Really hot!!! How hot is "really hot" in comparison to a 12" iBook??? The MacNN show floor review said that it was hot too, but that it wasn't really hotter or cooler than a 12" iBook. Is the 12" iBook also really hot?
PS, Eugene, it certainly is a sexy little black package.
My dealer says that my book might be here this weekend. I kinda want to wait for a few more appraisals of this one issue before I complete the transaction.
<strong>Then if the iBook is not ever hot, could it be that the PB is only really hot by comparison and merely warm as laptops go in general?</strong><hr></blockquote>
The 12" PB gets about as hot as some of the hottest laptops I have used (including TiBook, IBM 600x (good fan/cooling), IBM X30 (runs quite hot)). However, it seems to cool VERY quickly in sleep mode and when the fan?? comes on.
To anyone who is more technically qualified, is there a fan inside the 12"? All I can hear is rather quiet whirring of the hard drive.
<strong>Really hot eh? I thought the hard annodized aluminum was supposed to relieve that? No big deal I guess. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
Since aluminum is supposed to be a much better conductor than Titanium, the machines may actually feel hotter than the Tibooks, but the insides of the machines will be less hot (thus preventing damage by the heat -- a good thing).
Are the keys really aluminum? That would be very cool, but other people have said that they were silver plastic. Is there an easy way to tell the difference?
<strong>Really hot!!! How hot is "really hot" in comparison to a 12" iBook??? The MacNN show floor review said that it was hot too, but that it wasn't really hotter or cooler than a 12" iBook. Is the 12" iBook also really hot?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well, I haven't had a chance to play with the 12" PBs. My iBook only gets hot when playing games or DVDs, things where the CPU + Video card are doing overtime. For everyday use, you barely notice any warmth at all.
<strong>I've never owned a laptop, is it uncomfortable? Would you use it on your lap?</strong><hr></blockquote>
If, as they say, it's comparable to the iBook, then you should have no trouble with it on your lap unless playing games or doing other CPU heavy tasks for extended periods.
I can say that my iBook did get burning hot after a marathon Return to Castle Wolfenstein session once.
<strong>I've never owned a laptop, is it uncomfortable? Would you use it on your lap?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Over the years, I have found that using a laptop for prolonged periods (1 hr +) on your lap tends to fry the gonads. This applies to all the laptops I have ever used and it seems that the 12" PB is no different.
Off the track, one thing I would say - the case on the 12" is unbelievable in its sturdiness/robustness. With the exception of industrial strength re-engineered cases on some Toshibas, it is with a doubt the strongest casing I have come across - there is no (repeat NO) flex in the frame. Apple have done some serious engineering on this baby.
<strong>Then I'll definately be getting my powerbook with them... I always hated how apple.com charges sales tax.... one of the few internet sites that does.</strong><hr></blockquote>
<making stuff up>
Companies that are registered to operate on nationwide basis are compelled to charge the state taxes. Smaller companies like Smalldog or MacConnection are technically operating locally, so they charge taxes within their state, if there is a sales tax.
I slept through the part as to how they can sell nationally and not charge tax. I think that the buyer has to declare the tax in their state income tax, but I may have dreamt that bit.
I wouldn't have wanted to use my TiBook on my lap for any extended periods. It ends up getting pretty uncomfortable. With the new models, the fan (or fans, depending) will kick in shortly as well. iBooks are much, much cooler.
I'd pick my 1GHz TiBook up off the desk sometimes and place my hand under the middle to transport it to another spot, and think "holy crap!" when I felt the temperature. Gets nice and toasty in there.
I'm hoping they have a nice way of keeping the MiniPB cool, as there's even less room to pass the heat around inside. I'm anxious to read some actual user reports on this as well.
I mainly chose to go with an iBook myself because I am now going with a 2 computer setup. An iMac for the house (right after the next update), and an iBook for my portable. Just didn't need the little bit of extra power and coolness, and I can use the 800 canadian clams towards the iMac. But the fan thing was #2 on my list. It was never a problem on battery really, unless I was *really* working it, or it was on something other than a flat cool surface, but I always dreaded plugging it in with a low battery... knowing the fans would be going until it was charged. Maybe my last iBook (and my also silent 667 Ti) have spoiled me on silent computing.
Here's an interesting thought. If the aluminum acts as a very effective heat sink, it could be the case that the insides are really not any hotter than an iBook, just that an iBook puts a nice non-heat conductive layer of plastic between the guts and your nads. A nice form fitted, 3rd party, plastic skin might keep you thighs cool and still let enough heat vent out through the ports/radiate out he top. They could make it in different colors to give your PB different transluscent/aluminium looks.
