Computers

Computers

by Carlo Longino




Apple's New Laptops Not Intended For Use On Laps

from the hotter-hotter-fuego-fuego dept

There have been a lot of reports about how hot the bottoms of Apple's new MacBook Pro laptops get, but apparently the high temperature isn't the problem -- rather that the laptops aren't actually supposed to be used on your lap. The computer's manual warns that "prolonged contact with your body could cause discomfort and potentially a burn", saying the machines should instead be used on a desk or flat surface. A computer to be used on a desk -- wouldn't that make it, um, a desktop?

28 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    May 19th, 2006 @ 1:51pm
  • by drkkgt

    No Silly, a desktop is a computer you put in those cabinets on the side of the cheap desks or on the floor.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Sep 25th, 2008 @ 2:10pm
    • Re:

      by mekdim

      I recently bought my Macbook and stupid me, it never cross my mind it has a health impact or side effect. most of the time I was working on the laptops by putting it on my laps. Now I realized the I'm having a pain on my bladder and kidney side. I kinda freaked out it might be the laptops because i 'm a very health young man with no medical problem history. Guys, besides burning skin it may affect internal organs too.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    May 19th, 2006 @ 1:58pm
  • This came up a few months ago

    by Aaron

    I remember reading somewhere that Apple tech support was aware of the problem, but the computers were specifically being marketed as "notebooks" rather than "laptops" for a reason.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • May 19th, 2006 @ 4:01pm
    • Re: This came up a few months ago

      by robert

      When computer companies started coming out with portable machines there was a differentiation between “notebooks” and “laptops”. The difference was one had a battery and one required a cord respectively. As the years flip, notebooks have kept more portable then their beefy sibling the notebook at the cost of functionality. Each has their place in the computing commuting world. It’s all about what you need.

      I agree I haven’t used either that has not been uncomfortable warm on the lap after more than 30 minutes.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    May 19th, 2006 @ 2:04pm
  • Ok...

    by Colin LeMahieu

    Call it whatever you want; laptops get hot and unless you want your sperm count to drop, you should probably put them on a desk to use them.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 2:23pm
  • Good lap protector

    by Anonymous Coward

    I highly recommend one of these for you toasty laptop users:

    http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 2:28pm
  • by csaturn

    I have seen the same warning in many manuals including my Thinkpad's. It's there for legal reasons.

    The question though is: How hot is it? Like summer in Norway or Greece?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Dec 2nd, 2008 @ 12:49pm
    • I love it.

      by Joshua Martin

      On a cold winter night, you cant beat sat in bed with one of these babies on your lap. And turning up the heat is a easy as turning on a load of useless, CPU draining app's. Its awesome. Plus, in college, I find that a fun game to play with your mates/ colleagues is to see how long you can keep your finger on the strip of metal above the keyboard when its at its hottest.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    May 19th, 2006 @ 2:36pm
  • by Hannibal Lecter

    is it going to ruin my flesh-covered desktop?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 2:39pm
  • by Anonymous Hero

    It's just a legal thing, I bet it's in every single manual, that way they wont get sued. Thats the good old USA for you.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 3:16pm
  • That's why...

    I bought a fan cooler to place under my notebook. The first time I used my computer on my lap was the last time. I take it as a fact of life, computers will be hot! Then again, I didn't buy a Macbook Pro, or even a Core Duo Machine.
    In fact I bought a Toshiba A105 with a 2Ghz Pentium. Better bang for my buck when I bought it on clearance, and it doesn't have that pesky USB power draw issue that the Windows Core Duo machines have.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 3:52pm
  • hmm

    by computer girl

    who cares.
    its not surprising.
    apple sucks!!
    duh

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • May 21st, 2006 @ 5:49am
    • Re: hmm

      by Inso

      typical windows user....

      I personally use windows and mac os x (tiger)......windows for gamming only....mac for my djing....

      my mac os x has never crashed on me, period....my windows xp pc crashes every now and then...

      for a long time i have always thought apple products suck, why you ask? Because it's proprietary, and way over price...

