Mac Book Pro Heat Issue Rears its Head

Apple Care's Solution is to Keep it off my Lap...

I was using my MBP last week when the fan came on. I wasn't doing anything unusual in terms of computing power, so I thought it odd, especially since I hadn't heard the fan come on in the two plus months I had been using it. Then I felt the bottom of the machine, and that sucker was hot to the touch.

I shut down the machine as a precaution, waited for about a half hour and turned it on again. After about 20 minutes the fan came on again and I called AppleCare.

I explained that I generally work with the MBP on my lap with a lap pad from Laplogic to protect me from heat (which is why I didn't feel the heat more acutely). I was then told that the MBP was not intended to be used on the lap.

"It's a notebook," the technician told me, "not a laptop." Oh, I can see the clear semantic distinction there. He went on to suggest that I only use it on a flat surface and avoid using it on my lap, but if the fan does come on, it's safe to keep working. The OS will warn me to shut down before it gets so hot, it would damage the components.

I hope he's right. I really love this computer. I would hate to learn at this point in the courtship that it actually turns out to be one of those high-maintenance relationships.

Comments

[Lavode]

Pay no attention to that a**hole. You bought the computer, you deserve the free tech support phone calls that comes with it. If you bought AppleCare, I highly recommend calling them during the 3 year period even if you have no problems, just questions!

Yes, you could have gotten a satisfactory answer from the web, but you obviously wanted a laptop, and naively thought Apple made them. It's a pity they don't any more (apparently), and the designation "notebook" is not a description that screams out "don't put me on your lap, I'm just a smaller desktop!"

Personally, I have little use for a "notebook," but would love a "laptop." If only Apple made one...

_
Exactly. I've removed the comment. It was rude and insulting, but I thank you for your support.

The fact is I paid $300 for iCare support and as a result I don't hesitate to pick up the phone if something is not right.

RM

[Anticitizen]

Erm, is this a Core Duo or Core2 Duo? The Core Duo's get really hot, I know. The Core2 Duos should never get too hot.
__

Core2 Duo. I actually haven't had the fan come on again. Just happened the one time.

RM

[Anticitizen]

Interesting. My MBP never gets terribly hot.

Happy to know the problem ironed itself out, though.

__
Thanks for the comments. Good to know.

Regards,
RM

[Amlan]

I have been using an MBP for almost a yr now. It does get hot! But here are some of the things you can try
1. Reduce the brightness immediately and turn it back up after a few mins. In general it's better to not have it fully lit to avoid lap burns

2. Shutdown the MBP. Start back but only now hold on to the keys APPLE+OPTION+P+R before the apple logo comes on and dont let go when it does. You will hear a second chime as if it booted again and now let go. This resets the preference cache and sometimes, that helps turn off the fan.

[looking at MBP]

I am in the market for a MBP, but with what I am reading in various places regarding the battery having shorten live after a few months and the excessive heat; it is making me think that I will wait a few months, Apple may just get the message and correct the problems.

[Wes]

Came here to read about the heat. My 17" MBP is a Core 2 Duo (still not sure of the differences between those) and I run it on a hard desktop surface in a comfortable ambient office. The surface above the top left Function keys is very HOT.

If there is some sort of temp gauge inside, is there a utility to read or record the temp?

[Jeff Curie]

My Macbook is wicked hot (2.16GHz Intel Core Duo). I've burned my legs on it using it as a laptop. Right now it reads 167 degrees F! Soon I will boil water with it.

I use this Dashboard tool to measure it. Very handy.

http://www.bresink.com/osx/TemperatureMonitor.html

This is my 2nd Macbook. My old one was very hot. This one was much better for the first year but now has devolved.