Yeah. The guys at the Aple Store would probably tell you where to take it to be fixed...It probably won't be a "Mail it in and we'll fix it" kind of thing.
like someone said above, technically a certian amout of bad pixles is acepted and will not warrent a return (at least in the US). To get a unit replaced for one bad pixel, you either have to be really lucky, or make a really big deal about it to the company and hope they do it. But you should deff try, the more people that demand that this is not acceptible the better it will be for all of us.
good luck
edit: yea I just tried it cant close the 12" when hooked up to a external monitor, it just goes right to sleep <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
As has been said before, it's not a good idea to run the system closed anyway even though it might seem appropriate. With a G4 notebook, the heat dissipation requires the keyboard's open surface -- melting an LCD probably isn't likely, but might as well play it safe.
i ordered a superdrive 12"PB with a full complement of RAM from the apple uk store just after they were announced. got it in late january ... think it was one of the first BTO models in the country.
i immediately had several niggling issues with it. it wobbled, as described above, on a diagonal. i tried it on multiple surfaces and it always did it. the lid didn't close tightly ... there was certain amount of 'give' even when the lid was closed. the trackpad button was 'sticky' and would sometimes release ponderously slowly. i could live with all of these niggles after a fashion ... after all it was my first laptop and i was already really enjoying using it for work and play.
what swung it for me was when i tried opening the lid one morning. the hex screw on the bottom right of the screen bezel had somehow dislodged, dropping down and catching on the opposing edge of the bottom case just above the power button. the first i knew of this was when the lid refused to open properly, then 'tore' open, bending the aluminuim fascia of the bezel and ejecting the offending screw onto the desk. i carry the machine everywhere in neoprene sleeve, inside a padded bag, so i didn't think this fault was due to my rough handling.
having bought online from apple, and having bought applecare for my PB (def a wise move for any laptop owner, i now believe) I called apple. they arranged to send out a replacement BTO machine and collect mine. when i explained i needed the machine for various jobs, and had spent 2 weeks config'ing my machine with my tools and apps, they agreed to send the new machine on to me, but give me time to transfer my files. carbon copy cloner with a cleanly formatted HD on the new machine via firewire target mode let me copy everything in about 30mins.
my new machine is structually sound ... no wobbles, lid closes solidly and without movement, and trackpad is fine. however it does seem to get slightly warmer than the first machine, my xbench scores are slightly lower, and the internal fan seems to have a slight rattle and is noticebly louder than before. its slightly aggrevating, but i'll wait to see if i have any more pressing issues before i send this one back
btw, anyone else surprised by the sudden 'woosh' of air as the fan kicks in on the 12"PB? it's startled me on more than one occasion in an otherwise silent room...
" With a G4 notebook, the heat dissipation requires the keyboard's open surface -- melting an LCD probably isn't likely, but might as well play it safe."
intresting, my thought was having it closed would be good for the LCD screen by not using it as much, but what you said makes sense.
"there was certain amount of 'give' even when the lid was closed."
i thought this was normal to help prevent the keyboard marks on the screen when closed.
btw where did you find a sleeve that fits the 12"?
"anyone else surprised by the sudden 'woosh' of air as the fan kicks in on the 12"PB?"
when i have a cd in my ti book, sometimes it goes into top gear, sounds like a lawn mower in the computer till it decides to stop or you eject it. at least i think its the cd
<strong>As has been said before, it's not a good idea to run the system closed anyway even though it might seem appropriate. With a G4 notebook, the heat dissipation requires the keyboard's open surface -- melting an LCD probably isn't likely, but might as well play it safe.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I am too lazy to look right now, but I am pretty sure this is touted as a feature of these books in Apple spec sheets - this isn't a hack someone figured out. I think it even tells you how to do it in the little manual that comes with the footlong...
The best way is to connect the monitor you want to use. Nothing will be displayed unless you click Detect Displays. Then restart. Wait for the chime - but literally as soon as the PowerBook has chimed, close the lid. Your external monitor will now show the start-up sequence. Once it has finished, you can open the lid and use the keyboard and trackpad - and the built-in screen will not come on unless you click Detect Displays. You can open and close the lid as much as you want and it will not make the PowerBook sleep.
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)
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well someone reckons in another thread, like you say, that you have to plug in a keyboard and mose too. I didn't have that, I just wanted it to run while I was watching something on an external monitor.
As far as the wobble goes, it's surface dependent in terms of it doesn't happen on some surfaces. But that's because they are uneven, not because the PowerBook is not faulty. The test to my mind is whether it wobbles on glass surfaces, and whether it does no matter how it's rotated - and it does.