Actually I've gone way cheap. I got one of those super bouncy balls, they're a little smaller than a ping pong ball. You buy them for 50 cents or whatever, they bounce a mile high... made out of really hard rubber (indian rubber ball maybe? can't recall the name)
I sliced that in half, and at my desk I put the halves under the feet to raise the back of the keyboard up. Keeps it a tad cooler and helps with typing. They also won't slide around on you.
Coolpad is probably a good idea if you are using for long periods on your lap. I prefer to use it on a hard surface because the gap that is created between the case and surface allows hot air to escape naturally.
Your analysis of the heatsink effect of Al vs iBook plastic seems right on the mark to me.
I played with one at the King of Prussia store today. For reference I own 500 MHz Rev A Ti.
It's seemed much sturdier and rugged than my Ti. No bending when picking it up by one end. It was a little warm/hot but again it was running and on top of that beaming light non-stop ? it?s no ?real word? conditions. I'd say it was a little less hot than my Ti.
The keyboard was definitely sturdier than the Ti's. Not sure if they are real AI but they do look.
The speaker placement is interesting in that it is on the far edge with the idea that the sound will bounce of the bent screen. Seemed as loud as my Ti, hard to tell with all the room noise though.
I tried to see if the keyboard would touch the screen while closed; I couldn't tell for sure but will say the following. The keys do seem to rise a little more than palm rest. It has more ridged bumpers ... on my ti there are some small thin rubber bummers on the palm rest side that are suppose to hold the screen away from the base when closed. The new MiniBook has more sturdy round feet on its screen. All in all the screen doesn't seem to touch keys when sitting on the desk, I think there is still a chance while shifting in a backpack or bag it could but less so than the Ti-es did. Time will tell.
It does come with 256 MB of RAM .. 128 soldered on the board and a 128 chip .. annoying .. I wish they could just solder the 256 and give me an empty slot.
CD slot takes in disks so much better than my Ti?s DVD drive. New Tis do this to but I list it as it?s important to me
On the plus side it takes DDR so-dimms, which, while a little more expensive than SDR, will probably hatch 1GB dimms inthe next 12 months or so. Most other Apple products have hapily accepted larger dimms than originally spec'd (when they became available) so it is possible that you may be able to put more than 640MB in it (up to 1142MB if 1GB so-dimms materialize) Maybe, but it won't be cheap.
Comments
PS, Eugene, it certainly is a sexy little black package.
haha....sigh..... thats a nice little portable there.
<strong>...
Feedback so far: - Keyboard has aluminium keys - absolutely superb feel.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I didn't know that. Sounds cool.
[quote]Originally posted by McCrab:
<strong>The case is very very robust (much more so than the TiBook).</strong><hr></blockquote>
That sounds good too.
<strong>...Is the 12" iBook also really hot?
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not at all. My wife's is never "hot".
<strong>Then if the iBook is not ever hot, could it be that the PB is only really hot by comparison and merely warm as laptops go in general?</strong><hr></blockquote>
The 12" PB gets about as hot as some of the hottest laptops I have used (including TiBook, IBM 600x (good fan/cooling), IBM X30 (runs quite hot)). However, it seems to cool VERY quickly in sleep mode and when the fan?? comes on.
To anyone who is more technically qualified, is there a fan inside the 12"? All I can hear is rather quiet whirring of the hard drive.
<strong>Really hot eh? I thought the hard annodized aluminum was supposed to relieve that? No big deal I guess. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
Since aluminum is supposed to be a much better conductor than Titanium, the machines may actually feel hotter than the Tibooks, but the insides of the machines will be less hot (thus preventing damage by the heat -- a good thing).
Are the keys really aluminum? That would be very cool, but other people have said that they were silver plastic. Is there an easy way to tell the difference?
[ 01-23-2003: Message edited by: icruise ]</p>
<strong>Really hot!!! How hot is "really hot" in comparison to a 12" iBook??? The MacNN show floor review said that it was hot too, but that it wasn't really hotter or cooler than a 12" iBook. Is the 12" iBook also really hot?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well, I haven't had a chance to play with the 12" PBs. My iBook only gets hot when playing games or DVDs, things where the CPU + Video card are doing overtime. For everyday use, you barely notice any warmth at all.
