like a game, movie, or just quickly dragging a window around.
ironchef82 are you seeing these issues like I am?
Here's my thread on these extremely annoying "lines": <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=002281" target="_blank">http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=002281</a>
I've had mine, a month tomorrow, and when I first had it I couldn't stand it, but it seems to have gradually gone away - no idea why. Though perhaps I should try it on another surface.
As far as the screen goes - it's a crappy screen with a pretty poor viewing angle (ie with yout head three feet from the screen you're getting colour distortion across it no matter what you do). My previous PowerBook was a 5300 with the 800*600 screen - and that screen is better!?
Having said that I really like the portability, and I can plug it into a big screen any time. The only issue I have there is that you don't seem to be able to switcth the small screen off at all, or use the external monitor with the PowerBook closed (is that an odd thing to want to do?).
My only other wish is that it would boot into 9.x!
Just wondering whether it was a standard thing or something specific to the graphics card.
cheers
Yes, the wobble is across the corner with the battery and the diagonally opposite corner (bottom right, top left, respectively)... I mean, it seems fine with my temporary solution... but with a great piece of equipment like this, this really shouldn't be an issue...
As for the slot load drive... glad to hear it's normal, I guess... so I really do have to push a CD in about 90 - 95% of the way in before the drive accepts it?
Aquatic, I haven't tried playing a DVD yet... haven't had time, really... not a good idea to get your Powerbook when you have a test the following day and two problem sets due the next... but when I try it, I'll get back to you.
I have a single dead pixel near the screen centre, that stays green. It grabs your attention most when the screen is predominantly black. What's the policy on replacements?
Software update didn't complete: maybe it was because I shut the lid when it was downloading 10.2.4? Why aren't resumable downloads used more often?
My issue with the PowerBook not accessing apple.com URLs has mysteriously vanished. Setting it up with my Buffalo 802.11g Airstation was easy.
[ 03-13-2003: Message edited by: Stoo ]</p>
<strong>Yes, the wobble is across the corner with the battery and the diagonally opposite corner (bottom right, top left, respectively)... I mean, it seems fine with my temporary solution... but with a great piece of equipment like this, this really shouldn't be an issue...</strong><hr></blockquote>
I just rotated mine 90 degrees on this desk, it does in fact still wobble. If I can find a glass desk I'll try it again - and if it still does it it's going back.
I don't think you should have to resort to bits of paper to keep is level, send it back, it's a manufacturing fault.
As to dead pixels - I think Apple's policy is up to four on a big screen - but the 12" is hardly big. Personally if I had even one dead pixel, on any size screen, I'd send it back. Apple can point to "policy" all they like - but that's not going to stand up in the UK, it's a manufacturing fault fair and square.
My case bent just a tad. Where the button for the latch is. It popped out a little bit. I have no idea how it happened. I don't lug it that much and never pile a bunch of stuff on it. So I don't know how it happened.
It's the kind of thing you wouldn't see unless I showed you.
<strong>
Having said that I really like the portability, and I can plug it into a big screen any time. The only issue I have there is that you don't seem to be able to switcth the small screen off at all, or use the external monitor with the PowerBook closed (is that an odd thing to want to do?).
My only other wish is that it would boot into 9.x!</strong><hr></blockquote>
its odd that you can close the lid on a 15" PowerBook and run an external monitor off it (which I do with mine), but not the 12", which I thought it would have been ideal for...
what happens when you try and do it? i put my machine to sleep and close the lid, connect my external monitor and plug-in my keyboard and mouse and hey presto! (sorry clive, have another egg grandma)
And Aquatic, I posted on your original thread about the graphics issue... i'm not seeing anything weird at all, sorry.
But in the big picture, so far this machine has been superb. This is my first Mac ever, and I don't regret switching.
Yep, it's got to be "fit for the intended purpose", which isn't helped by a glaring green pixel in the centre of the screen. I think I'll give them a call.
why not take the laptop to an apple store
& compare it & demand an exchange if somethings
wrong with it
some of you keep railing against pc's
but if you had the same issue with a pc part
you could exchange it with no hassles
just beacuse its apple i dont see any reason
to put up with a manufacturing defect (incl bad
pixels) & waste your money.
my 2 c
pete