So it's definitely a manufacturing fault. I've never seen another PowerBook do it - the 12" is unuusally stiff, you can't get any flex in it at all.
<strong>btw where did you find a sleeve that fits the 12"?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Any sleeve made for the 12" iBook will also fit the 12" Powerbook. Just a few that I know of:
<a href="http://www.drbott.com/prod/db.lasso?code=5810-IBSL"; target="_blank">iceBook Sleeve</a> - A nice little slipcase with a handle. The best part is that it has a metal gromit to expose the power port, so you can charge the iBook/AluBook while it's in the sleeve! No shoulder strap, though.
<a href="http://marware.com/SportFolio_II.html"; target="_blank">Marware Sportfolio II</a> - Something of a hybrid between a sleeve and a case. It has a tight sleeve enclosure (zippered) with a thin front pocket. Has carrying handles and a shoulder strap.
<a href="http://www.yakpak.com/product.asp?dept_id=90&pf_id=1155" target="_blank">YakPak Medium Tech Flapdoozy</a> - I'm not sure about this one, as I haven't seen it in person. The measurements are the same as the iceBook Sleeve, though, so it should fit. Has a few extra compartments, plus a cell phone pouch on the shoulder strap.
<a href="http://shop.store.yahoo.com/directron/wetsuit.html"; target="_blank">Notebook Wetsuit</a> - No longer in production, there was this neat little case. Originally manufactured for the Powerbook Duo, it also happened to fit the Powerbook 100. And now, it should be a perfect fit for the Powerbook 12"! This slipcover actually has some elastic bands that slip over the edges of the display and wrist rests, meaning you can open the laptop while it is still in the case. Has carrying handles and a shoulder strap. If I can get mine out of storage, I'll try it out with my new AluBook.
I just bought a sleeve. I happened on one made by Columbia at a luggage store. The nice thing about it is that it's small and can expand, in a way. Plus it was on sale for $20.
I'd find it for you on the web site but the Columbia site fscking sucks.
Just for the record, I have a BTO model that arrived this last week. None of the other problems, but this one does have a slight wobble on certain surfaces. Barely noticable though.
Same build of 10.2? Look carefully at the DVD in full screen when the camera pans and the whole screen moves. My "lines" are definitely a cruddy driver issue, they show up on an external display when the internal LCD is off, at all refresh rates are resolutions. I hope NVIDIA drivers are updated, this is annoying in games and when watching movies.
A few notes on my footlong experience so far. I did notice the Chunky DVD Playback right away.. that kind of upset me, because my pismo had a similar problem for about the first month i owned it, not chunky playback, but the audio would go out of sync over time, so the dubbing looked like a kung fu movie.. The fact that the CPU monitor trick works, has me statisfied for now, as long as a fix comes along in the next few weeks.. \
My unit has the Wobble. I didn't notice it actually until I read some of the threads on here.. I don't really give a shit about this one.. It spends 99 percent of the time on my lap, or closed, on my desk plugged into my CRT.
which leads me to the next thing:
Quote:
Originally posted by Kesh
Remember that Quartz Extreme really needs 32 MB of VRAM to function properly, and th AluBook only has 32 MB. If you use monitor spanning for two displays, you're cutting your VRAM in half (16 MB dedicated to each display). That's going to hurt your QE response.
I've been spanning with my 21inch viewsonic, at 1200x1600, and not I haven't noticed a performance Hit at all..
Quartz Extreme Checker This thing would be a lot cooler if it burped out some numbers, instead of telling you if QE is
working or not
QE is active on both displays, but I don't know how much vram gets allocated to each. I'd assume there's some sort of dynamic allocation based on what rez you're running, but I don't really know..
Okay, had mine about a month now, and it has no wobble and no video issues other than crappy artefacts in fullscreen DVD playback in spanning mode only: just spent half an hour with iTunes visuals nad some QT movies in fullscreen on the TV, and there were no problems.
I was even running QT and iTunes into the video mixer in the pub the other week (long story), and on 4 TVs and a video projector, nobody noticed anything funny (not least me, as I was looking most closely).
I like the wetsuit idea, but wont that further impair the heat dissipation of the powerbook, which it already gets really hot? I just wated to see what yall thought
When I took my battery out and put it back in I had "wobble" too but I squeezed a little and it went away. I think it's just loose battery. However I think ALL PowerBook G4 mini's have my "lines", the drivers just need goosing on performance.