      Well, after using the same programs on both windows and mac os x (tiger)....my conclusion is apple is better for what i do...

      windows is good for my gaming, and mac is good for my djing...

      remember mac is designed for artistic reasons example: graphic designing, music, photography

      my father in-law uses apple because apple products are best for photography..he teaches photography at a community collage.....he uses 35mm and digital

      so don't sit there hiding yourself behind a keyboard and mouse stating apple sucks and not explain yourself why it sucks....

      besides, your comment had nothing to do about the topic in the first place....

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Dec 3rd, 2008 @ 6:22pm
    • Re: hmm

      by unknown

      What do you have against apple

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    May 19th, 2006 @ 4:07pm
  • Averatec

    by Andrew Baker

    I bought a Averatec 10" screen apple wanna be. (white case and all that)

    in the firmware it states the normal operating Temp to be 165 degrees F. and the "critical" shutdown temp to be 209 degrees F. Thats hotter then I want near my boys. I dont think it ever gets that hot, but shesh.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 4:09pm
  • Laptop

    by Ross

    More like a Notebook? All I need is something luggable.... Most "desk tops" are Under desk anyway

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 4:10pm
  • by Some like it Hot

    Buy a Chillpad. It's a handy little device that cools the bottom of your laptop with fans.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 4:17pm
  • Apple only has itself to blame

    by Planet Smasher

    Apple could probably avoided the Lap Hot - er... I meant Lap Top too hot issue if they had gone with these guys instead of Intel..... 7 Watts (cool) compaired to 21 Watts (hot, hot, hot!)....

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/19/pasemi_apple/

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 19th, 2006 @ 7:18pm
  • pfffftt...who cares

    by Jack

    every laptop i have evr used gets quite hot on ur lap. it would have to be a pretty shitty computer not to get hot, or it would have to be massive and have lots of fans and heatsinks

    its not as if its touching ur bare skin anyways, unless ur wearing really short shorts or ur naked or something.

    all the thnkpads i use get hot, apples gets hot, and theyre the only laptops i would use, so its sorta a fact of life for me

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 20th, 2006 @ 12:40am
  • Dells have been this way for years

    by Damon Alexander

    I used to work in Dell's Major Accout Laptop support and we have been telling our customers to put there laptops on flat surfaces for years. It has been this way for awhile. I have an old CP laptop and it gets really hot. This is old news guys.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 20th, 2006 @ 7:58am
  • Cop out

    This is a cop out by Apple. Everyone I know (myself included) puts their notebook on their laps at times.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 20th, 2006 @ 8:54am
  • not all laptops are hot

    by SOAP

    I have 2 laptops from dell, 1 pentium m and 1 core solo. Both run for several hours (upwards of 4) on my lap and never get more that mildly warm. So, while this may not be an Apple specific problem it doesnt mean that it hasnt been solved by other manufacturers

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 20th, 2006 @ 4:54pm
  • laptops and other consequences.

    Hey. other things can happen on your lap.

    I personally was irradiated from a low sperm count to a ZERO sperm count by sitting in front of a UPS system for 18 months.

    I now do use my laptop (IN bed!) and it only gets warm.
    but I know I shoot blanks now, and dont care about irradiated testicles

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 20th, 2006 @ 8:09pm
  • by Rey M

    well you can always use Laptop Desk: http://www.laptopdesk.net/

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • May 21st, 2006 @ 3:27pm
  • Not all that novel

    by Jennifer

    Heat problems have always been an issue with laptops. Why does this seem surprising?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 29th, 2006 @ 6:25pm
  • permenant effects?

    by jp

    I realize that the heat from a laptop can cause a decrease in sperm count, but is this effect permenant? If one were to quit using the laptop on his lap, would it fix itself in time? Also are there any other side effects of such a use?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now.
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Plain Text HTML
Save me a cookie
  • Plain Text: A CRLF will be replaced by break <br> tag, all other allowable HTML is intact
  • HTML: No formatting of any kind is done without explicitly being written in
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <p> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Close
Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now.
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Plain Text HTML Save me a cookie

Search Techdirt
And now, a word from our Sponsors..



Subscribe to Techdirt's Daily Email Newsletter

Techdirt's Daily Email Newsletter

Related Stories
Close
E-mail It