Lid not closing all the way/warped lid, keyboard / touchpad issue

Question

Level 1

62 points

Lid not closing all the way/warped lid, keyboard / touchpad issue

Hello, as a new owner of a 17" MacBook Pro I have had it only about a week or so now I am having some issues that make me wonder why I spent $3600 USD on this.

I have noticed that the lid doesn't close completely like it does in the images on the Apple website where they show it completely flush when closed.

There seems to be a gap on left and right side of lid between lid and base of the laptop, I would say it is about 1/8th inch or about as thick as the spacebar is, but the center of the lid is in contact with the base of the computer.

When opening and closing lid should I be using one hand in center of lid or one on each edge of lid?

Will Apple fix the "warped" screen for free?
This seems to be a defect in the lid material to me.

Also,

I have noticed that there are times (actually everytime I type anything) when I am typing that the keyboard will miss keystrokes, causing excessive time wasted in correcting missing letters from my words.

Occasionally with the touchpad my mouse cursor will jump across the screen to the bottom left corner when nothing is in contact with the touchpad. This issue is more common while I am in Vista Ultimate x64 but it still does happen inside of OS X.

Any ideas why battery life in Vista is 50% of what OS X is?

Are these issues worth having the laptop repaired or are they present with all MBP and not fixable?

MacBook Pro 17, Mac OS X (10.5.2), 2.6GHz/HI-RES/2x2G/200/SD

Posted on Apr 24, 2008 10:44 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 25, 2008 7:11 AM in response to Ludacrisvp

*"Will Apple fix the "warped" screen for free?"*

We can't speak for Apple, so call them and ask.

*"Are these issues worth having the laptop repaired"*

If they bother you, and are most likely covered under warranty, then yes.

But why get it repaired when you're still within 14-day return period? Take it back and get a new one.

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 25, 2008 11:21 AM in response to Ludacrisvp

No part of the trackpad or keyboard should touch the display when the lid is closed.

The first thing you should do is shut down your computer and remove the battery. Check to see if your battery has swelled. If you see any suspicious bulging or the casing has separated from the pack, then that is the source of your problem. People have been reporting that their batteries have swelled, which causes a variety of symptoms, including loss of battery life, unresponsive/erratic keyboard and trackpad, and in extreme situations, warpage of the case.

If your battery has swelled, then bring your machine to an Apple Retail Store and have the battery replaced. Depending on if the case was also damaged by the battery, your computer may need repair, which should be covered by Apple.

If your problems are not caused by a defective battery, then I'm not sure what else I can tell you.

Reply

Answer 3

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 25, 2008 10:16 PM in response to atomic wedgie

The battery has not swelled as far as I can tell.
The battery life shows that the health is also 100% in system profiler.

Since it was ordered online on April 10th it is technically past the 14 days.
It was received on the 16th so maybe it wont be an issue for them.

Are Apple stores open on Sundays? Otherwise I cannot get to one until Monday.

If they replace it will they swap the hard drives so I don't have to re-install everything?

I have installed Vista x64 with bootcamp and I would like to avoid re-installing it and all the customizations that go along with it and OS X.

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 25, 2008 10:27 PM in response to Ludacrisvp

You should locate your nearest Apple Retail Store and check the business hours online. In my area, most stores are open on Sunday. Try to go ASAP, and not late in the day. Reserve an appointment before you go. Be sure to explain that the machine was not received until 4/16.

They will not swap the hard drive, because that is a delicate and time-consuming operation that the Genius Bar is not equipped to handle. The alternative to re-installation is to back up the contents of the drive using Carbon Copy Cloner to an external Firewire drive, then clone the drive back to the new machine. You should have a backup drive in any case, as this is good practice.

If the machine was BTO, then you will not be able to immediately exchange for a new machine in-store. They will have to mail you a new one.

Best of luck.

Reply

Answer 5

Apr 26, 2008 1:04 AM in response to Ludacrisvp

I have a 15" MBP and the screen is exactly how you described yours. There are tons of blogs/messages/... on this issue: the screen does not appear flat when closed. All of the MBP I have ever seen have a warped lid.

Even if you read that the keyboard should not touch the screen when the lid is closed, it is very well known that it happens. You can find a lot of web sites where this design flaw is discussed. It is so very well known that there are a plenty of accessories for preventing the keys from staining the screen (e.g., tucano second skin plus keyboard protector)

When I started typing on my keyboard I used to experience a lot of missed keystrokes. I have been using this keyboard for a month or so and the number of missed keystrokes has reduced. I am sure it will eventually drop to zero.

My trackpad is fine.

Good luck,
mac.cardi

Reply

Answer 6

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 26, 2008 1:23 AM in response to Mac Cardi

Thanks for all the advice that has been given, the Apple supporters are much more friendly than any windows fans I have come across. There is hardly any in-depth responses to anyones questions on most forums I have read. Everyone just says use the search button or Google it and they don't offer any assistance.
Thanks for being humans. It is very nice to know there are decent people out there still.

