the base of macbookair (bottom part of the MBA)

[sokjin]

Does anyone have any issues while typing?
i bought a rev C about 2-3 weeks ago and i just started to notice a really annoying sound every time i type.

It seems the base of the MBA is not entirely balanced so what i found was that every time i typed a letter towards the bottom left half of the keyboard you would be hearing a bumping noise.

Now does everyone have this issue or is it just me?

If its hard to understand my explanation just imagine sitting at a table where one of the legs are shorter than the rest and u get that constant rocking

I have applecare do you reckon i can get this covered? and how would they do so?

Please leave feedback on all ur personal MBA's ! thanks guys

 

[AndyMulhearn]

I had the same problem on a late 2007 MBP - the whole case was warped which meant that it rocked on the axis between the left-back and right-front feet. It made typing impossible because I couldn't get my finger vertical position consistently right. It was a complete pain even though it was only a couple of mm height difference, it really was enough to throw my typing off when using a desk; I didn't notice any difference when it was on my lap.

Once I realised what the problem was I took it to my local apple store and swapped it for a new one with no quibbles at all from the staff there. I suggest you do the same - if it's like mine was it's unusable and not fit for purpose.

 

[aleni]

Does anyone have any issues while typing?
i bought a rev C about 2-3 weeks ago and i just started to notice a really annoying sound every time i type.

It seems the base of the MBA is not entirely balanced so what i found was that every time i typed a letter towards the bottom left half of the keyboard you would be hearing a bumping noise.

Now does everyone have this issue or is it just me?

If its hard to understand my explanation just imagine sitting at a table where one of the legs are shorter than the rest and u get that constant rocking

I have applecare do you reckon i can get this covered? and how would they do so?

Please leave feedback on all ur personal MBA's ! thanks guys

mine does that and i tried to live with it.

 

[R.Perez]

I have typed on friends MBA's with no problems that I noticed. Maybe its flexing and bending over time or something? Causing balance issues?

 

[nman040]

Mine's not balanced as well but it doesn't rock as long as I have both palms resting on it.

Bugged me like crazy when I first got it but I've learnt to live with it. I've read some people managed to solve the problem by unscrewing the bottom and screwing it back on with even pressure all round. No luck for me though.

 

[OsakaTom]

Yep, mine unit is similarly afflicted. Unless both of my palms are resting on the unit, it will noticeably 'rock' when typing on a flat surface and make light 'bumping' noise. Reaaaallly annoying. Sadly, Apple adamantly refuses to replace the unit (they initially refused to swap it out, claiming it was an easy fix, so I sent it for repair, received the unit just as wonky as before. I called up, the support agreed that way crazy, and arranged a SECOND repair attempt. Got it back, same issue, and they now claim the rocking is entirely within specification. Did I mention they were repeatedly rude on the phone?).

I managed to more or less even it out by entirely removing a few screws from the bottom. And selectively tightening/loosening a few others. I'll add that before I did any of this one of the screws simply fell out. Now it (mostly) sits flat, but I rarely take it out of the house for fear of the whole bottom just popping off!

Add this to the litany of issues my Air is suffering from (faint screen lines, scorching hot after a ten minutes of use, sub 2 hour battery-life, and constantly draining battery in sleep mode - also issues they were supposed to fix and did not) and I'm absolutely never buying another Air again. For what it's worth, the second repair depot (an 'authorized center') told me they've never had an Apple computer with more issues than the Air.

On the other hand, my MacBook Pro and iPhone experiences have been quite good, so as much as I might want to swear off Apple for my terrible, terrible Air unit (and downright rude tech support), I'm still onboard for an iPad and new MacBook pro when they're finally updated. Here's to downing the Kool-aid!

 

[timsutcliffe]

Same here

I'm suffering from the same problem. I mostly use it on my lap so it's not normally a problem. When I do use it on a flat surface and it's uneven, I just put a hand on either side of the keyboard and turn one side up and one side down to even things out.

I can't imagine there's much Apple can do about it if you take it to the Genius Bar.

 

[duky]

I don't have this problem when typing but I just tried tapping the area to the left of the trackpad and noticed it. It's not a big issue for me though cause this never happens during general use. Maybe some are in worse condition than others or something?

 

[gnr319]

Though not a prevalent problem, it does plague MBAs from time to time.

If your bold enough you can try this fix, which I found elsewhere on these forums. Sit down on a chair and place the MBA (lid open) on one of your laps. Depending on which corner is uneven, you will either put your right hand on the top right corner of the unit and your left hand on the bottom left corner or switched. Then gently but firmly put pressure on the unit. Simply put, this "bends" the MBA back into even footing.

It seems to have worked well for others but the key is to be gentle yet firm.

 

[Scottsdale]

Use your hands to bend the MBA back into shape. I saw a "Genius" do it at the Apple Store one time. He said aluminum does it because it's a soft alloy, and it happens over time depending on where and how stored/carried (supposedly they ensure all are "leveled" properly before shipping because it happens - probably even in the box). I wouldn't bet that it's their "official" fix, but it actually makes a lot of sense. On a few I have seen since, the lid didn't match up quite right and once the main case was bent back, it fit fine. I would use a straight edge and level and see what's going on. Use extreme caution, but I bet you will find it's actually an efficient method to "fix" what should have never been but is a side effect of using aluminum. Good luck.