I've had my 12" Powerbook for about a month now. I love it but notice the following drawbacks...
-->It has the wobble. Seems like a serious manufacture flopp.
-->The battery drains way too fast - like a bathtub with no drain-plug.
-->It gets hot, which makes the fan run most of the time.
-->The Airport reception/range is nowhere near that of the iBook. Anyone know how to increase the range?
-->The headphone jack seems to be sensitive to the tuch - I can hear static fuzy noises come and go as I just barely touch the headphone jack where it's plugged in.
-->The slot-load drive is loud when taking in or spitting out the disk, but I can live with this.
Other than that I love this machine! I don't have the lines in the video that some are reporting on these forums. Anyway, if anyone knows how to maximize the airport range/reception I'd live to know how, or is there someway to plug in an external antenna???
Comments
good luck
edit: yea I just tried it cant close the 12" when hooked up to a external monitor, it just goes right to sleep <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
[ 03-14-2003: Message edited by: Ti Fighter ]</p>
i immediately had several niggling issues with it. it wobbled, as described above, on a diagonal. i tried it on multiple surfaces and it always did it. the lid didn't close tightly ... there was certain amount of 'give' even when the lid was closed. the trackpad button was 'sticky' and would sometimes release ponderously slowly. i could live with all of these niggles after a fashion ... after all it was my first laptop and i was already really enjoying using it for work and play.
what swung it for me was when i tried opening the lid one morning. the hex screw on the bottom right of the screen bezel had somehow dislodged, dropping down and catching on the opposing edge of the bottom case just above the power button. the first i knew of this was when the lid refused to open properly, then 'tore' open, bending the aluminuim fascia of the bezel and ejecting the offending screw onto the desk. i carry the machine everywhere in neoprene sleeve, inside a padded bag, so i didn't think this fault was due to my rough handling.
having bought online from apple, and having bought applecare for my PB (def a wise move for any laptop owner, i now believe) I called apple. they arranged to send out a replacement BTO machine and collect mine. when i explained i needed the machine for various jobs, and had spent 2 weeks config'ing my machine with my tools and apps, they agreed to send the new machine on to me, but give me time to transfer my files. carbon copy cloner with a cleanly formatted HD on the new machine via firewire target mode let me copy everything in about 30mins.
my new machine is structually sound ... no wobbles, lid closes solidly and without movement, and trackpad is fine. however it does seem to get slightly warmer than the first machine, my xbench scores are slightly lower, and the internal fan seems to have a slight rattle and is noticebly louder than before. its slightly aggrevating, but i'll wait to see if i have any more pressing issues before i send this one back
btw, anyone else surprised by the sudden 'woosh' of air as the fan kicks in on the 12"PB? it's startled me on more than one occasion in an otherwise silent room...
intresting, my thought was having it closed would be good for the LCD screen by not using it as much, but what you said makes sense.
"there was certain amount of 'give' even when the lid was closed."
i thought this was normal to help prevent the keyboard marks on the screen when closed.
btw where did you find a sleeve that fits the 12"?
"anyone else surprised by the sudden 'woosh' of air as the fan kicks in on the 12"PB?"
when i have a cd in my ti book, sometimes it goes into top gear, sounds like a lawn mower in the computer till it decides to stop or you eject it. at least i think its the cd
<strong>As has been said before, it's not a good idea to run the system closed anyway even though it might seem appropriate. With a G4 notebook, the heat dissipation requires the keyboard's open surface -- melting an LCD probably isn't likely, but might as well play it safe.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I am too lazy to look right now, but I am pretty sure this is touted as a feature of these books in Apple spec sheets - this isn't a hack someone figured out. I think it even tells you how to do it in the little manual that comes with the footlong...
The best way is to connect the monitor you want to use. Nothing will be displayed unless you click Detect Displays. Then restart. Wait for the chime - but literally as soon as the PowerBook has chimed, close the lid. Your external monitor will now show the start-up sequence. Once it has finished, you can open the lid and use the keyboard and trackpad - and the built-in screen will not come on unless you click Detect Displays. You can open and close the lid as much as you want and it will not make the PowerBook sleep.
<strong>
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)
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well someone reckons in another thread, like you say, that you have to plug in a keyboard and mose too. I didn't have that, I just wanted it to run while I was watching something on an external monitor.
As far as the wobble goes, it's surface dependent in terms of it doesn't happen on some surfaces. But that's because they are uneven, not because the PowerBook is not faulty. The test to my mind is whether it wobbles on glass surfaces, and whether it does no matter how it's rotated - and it does.
