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The MB/MBP hinge SUCKS! (and other complaints) - but i still bought one...

Speaking of the hinge and tilt...anyone notice that the degree you can tilt back your MBP screen seems to vary?

My SR MBP w/ LG screen seems to have a tighter hinge than the three other MBP Samsung screens I've had a chance to play with. The Samsungs appear to tilt farther back by about 20 degrees (sorry I didn't have a protractor) :)

See Image:

http://henhowc.bol.ucla.edu/tilt.jpg
 
I do not know what is up with the ports on both sides deal, but they definitely need to be on the side, and not the back. The 12" Powerbook G4 was the pinnacle of design. All the ports on one side, small, light, powerful. :)
 
7on said:
Try hating the hinge after owning a TiBook... worst hinge ever.
Click to expand...

Yep, it was ultimately the end of my much loved TiBook... it was a sad day. :(

162478608-M.jpg
 
Superdrive said:
I do not know what is up with the ports on both sides deal, but they definitely need to be on the side, and not the back. The 12" Powerbook G4 was the pinnacle of design. All the ports on one side, small, light, powerful. :)
Click to expand...

That would have been a better design, I think. If all the cables and such came out of only one side, it would make plugging and unplugging even easier. Plus, the look would be a bit cleaner.
 
I like having the ports on the side. Means I don't have to fold down the screen and look behind when I want to plug something in. All of my cords (USB, FW, Audio) all are wire tied neatly and just go back to the back of my desk. Nice and neat.
 
lordjonny said:
i dont understand if you want a desktop computer the imac is more powerful:S
Click to expand...

I actually want a desktop computer that I can move between home and office.

The MBP 2.2 is the closest I've been able to get toward achieving my goal. I almost never (except the occasional visit to a conference room or client to give a presentation) use it w/o external keyboard, mouse and LCD display.

The current MBP is great and only needs a bulit-in bootable eSATA port to approach computing perfection. :apple:

Cheers,
 
vicious7 said:
That would have been a better design, I think. If all the cables and such came out of only one side, it would make plugging and unplugging even easier. Plus, the look would be a bit cleaner.
Click to expand...

There is no room in MBP due to the thinness of the design.
 
Ports to the Side

Having ports to the side definitely enhances usability. For those of who work and travel with laptops, (such as consultants) moving multiple times a day for meetings, presentations, etc., it's a godsend to have ports on the laptop's side(s) instead of the back.

Ports at the back is hard to use. I've seen people not connecting their PC laptops to an external monitor, etc. because they are sick of reaching to the back of the laptop to fit the monitor cable.
 
the other great thing about the MBP's hinge design is its smaller form factor. perfect example... I was setting up my sister's MBP in her college dorm room, and noticed her roommate's 15.4" HP laptop's screen was so tall that the top 1" was covered by the shelf above the desk. however, the MBP fit right in and the whole screen was visible beneath the shelf. also great for planes!
 
Complain, complain, complain - everyone is a critic. The MacBook Pro, despite being a professional-oriented system, is something that is designed for the professional masses. Things that you mention such as the restriction on hinge opening, are things that wouldn't be of concern to most people. I can't imagine most professionals working in bed or in the floor and obtaining any degree of productivity. The hinge is therefore designed with this in mind. With respect to your comments about USB ports, Apple doesn't market the MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement, and therefore offers an amount of USB ports appropriate for someone using a notebook computer, god forbid, as a mobile computer. On a personal note, I use this as a desktop replacement and have wires running out of both sides (both USB ports and FW400) - Certainly this setup is less than ideal. It does give me the flexibility to take this computer with me when I'm on the move. The thing that is absolutely incredible here is how many people complain about things, and have absolutely no background in industrial design, or any design for that matter. Maybe you should throw out some more requests, space for a second battery, DVI/VGA/S-video outputs, a floppy drive perhaps.
 
I'm planning to get a Macbook pro, and I like that the vents are in the back and all the inputs are on the side. The ports all being on the side makes it very easy to quickly plug and unplug thins.