I have a Genius appointment on Sunday at a somewhat local Apple store about 40 miles (about 80 kilometers) away. I am using Carbon Copy to backup to my Hackintosh (the reason I became so interested in buying a Mac - it runs beautifully on my AMD 5600+ I just had to have a real one and support a great OS and nicely designed hardware).

Hopefully we can come to a decent resolution to solve these issues.

Would buying a case shell such as this http://www.speckproducts.com/products/seethru/17-macbook-pro/21
help the monitor keep the proper shape and reduce how noticeable the gap is?

I would say my gap is about 2-3 mm also in metric.

Message was edited by: Ludacrisvp

Reply

Answer 7

Apr 26, 2008 1:21 AM in response to Ludacrisvp

People sharing the same disgrace are usually friendly to each other 🙂

In my previous post I forgot to mention that my gap is only 2-3 mm large. I hope yours is not larger than that.

I have seen that case. I am afraid it might prevent the heat to dissipate well: if you buy it, please let me know how it works for you.

mac.cardi

Reply

Answer 8

Apr 26, 2008 2:56 PM in response to Ludacrisvp

fwiw, i have the same lid-closing problem on my 15", which i got in September. i had Apple send me a replacement twice, and both were even worse, s i stuc with the original one.

part of it seems to be due to only one of the magnetic hooks popping out when close the lib (yo can see them when you look at the front of the MBP at eye level when closing the lid - the small hook comes out as you lower the lid, on the right, on the left no such thing happens.

on a handful of occasions (that's literally a handful, in haf a year) i've had both hooks come down, and as result the id closed a lot better (still not perfectly), but i've ever been able to reproduce that "on demand". (must be related to phase of the moon and the current tide level <g>)

Reply

Answer 9

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 27, 2008 12:51 AM in response to Templeton Peck

Templeton Peck wrote:
*"Will Apple fix the "warped" screen for free?"*

We can't speak for Apple, so call them and ask.

*"Are these issues worth having the laptop repaired"*

If they bother you, and are most likely covered under warranty, then yes.

But why get it repaired when you're still within 14-day return period? Take it back and get a new one.

Well after reading about my situation on the Apple website, my product would be eligible to be returned within 14 days from the received date. However it would seem that Apple does not accept returns on "Custom Configured" equipment. W-T-F?
I could send it back if it wasn't customized with more RAM, faster Processor, faster Hard Drive, High resolution Screen. This is bogus for lack of a better term.

I decided that I was going to return this and get a MacPro desktop instead for a few hundred more than this laptop was but I guess I won't be able to do that.

Would they take it back if I remove the Extra RAM and put in a slower hard drive? lol

IF the Apple store is willing to take it back I will get a MacPro if not I will never buy another Apple device again. I have 3 Photo iPods 20gb, a 2nd Gen Mini 4gb, and a 2nd gen shuffle 1gb.

What happens tomorrow could mean the end of my support for Apple, or it could mean that Apple has great customer service.

I do see "Custom Configured" MacBook Pro 17s in the REFURBISHED section so that would have to mean that they do take them back!

Reply

Answer 10

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 27, 2008 6:02 PM in response to Ludacrisvp

The Apple retail store was unable to assist in any way. They advised to call Apple care. I called them and they left me on hold for an hour and a half before I hung up and called back to get transfered to dead air again.
I called back again and they said the office was now closed and to call back tomorrow.
Very unhappy.

Reply

Answer 11

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 29, 2008 3:54 PM in response to Ludacrisvp

Apple Called me today and setup the return for the MBP for full refund to get a Mac Pro. Now I wait for the shipping label. Thanks for the help

Reply

Answer 12

gsr1379

Level 1

15 points

Apr 29, 2008 5:12 PM in response to dwarfland

yeah i am about to upgrade to a mbp 15 from the mb i have now and that is the one thing i know i will miss how the mb has no button to open it or any hooks just magnets to hold the lid closed... any one know why the desineg is differnt from the mb to the mbp in this respect? seems the no hook option is better.

Reply

Answer 13

Apr 29, 2008 9:02 PM in response to gsr1379

The hook design is essentially unchanged from several years ago when the first aluminum PowerBooks came out. The MacBook magnetic closure was only part of a larger design change from the iBooks, which included a different keyboard design.

Personally, I prefer the latch design because it is more secure. I also found the tactile sensation of the magnetic latch a bit uncomfortable.

Reply

Answer 14

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 29, 2008 9:50 PM in response to atomic wedgie

Speaking of a different keyboard design I am sad that Apple doesn't offer an ergonomic keyboard. This would make typing easier.

Reply

Answer 15

Ludacrisvp Author

Level 1

62 points

Apr 30, 2008 12:37 AM in response to Ludacrisvp

Anyone know how long it takes for the FedEx Prepaid shipping label email to be sent out for the return of the MacBook Pro??

I have checked junk mail and my regular inbox but no luck. I would like to get it all sent out tomorrow morning.

Now I will be laptop-less and Xbox-360-less 😟 oh well I guess more PS3 will have to be played... or maybe do some more homework for college.

Reply