SR MBP Screen Warping

[recentconvert]

Hi everyone. I've just purchased a SR MPB 15" 2.4 -- it's my first Apple computer and I'm thankful for being able to avoid Vista.

Here's my question. I've noticed (since pretty much out of the box) that the front two corners of the lid are warped slighty off the body when closed. There's also a little wiggle in the latch.

I've read volumes of people on different forums talking about warped MBP lids -- but everyone seems to have a different opinion as to the severity of the problem, and the cause.

I'd simply like to know whether anyone thinks this is a common problem -- and if I should try and get the unit replaced.

I'm about to be a grad student and just spent a lot of money on this computer, it makes me sick to think I didn't get a good model.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

 

[Animalk]

I had the same problem and chose to not complain about given that everything else was perfect and defect free.

Well it payed off because it is now straight just by normal use. Most people i read about on these boards exhange it for another or get the casing replaced.
I believe its just a manufacturing issue that they are aware of but that isn't very serious.

If everything else on the laptop is perfect, I wouldn't return it or ask for a new casing.

 

[recentconvert]

I like your calmness about it...some ppl really freak out. I admit I'm pretty anal about my computer -- pretty much because it was so expensive.

I have the AppleCare program -- so maybe i'll wait a while and if it gets worse I'll bring it in. After all, I have 3 years to do it.

Did it really get straight just by use? Did you do anything special?

 

[Animalk]

I like your calmness about it...some ppl really freak out. I admit I'm pretty anal about my computer -- pretty much because it was so expensive.

I have the AppleCare program -- so maybe i'll wait a while and if it gets worse I'll bring it in. After all, I have 3 years to do it.

Did it really get straight just by use? Did you do anything special?

Just by normal use. I carry it around all over the place in my backpack and in my arms. If I had stacked a bunch of books on it for long periods of time, I'm sure it would of fixed itself in double time.

Well I don't have applecare (yet) so I was kind of freaking out aswell. But I really needed my laptop for my programming assignments and school work so i decided that I would wait till my work is done and if it doesn't get better, then I would bring it in for case replacement.

Some people say (like me) that bringing in something for repair is asking for trouble. This say comes from the car industry. When you bring in a car, and they remove all kinds of things and dont put things back properly, things rattle and break and don't perform well. I may just be anal.

 

[Sopranino]

The warped screen issue (How I fixed it)

When I took delivery of my PB G4 1GHz 4 years ago I had the exact same problem. (the form factor hasn't changed at all so this should work for you)

To fix this I too a Pinky Eraser and put it at the latch edge of the computer, positioned so that it wouldn't be on the track pad button, and then closed the lid until it was resting on the Eraser. I then took a couple of books and placed them on the top of the screen at the corners with enough weight to push the corners down to barely touch the surface of the base. Left it over night. The next morning, after removing the books and taking the Eraser away the lid was perfectly straight. It has stayed that way now for 4 years.

Sopranino

 

[recentconvert]

Thanks, that sounds like an interesting idea. Do you mind telling me how thick the eraser was roughly? i imagine it wasn't too thick. i'd like to try this.

 

[dcv]

Yeah I have this too. Got my 15" MBP from the store this evening and the first thing I noticed was how loose and wobbly the lid was. But meh, I can live with that as long as I don't have any more kernel panics (two so far in the first hour or so of use) and if I can get iChat video to work...

Apart from that it's a lovely machine!

 

[Halsey12]

My cat laying on my 17" powerbook with the lid closed fixed it's warps.

 

[Sopranino]

Thanks, that sounds like an interesting idea. Do you mind telling me how thick the eraser was roughly? i imagine it wasn't too thick. i'd like to try this.

Standard sized school use Pinky Eraser, I think they are around 1.5 centimeters thick. You don't want to use anything thicker. And to clarify the positioning of the eraser, don't put the long length of the eraser along the edge of the computer, the long dimension of the eraser should be sticking out of the computer like a tongue.

Sopranino

 

[GIVONZ]

Screen Warpage

I just picked up my very first Mac (MBP) tonight and when I brought it home the screen warpage was the first thing I noticed. It is a bit disappointing after shelling out a couple of grand on it.

Hopefully it improves in time!

 

[recentconvert]

one final question

I took my MBP to an Apple Genius yesterday (5th Ave. store in NYC), and asked him about the screen warping. He said it was supposed to do that. All MBP's in the store also had a slight warp, and it seems many of you here have the same thing.

So here's a final question: how many people out there have MBP's where the two front rubber feet do not sit flush on the computer body when closed?

I'm beginning to think that's just the way these things are made. Otherwise everything on my MBP is working flawlessly.

 

[wako]

So here's a final question: how many people out there have MBP's where the two front rubber feet do not sit flush on the computer body when closed?

I'm beginning to think that's just the way these things are made. Otherwise everything on my MBP is working flawlessly.

this is common in all the MacBook Pros and even the former PowerBooks as well. My old 12'' PowerBook use to have this problem and so does my 15'' SR MPB too.

The only Apple notebooks that dont have this "warp" is the MacBook, but thats because the lid is closed with magnets, so it holds the sides down pretty strongly.

 

[Hobbit6003]

Well, I've such a phenomena going through each and every Apple laptop that I've bought over the years: 12inch iBook G3, 12inch PB G4, and now this 15inch SR MBP.

Haha, I've grown to accept this, and these machines are great! I'm still using the 6 year iBook till today!

Kenny

 

[ironic23]

I had my Rev. A 2.0ghz MBP warp to the extent that if you looked at the laptop from the front, you'd see it display (sort of) a smiley face. The keyboard keys were no longer flat and the trackpad lost its sensitivity. The plastic list around the laptop showed 1-4mm gaps between the aluminum part of the laptop. I think that the design of the latch being in the middle of the laptop as opposed to the sides is much to blame for the warpage (or as the AppleCare representative called it - bowing). If the warpage doesn't cause any problems to the functionality of the laptop, i guess you can live with it. But better to have it remedied now before it gets worse. Cheers.

 

[Megatron]

Same thing with my SR MBP.

I took it into the store and a genius told me it was within spec. Then I looked at all the ones on display and they all kind of had the same thing.

What seemed to work for me was that at night, I just turned the mbp upside down and left it overnight on the carpet. Woke up and the lid was much more straight when closed.