Burns: The price to pay for G4 Power on your lap

I have been burned by my Powerbook and Apple doesn’t care. No seriously. I’m talking about getting physically burned. Okay. Maybe I’m exaggerating.  I didn’t really get burned but sometimes after working on my Powerbook for a while, the heat, given off by the battery, feels like it could burn my leg hairs off.

When the Titanium Powerbooks first came out, there were 2 main complaints: flimsy material of the form factor and the intense heat the machine gave off. When the next generation of Powerbooks came out, they were aluminum and Apple apparently corrected the issue. It was at that time that i jumped at the chance of buying a Powerbook. I figured Apple got all the kinks taken care of in the days of Titanium and I would make out burn-free with aluminum generation. But after a few days of heavy use, I realized I would be feeling hot pants every morning on the train. At first I was thinking, “I got G4 power baby. It’s so fast it’s burning up!” Okay. I didn’t think that. I wanted to complain but fortunately other people complained first, specifically about the 12” model, that they were still too hot. Apple posted a response to the numerous complaints on the Apple Forum. This post included some solutions to alleviate the heat:

1. Place it on a hard surface not a soft surface.
2. Reduce the Processor Performance to “Reduced”
3. Select “Put the hard disk to sleep when possible” option

Now these are suggestions for 12” Powerbooks and I have a 15” Powerbook. Being that all of these “fixes” are not 12” specific, I would assume the same suggestions would work for my machine. There isn’t even a mention of 15” heat issues. And with the discomfort I’m feeling with my machine, I can’t even imagine the hot potato sitting on the laps of 12” owners.

I find these fixes unacceptable.

1. Place it on a hard surface not a soft surface.
A Powerbook is a portable computer not a desktop. To suggest the computer should be put on a hard surface severely limits the versatility of the product. If I need to do that to avoid 3rd degree burns, I might as well have bought an iMac. I might be mistaken but I thought you would be able to use your Powerbook on your lap. Maybe that’s why Apple calls them Powerbooks not laptops.

2. Reduce the Processor Performance to “Reduced”
“Reduced” Processor performance? Are you kidding me? Again: absurd. So Apple sold me a great computer. The only catch is, in order for me to use it, I need to downgrade it from “great” to “Mediocre”. Sheesh. Life is so much simpler as a PC user.

3. Select “Put the hard disk to sleep when possible” option
That’s fine. I see that as a great setting to have for when you want to control the battery time. After all, you can’t always be near a power outlet. But I find it hard to believe the developers through this in so that you can avoid having your hands flame-broiled. This should be an option not a remedy. And another thing: my hotplate starts cooking while I use it. It’s not like I am leaving it on all day not paying any attention and then I put it on my lap. I always thought Powerbooks were meant to use. I guess Apple expects me to drain my battery when not using it. But then again, I thought I could use it on my lap.

I started to get discouraged. Could something so beautiful cause so much discomfort? Then I found out about the safety recall for the 15” Powerbook batteries. That’s great! I have a 15” Powerbook! This must be the problem. On Apple’s website the recall page lists this explanation:

The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard. Apple received four reports of these batteries overheating. No injuries have been reported. Apple urges you to stop using your battery and to order a replacement battery immediately. If you continue to use your battery, do not leave it unattended and check for signs of overheating.

Even better! It’s a heat issue. I have never been so excited about a recall. At least I know the problem now. Now I can wear shorts and work again. Heck, now I can work in the buff again. But I wasn’t so lucky. My battery is not one of the affected ones.

Some say, the heat is due to the slim design and the metal material. Some say if they added more fans, it would not only make it thicker but it would make it louder. Would I be receptive to a thicker, noisier Powerbook? Absolutely not. A visit to the Apple Store with my powerbook resulted in a Mac Genius telling me the heat was normal.

So what’s next for me? It looks like I will have to continue to sandwich a pillow between my Powerbook and my legs to avoid the heat. Or maybe I should buy a new iBook and sacrifice power for comfort. I haven’t heard about heat issues with the plastic iBook form. Either way, if heat is the price to pay for G4 power. I better keep my firefighter halloween outfit for the G5 Powerbooks.