heat so bad it burned my wife's leg and Applecare says "RTM"

And you're the reason we have mattress tags that are 8-inches long and are illegal to remove (by penalty of law)
And warning labels on HOT COFFEE cups.
And "Don't stick your hand in a running blender" stickers.
And "Don't put your car in drive while unattended" in the owner's manual.

It goes on and on.
Let's guess what's next: Class-action lawsuit? That would rock. Gather all the idiots up and make them pick lettuce.
Mmmm, lettuce, nice and cold on a leg burn.

el capitano,

Everyone from the first year this type of computer was designed has put it on their lap. This is the first time in the History of Laptops that I have heard this statement. So everyone who rides the train with me in the morning should relearn what has been ingrained in our heads from day one.

AAPL I am saddened by your responses ... are you actually insinuating that this was somehow this guys wife's fault. Put yourself in the other persons shoes for a moment. Its a Laptop it goes in your lap. For someone who has used laptops and My G4 PB (Which I love) it has never gotten hot enough to burn...even when playing Halo non stop. To expect anyone to KNOW ....NOT to put it in your lap is,,, well I wont say it..

Are you saying that the system does not get that hot and his statement is False or are you defending the faith?

I bought a TiBook 500 MHz in February, 2001. Guess what: Apple's user guide warned against putting it in my lap. With good reason. The case bottom often got hotter than the case bottom of my MBP gets.

That was when I learned a lesson that stood me in good stead, and still works for me. Use a laptop tray. That works a lot better than having a false preconception about "laptops".

A good many PC "laptops" were designed with cooling air intakes on the case bottom. Putting one of those in your lap would make you realize why they weren't supposed to be used that way. They could reach levels of heat that make the MBP seem like an ice cube in comparison.

To be honest that really doesn't look like a burn at all. I would say it more closely resembles heat rash and is more likely the effect of a warm laptop causing sweat to be trapped against the leg and becomming inflamed and irritated than anything else. I believe if the latop had actually burned her it would be a solid pattern radiating out from the source of the burn not something that would appear so blotchy. I mean there is not little dimed sized hotspots underneath the laptop so I think if it were actually a burn it would have a much more solid pattern to it. You know like if an iron or a grill burned you it would leave a burn pattern much more solid and conforming to the surface that burned you..just mho.

You are correct.

SB

Yes, it was her fault - period.
When I feel something getting too hot for my skin, I actually move it - I know that sounds like a stretch, and I guess I'm just "defending the faith" but I actually see it as defending Darwin.

Scott

Sean,

If I want to watch an episode of LOST on the Train or Play some Itunes Videos. How hot does the bottom of the MBP pro get? This is what I do most of the time. Will I need a lap pad if I'm wearing jeans?

Thanks

Maybe I will take a trip to the Apple Store in NYC... its opened 24hrs.... (its amazing to me)

My honest opinion is no. I wouldn't say you would need one but you may be more comfortable with one. I use my MPB on my lap a lot with long pants on despite Apples warnings to the contrary while watching DVD's etc. It is on my lap atm as I type this with just thin dress slacks on. Does it get warm? Certainly.

I tend to cross one leg over my knee and kind of prop it up that way so that the bottom center is not in direct contact with my legs and airflow is provided or sit with my knees apart so again there is airflow underneath through the center.

I would definitely not place it on my bare leg for any length of time though not because I think it would it would burn me, but because I am sure it would become uncomforable and irritating.

While I have even gone as far as placing the underside of my wrist at the hottest spot underneath for an extended period to see how hot it gets and if it was actually capable of burning (maybe I am a little nuts) it has only resulted in my wrist getting hot and sweaty. I image if I left it there long enough it would probably get very irritated and blotchy as well. Make no mistake it will make you sweat, but you know what...my old Dell M50 got pretty toasty underneath as well. Not sure if it was the quadro video card it had or what, but it is not a new experience for me.

Now that aside I make the disclaimer that you should always follow Apples recomended instructions as far as use and placement of your notebook computer and if you follow my statement about using it on your lap without something underneath you may get burned, go suddenly blind, grow hair on your palms, begin speaking in tongues, and become steril (likely). So always follow their advice, don't listen to or sue me <g>

Its a Laptop it goes in your lap.

I don't know where you heard this but its wrong, these are not laptops but notebooks. They are certainly not always intended to be used in ones lap. As I have mentioned before, the case on my Sun laptop gets as hot as some of the hottest processors you people are complaining about, easily melting rulers or anything else touching the case. Would you put this on your lap as well? Just because something takes on a portable form does NOT mean that it can be used in any place in any way.

Laptops are not for laps -- certainly not in this age of processors that have the speed these do. Honestly people, do you expect dual 2.16 GHz processors to work at high capacity for hours and not generate a considerable amount of heat. The top of my case is pretty cool, but the bottom size is not, nor would I expect it to be. These computers should be called compact desktops not laptops -- then maybe people wouldn't put them on their laps -- especially when wearing shorts or a miniskirt 😉

...at the risk of getting banned from this forum...

Randall, do you just get off on being smug? Go troll elsewhere.

Look, you can't change the physical object by changing the word used to describe it. Laptop, notebook--call it what you will. But when I walk through an airport, coffee shop, college campus, or any other place where these machines are frequently used, it's not unusual to see people using them on their laps. Let's not try to bury an objects physical nature under a semantic argument.

Toss around all the medical terms that you want, but it doesn't strengthen your argument, nor does bringing up physics or distribution of energy. Are you an engineer or a first year med student?

The problem is that, regardless of what the manual says, the product can't be used in the way that other comparable products can. The product's specifications aren't in line with the user's expectations because the manufacturer, Apple, has decided to go against the industry norm and make a notebook that can burn its user if used in a very typical fashion. And to say that it's the user's fault for using the product in the same way that they would use a competitor's product is rubbish. Apple would do well to either 1) fix the heat problems that many of us have experienced, 2) put a more obvious warning label on the computer, or 3) change the computer's design so that it distributes heat in a more efficient --and safe--way.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Apple. I was at their 5th Avenue store opening tonight, and it was a blast. But I'm pretty frustrated with the way they've handled the problems with the MacBook Pro line. It looks like some of the quality assurance issues that have plagued these machines have been passed down to the MacBook as well, and that just makes me sad. The fact that someone was physically injured by what is likely a faulty computer is even more depressing. But what's worse is to see the victim of all this bad QA nonsense get attacked on a forum by a bunch of people hiding behind their computer screens and user's manuals.

Honestly--RATIONALLY--when can the company be held accountable, folks?