What I really don't like is how little the screen opens. I sometimes want to be able to open it 160 degrees or so.
 
antibact1:

I agree, I think a floppy drive would be a great addition. As a professional, I am going to really miss my floppy. Well, unless I get a USB floppy drive.
 
roger6106 said:
What I really don't like is how little the screen opens. I sometimes want to be able to open it 160 degrees or so.
Click to expand...
This seems to vary quite a bit, as do a number of things on the MBP (such as how much the corners of the screen bend upwards when it's latched shut, and how wonky some of the keys are). My screen goes back just far enough, which is great. I wouldn't want it back any further, but it doesn't go back any further so I guess I'm lucky :) You see side-by-side comparison pictures, though, where some MBP's obviously don't open very far. That has the potential to be quite annoying.

Though all this is irrelevant if you're used to a laptop screen that goes almost 180 degrees... the MBP just wasn't designed that way.
 
theman said:
antibact1:

I agree, I think a floppy drive would be a great addition. As a professional, I am going to really miss my floppy. Well, unless I get a USB floppy drive.
Click to expand...

You better think this through, you will be using up one of your USB ports :)
 
theman said:
antibact1:

I agree, I think a floppy drive would be a great addition. As a professional, I am going to really miss my floppy. Well, unless I get a USB floppy drive.
Click to expand...


Ah the wonderful floppy and the vast 1.44MB it contains:)
 
antibact1 said:
Complain, complain, complain - everyone is a critic. The MacBook Pro, despite being a professional-oriented system, is something that is designed for the professional masses. Things that you mention such as the restriction on hinge opening, are things that wouldn't be of concern to most people. I can't imagine most professionals working in bed or in the floor and obtaining any degree of productivity. The hinge is therefore designed with this in mind. With respect to your comments about USB ports, Apple doesn't market the MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement, and therefore offers an amount of USB ports appropriate for someone using a notebook computer, god forbid, as a mobile computer. On a personal note, I use this as a desktop replacement and have wires running out of both sides (both USB ports and FW400) - Certainly this setup is less than ideal. It does give me the flexibility to take this computer with me when I'm on the move. The thing that is absolutely incredible here is how many people complain about things, and have absolutely no background in industrial design, or any design for that matter. Maybe you should throw out some more requests, space for a second battery, DVI/VGA/S-video outputs, a floppy drive perhaps.
Click to expand...

Agree, the Macbook pro is perfect. Not too big, not too small. Just enought ports to use. Adding any ports or making the hinge bigger so that it'll bent backwards more is a big no no. It'll totally ruin the simplistic design.
I also have a small acer tablet. The screen will bent and rotate to any place you want. However, the small hinge it has loosens after uses, the screen sort of wants to fly off. I ususally screw the screws to tighten the screen once a week. Plus, the screen is also not as thin as the MBP ones despite being smaller. Therefore, having such a thin screen in the MBP, a strong hinge is really crucial. Apple managed doing it, and it's the best.
 
Bingo!!

redrum42 said:
Not only do I love the hinge design but it is essential for heat management.

by putting the ports on the side it opens up the single largest and least visible side of the laptop for one huge heat vent. This stops the need for any on the sides or bottom and therefore eliminates the problems of vent blocking on lots of other laptops. Combined with the heat dissipation of the entire case gives you one quiet quiet laptop.

The hinge design= quiet, sleek, lighter and smaller
downside=lower viewing angle, but really, it still tilts to about 130', i dont need any more.
Click to expand...

Too much sense... I like my MBP no matter what...

Ports on side do mean easier connecting if it is a "portable " machine, which mine is!!
 
The TiBook had a great hinge when it was working. It's just when it seized up and nearly cut the data cables that things got gloomy.

roger6106 said:
What I really don't like is how little the screen opens. I sometimes want to be able to open it 160 degrees or so.
Click to expand...

May I ask why?
 
Probably for when you want to do things like this using a docking station.
No wait, the MBNP doesn't have the capability for a proper docking station...

Or if you want to use it on your lap in the back seat of a car while being driven somewhere.
No wait, you can't use it on your lap if you don't want the smell of crispy human thigh to make the driver nauseous...

Um, actually, I dunno.

redrum42 said:
Not only do I love the hinge design but it is essential for heat management.
Click to expand...

Er... what heat management? Especially when the ducting design makes an area directly above the keyboard one of the hottest places on the laptop's skin?
 
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