Few MacBook Questions...

[wasabifish]

Few things I have been noticing about my new MacBook -- any suggestions to help?

- It easily get strange marks on the surface where you put your hand (keyboard, trackpad, etc.) -- I have no pens, or any other objects that can get my computer marked with black marks, but somehow I keep getting one or two small marks each week on the surface and I can't get it off. Anything useful to remove them? I have tried using alcohol and q-tips but nothing seems to help. I believe they are some type of ink or something. (I do wash my hands and I use external keyboard + mouse) Should I get ShieldZone?


- Somehow the battery doesn't fit in exactly well. It shifts around when I touch it -- normal? (Battery life is 3-4 hours)

- Mini DVI Port - I have a VGA display monitor, and the price for the apple Mini-DVI - DVI adapter is $20. Where can I get some cheaper ones?

- I want to install Ubuntu Linux on my computer. Does bootcamp work with that? (Create partition then use Linux disc to install?)

Can anyone help?

 

[swingerofbirch]

If it were me, I would ask them to replace it. I have recently had problems with quality control from Apple. It seems the earlier on in the product life you can report these problems the more likely they are to respond. Ask them to transfer you to a "product specialist" who has more authority to help you than the first line of defense.

 

[Makosuke]

I don't see quite where asking for a replacement is warranted, but anyway:

The marking is odd, but if it's specifically a dark mark and not just general discoloration, it sounds like you must be bumping it with something that's leaving a mark. In my experience those Mr. Clean "eraser" cleaners are your best bet for getting stuff like that off--they're not pricey, so it's at least worth a try, and if it doesn't work you can always use it to shine your sinks.

If it's a problem, I would definitely recommend getting an InvisibleShield or some such wrist rest protector--then you're guaranteed not to be leavng any permanent marks.

- Somehow the battery doesn't fit in exactly well. It shifts around when I touch it -- normal? (Battery life is 3-4 hours)

If you mean it has a tiny bit of play (1mm, say), then that's probably totally normal--they fit quite well, but are not held in place absolutely solidly. My MBP battery, for example, will rattle up and down just a hair if I push on it.

If it's moving all over the place, that might not be normal, but I'd expect the only thing to really look for is if its "bulging" noticibly--that's a sign of battery failure. If you live near an Apple Store and aren't sure, you can always carry it in and just ask.

- Mini DVI Port - I have a VGA display monitor, and the price for the apple Mini-DVI - DVI adapter is $20. Where can I get some cheaper ones?

You actually want a Mini-DVI to VGA adapter (maybe that's what you meant, but it's not the same as a Mini-DVI to DVI adapter), which also costs $19 from Apple. This doesn't seem at all unreasonable price-wise to me, but typing "Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter" into Froogle and poking around will get you a few slightly cheaper deals.

Here's the cheapest one on the list, but I've never heard of the company selling it:
http://www.shentech.com/apmitovgadia.html

- I want to install Ubuntu Linux on my computer. Does bootcamp work with that? (Create partition then use Linux disc to install?)

No, as far as I know--at this point BootCamp only supports Windows XP. Maybe it'll work, or there may be a hack for it (or a version of Ubuntu that will install without BootCamp through some other means), but somebody else will have to chime in with that answer.

 

[xfiftyfour]

- It easily get strange marks on the surface where you put your hand (keyboard, trackpad, etc.) -- I have no pens, or any other objects that can get my computer marked with black marks, but somehow I keep getting one or two small marks each week on the surface and I can't get it off. Anything useful to remove them? I have tried using alcohol and q-tips but nothing seems to help. I believe they are some type of ink or something. (I do wash my hands and I use external keyboard + mouse) Should I get ShieldZone?

I just traded my PB for this MB - it's the second day I've had it, and the person before me had it for a week. There are a couple of these same marks on the trackpad button - they look like pen smudges, but subtle. I just assumed they WERE pen smudges that he'd tried to clean off, but couldn't get entirely. Perhaps I was wrong? I wonder if anyone else has this.

- Somehow the battery doesn't fit in exactly well. It shifts around when I touch it -- normal? (Battery life is 3-4 hours)

The battery on this doesn't so much move (though it can be pushed in slightly), but along the left side, where the MB body and the battery touch, there's a gap that starts larger and then fades - almost as if either the body of the MB or the battery doesn't have a straight edge. *shrug* I don't care much since it's on the bottom side of the laptop, but I didn't have that with the old PB.

 

[wasabifish]

I had ment to say Mini-VGA to VGA.

In my experience those Mr. Clean "eraser" cleaners are your best bet for getting stuff like that off--they're not pricey, so it's at least worth a try, and if it doesn't work you can always use it to shine your sinks.

Hmm. I visited their site -- where can I buy it?

One last question -- Right now I have 512 MB RAM. How much faster is the 1GB RAM verses the 512 MB RAM? Would it even cool the computer down by a bit?