MBA 11 inch mid 2011 keyboard warmth?

[harryfromglos]

Is it normal for the keyboard to get warm? I didn't think it dissipates heat.

[pigoo3]

Is it normal for the keyboard to get warm? I didn't think it dissipates heat.

You have to define "warm". Warm means different things to different people. Just like "hot" & "cold" also mean different things to different people.

If you figure that your laptop is around 1 inch thick. And the bottom of it can sometimes get so hot that you cannot keep it on your lap. Doesn't it makes sense that the keyboard could get "warm"??

- Nick

[scottmcp432]

It's normal and nothing to worry about. You do not use it on top of a bedspread, comforter or similar surface do you?

[chscag]

Nothing like a warm keyboard on a cold day.... Yes, it's quite normal. I can remember the keyboard getting warm on my older white MacBook. Keep in mind that heat dissipates upward from between the top case opening and hinge area to provide cooling.

[pigoo3]

Nothing like a warm keyboard on a cold day....

IMHO this is actually one of the positives of Winter (colder temps). I do use my Apple laptop on my lap...and yes many times it is too warm in the Summer months. But in the colder months...my warm laptop keeps me warm!

- Nick

[harryfromglos]

I thought the keyboard on the 11 inch MBA always stayed cool!

[pigoo3]

I thought the keyboard on the 11 inch MBA always stayed cool!

Ok...out of curiosity...where did this info come from? Basically what makes an 11 inch MBA different from other Apple laptops?

Under the correct conditions/computing tasks...all laptop computers get warm.

- Nick

[harryfromglos]

When I DO use it in bed I put it on top of a heavy book. I just didn't think the keyboard is meant to get warm, only the hinges and the underside. The trackpad sometimes gets warm too even though I use an external mouse

[harryfromglos]

'heat dissipates upward from between the top case opening and hinge area'
But surely it's not meant to come up from the keyboard as well is it?

[pigoo3]

When I DO use it in bed I put it on top of a heavy book. I just didn't think the keyboard is meant to get warm, only the hinges and the underside. The trackpad sometimes gets warm too even though I use an external mouse

There is no insulation that is purposely placed between the keyboard & the rest of the computer to keep the keyboard cool. The keyboard certainly shouldn't get as warm/hot as the bottom of the computer. But if the bottom of the computer gets warm/hot...some of that heat is bound to warm up the rest of the computer as well (including the keyboard).

The 11" MBA is only about 1" thick. The bottom of the computer cannot be 150, 160, or 170°F...and the keyboard not warm up at all. That heat has got to go somewhere.

I just didn't think the keyboard is meant to get warm, only the hinges and the underside.

Again I ask where did this info come from? Unless it came from a trusted Apple document or an Apple engineer...then this is just conjecture.

There is "normal warm"...and then there is "uncomfortably warm".

- Nick

[harryfromglos]

I am now using it from the battery and it is noticeably cooler...perhaps the heat from the charger is radiating up when I use it plugged in?

[pigoo3]

I am now using it from the battery and it is noticeably cooler...perhaps the heat from the charger is radiating up when I use it plugged in?

I doubt it. The "charger" is that white square thing connected to the power cord (properly call the Power Supply). It's not even part of the laptop itself. So heat coming from it could not possibly be the source of the warmth.

I'm going to throw a distinct possibility your way. What you're experiencing is absolutely normal...and you have nothing to be concerned about.

- Nick