So it's definitely a manufacturing fault. I've never seen another PowerBook do it - the 12" is unuusally stiff, you can't get any flex in it at all.
<strong>btw where did you find a sleeve that fits the 12"?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Any sleeve made for the 12" iBook will also fit the 12" Powerbook. Just a few that I know of:
<a href="http://www.drbott.com/prod/db.lasso?code=5810-IBSL"; target="_blank">iceBook Sleeve</a> - A nice little slipcase with a handle. The best part is that it has a metal gromit to expose the power port, so you can charge the iBook/AluBook while it's in the sleeve! No shoulder strap, though.
<a href="http://marware.com/SportFolio_II.html"; target="_blank">Marware Sportfolio II</a> - Something of a hybrid between a sleeve and a case. It has a tight sleeve enclosure (zippered) with a thin front pocket. Has carrying handles and a shoulder strap.
<a href="http://www.yakpak.com/product.asp?dept_id=90&pf_id=1155" target="_blank">YakPak Medium Tech Flapdoozy</a> - I'm not sure about this one, as I haven't seen it in person. The measurements are the same as the iceBook Sleeve, though, so it should fit. Has a few extra compartments, plus a cell phone pouch on the shoulder strap.
<a href="http://shop.store.yahoo.com/directron/wetsuit.html"; target="_blank">Notebook Wetsuit</a> - No longer in production, there was this neat little case. Originally manufactured for the Powerbook Duo, it also happened to fit the Powerbook 100. And now, it should be a perfect fit for the Powerbook 12"! This slipcover actually has some elastic bands that slip over the edges of the display and wrist rests, meaning you can open the laptop while it is still in the case. Has carrying handles and a shoulder strap. If I can get mine out of storage, I'll try it out with my new AluBook.
I tried plugging in a keyboard and mouse but it wouldn't wake up. But maybe i didn't try it in the exact order you guys said.
[ 03-16-2003: Message edited by: Ti Fighter ]</p>
I'd find it for you on the web site but the Columbia site fscking sucks.
I bought my 12" pb thru the UK Apple store, it's a BTO model with a 60Gb harddisk and superdrive.
It took about 2 weeks to arrive.
I've had none of the problems you've listed here.
DVD's play perfectly in full screen, there's no lines appearing on games or intensive graphic operations.
Theres no wobble either.
However I had a chat with someone I know who lives in Ireland and works for Apple Support for the UK.
They hinted that the first production run of the 12" has these problems. The later mainly BTO models had the problems ironed out.
Makes sense...
[ 03-17-2003: Message edited by: Aquatic ]</p>
My unit has the Wobble. I didn't notice it actually until I read some of the threads on here.. I don't really give a shit about this one.. It spends 99 percent of the time on my lap, or closed, on my desk plugged into my CRT.
which leads me to the next thing:
Originally posted by Kesh
Remember that Quartz Extreme really needs 32 MB of VRAM to function properly, and th AluBook only has 32 MB. If you use monitor spanning for two displays, you're cutting your VRAM in half (16 MB dedicated to each display). That's going to hurt your QE response.
I've been spanning with my 21inch viewsonic, at 1200x1600, and not I haven't noticed a performance Hit at all..
Quartz Extreme Checker This thing would be a lot cooler if it burped out some numbers, instead of telling you if QE is
working or not
QE is active on both displays, but I don't know how much vram gets allocated to each. I'd assume there's some sort of dynamic allocation based on what rez you're running, but I don't really know..
-solar
I was even running QT and iTunes into the video mixer in the pub the other week (long story), and on 4 TVs and a video projector, nobody noticed anything funny (not least me, as I was looking most closely).
Of course, YMMV.
Forcelite
-->It has the wobble. Seems like a serious manufacture flopp.
-->The battery drains way too fast - like a bathtub with no drain-plug.
-->It gets hot, which makes the fan run most of the time.
-->The Airport reception/range is nowhere near that of the iBook. Anyone know how to increase the range?
-->The headphone jack seems to be sensitive to the tuch - I can hear static fuzy noises come and go as I just barely touch the headphone jack where it's plugged in.
-->The slot-load drive is loud when taking in or spitting out the disk, but I can live with this.
Other than that I love this machine! I don't have the lines in the video that some are reporting on these forums. Anyway, if anyone knows how to maximize the airport range/reception I'd live to know how, or is there someway to plug in an external antenna???
-Z