<strong>I've never owned a laptop, is it uncomfortable? Would you use it on your lap?</strong><hr></blockquote>
If, as they say, it's comparable to the iBook, then you should have no trouble with it on your lap unless playing games or doing other CPU heavy tasks for extended periods.
I can say that my iBook did get burning hot after a marathon Return to Castle Wolfenstein session once.
<strong>I've never owned a laptop, is it uncomfortable? Would you use it on your lap?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Over the years, I have found that using a laptop for prolonged periods (1 hr +) on your lap tends to fry the gonads. This applies to all the laptops I have ever used and it seems that the 12" PB is no different.
Off the track, one thing I would say - the case on the 12" is unbelievable in its sturdiness/robustness. With the exception of industrial strength re-engineered cases on some Toshibas, it is with a doubt the strongest casing I have come across - there is no (repeat NO) flex in the frame. Apple have done some serious engineering on this baby.
<strong>Then I'll definately be getting my powerbook with them... I always hated how apple.com charges sales tax.... one of the few internet sites that does.</strong><hr></blockquote>
<making stuff up>
Companies that are registered to operate on nationwide basis are compelled to charge the state taxes. Smaller companies like Smalldog or MacConnection are technically operating locally, so they charge taxes within their state, if there is a sales tax.
I slept through the part as to how they can sell nationally and not charge tax. I think that the buyer has to declare the tax in their state income tax, but I may have dreamt that bit.
</making stuff up>
I'd pick my 1GHz TiBook up off the desk sometimes and place my hand under the middle to transport it to another spot, and think "holy crap!" when I felt the temperature. Gets nice and toasty in there.
I'm hoping they have a nice way of keeping the MiniPB cool, as there's even less room to pass the heat around inside. I'm anxious to read some actual user reports on this as well.
I mainly chose to go with an iBook myself because I am now going with a 2 computer setup. An iMac for the house (right after the next update), and an iBook for my portable. Just didn't need the little bit of extra power and coolness, and I can use the 800 canadian clams towards the iMac. But the fan thing was #2 on my list. It was never a problem on battery really, unless I was *really* working it, or it was on something other than a flat cool surface, but I always dreaded plugging it in with a low battery... knowing the fans would be going until it was charged. Maybe my last iBook (and my also silent 667 Ti) have spoiled me on silent computing.
Hope this little guy is quiet.
[ 01-23-2003: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
Here's an interesting thought. If the aluminum acts as a very effective heat sink, it could be the case that the insides are really not any hotter than an iBook, just that an iBook puts a nice non-heat conductive layer of plastic between the guts and your nads. A nice form fitted, 3rd party, plastic skin might keep you thighs cool and still let enough heat vent out through the ports/radiate out he top. They could make it in different colors to give your PB different transluscent/aluminium looks.
Actually I've gone way cheap. I got one of those super bouncy balls, they're a little smaller than a ping pong ball. You buy them for 50 cents or whatever, they bounce a mile high... made out of really hard rubber (indian rubber ball maybe? can't recall the name)
I sliced that in half, and at my desk I put the halves under the feet to raise the back of the keyboard up. Keeps it a tad cooler and helps with typing. They also won't slide around on you.
There, I just saved someone $20.
[ 01-23-2003: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
Your analysis of the heatsink effect of Al vs iBook plastic seems right on the mark to me.
It's seemed much sturdier and rugged than my Ti. No bending when picking it up by one end. It was a little warm/hot but again it was running and on top of that beaming light non-stop ? it?s no ?real word? conditions. I'd say it was a little less hot than my Ti.
The keyboard was definitely sturdier than the Ti's. Not sure if they are real AI but they do look.
The speaker placement is interesting in that it is on the far edge with the idea that the sound will bounce of the bent screen. Seemed as loud as my Ti, hard to tell with all the room noise though.
I tried to see if the keyboard would touch the screen while closed; I couldn't tell for sure but will say the following. The keys do seem to rise a little more than palm rest. It has more ridged bumpers ... on my ti there are some small thin rubber bummers on the palm rest side that are suppose to hold the screen away from the base when closed. The new MiniBook has more sturdy round feet on its screen. All in all the screen doesn't seem to touch keys when sitting on the desk, I think there is still a chance while shifting in a backpack or bag it could but less so than the Ti-es did. Time will tell.
It does come with 256 MB of RAM .. 128 soldered on the board and a 128 chip .. annoying .. I wish they could just solder the 256 and give me an empty slot.
CD slot takes in disks so much better than my Ti?s DVD drive. New Tis do this to but I list it as it?s important to me