Powebook gets too hot to handle...

is it normal for Powerbook to be that hot? I like to use my laptop on my lap, and after awhile, the thing gets too hot that I have to set it off. I don't understand, my friend's Powebook operates cool enough that it doesn't get too hot. I have the temperature monitor, and it reads around 140-150 F range typically. Is that normal?

Which powerbook do you have?

The very latest ones don't show the temperature correctly anway.
But I definitely wouldn't be using it on your lap without putting something underneath it.
Those powerbooks get extremely hot and you can actually burn your legs with prolonged use, never mind fry your sperm!

I have 1.5 GHz Powerbook, and after reading around here and other forums, I found that it is normal in my case. My friend has the Ti edition and some has said that it's operates cooler than newer Powerbook. On another note, does anyone know it AppleCare covers cosmetic appearance because when I close my screen, there's a gap wider on one side than the other? This has been bugging my since the first day and for two grand plus AppleCare I paid for, I want a perfect Powerbook!

Mine seems to vary with what I'm using it for... if I'm not doing much (just surfing the net), it stays pretty cool - I'd describe it as "toasty warm." If I'm installing a large program (using the DVD drive and the hard drive, sucking a bit of power) or using a program like photoshop, it gets a bit warmer to the point where I would call it hot. That's normal for most laptops, and my PB doesn't get as hot nearly as quickly as my old laptop, so I'm happy.

Well I think the new powerbooks are the hottest laptop I've ever felt.
At our store, they're on from 9a.m. to 8 p.m. and you seriously can't touch the bottom without burning your hand.

The Ti-books and slower Albooks were a lot cooler.
They really need those new Intel chips IMO.

Mine gets really hot after quite a few hours of constant operation. However i noticed that things get really hot when i am recharging the machine.

but in any case, this is the coolest machine I had so far (I am a recent switcher). Most PC laptops I've used get hot in matter of minutes, rather than hours with my PB AL.

I was wondering about the AC adaptor. The white square part gets really hot I've noticed. The computer itself doesn't seem much worse than my old ThinkPad for heat but that adaptor has me a little worried.

It's kinda funny. The Powerbook shell (titanium or aluminum) is weird. It's scolding when hot, but icy when cold. Never in-between.

Mine gets pretty dang hot... But my P4 Toshiba used to get alot hotter so I have never had reason to complain. As long as I am wearing pants when I use it on my lap it's fine.... if for some reason that is not the case... severe damage to vital organs can occur.

I use this, keeps it pretty cool and is better than having it on your lap so there is no airflow..http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

What I have is the older PB 1.33 and it never seems to get very hot, but I have the icurve on my desk although (http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/icurve/)

I leave mine on all day at work, sometimes plugged in and sometimes not..and it rarely ever gets hot and its one of the new ones..

Now if I take it into a room that is warm, then it will get warm. If I take it to a room that is hot (no ac) then it gets HOT. haha. I've tried using it in my car once for a few seconds and it got unbelievably hot.

Its best not to keep it on your lap, due to it not getting any air, so I would recommend getting something for it, or at-least like how some people have recommended, just like a cheap tile to put in-between your powerbook and your lap.

I rarely use it on my lap, expect sometimes on my days off and im chilling on the couch, but that isn't to often.

Yeah its fairly normal to be hot, it cools itself through its case

My powerbook will get scalding hot after a while on my lap, but if I put it on a table, in 5 minutes it will cool down to a slight "warm."

jram said:

I use this, keeps it pretty cool and is better than having it on your lap so there is no airflow..http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

Click to expand...

Does it still get hot while using that? Does the fan come on while using that?

QUOTE] My fan has only come on 3 times since I've had my PB, once I forced it just to see if the fans worked.. iLap is great, keeps the airflow going, anything to keep the bottom up in the air will keeop your PB cooler.. This works good if you like to use the PB watching TV or just sitting around, and yes it keeps the PB cooler, this is after 6 hours of using the PB, 2 hours of playing iTunes, just shut iTunes off 5min.ago.

I just got my iLap last week and it most definitely keeps my powerbook a lot cooler. My fan used to keep me up on night it was so loud, but now it hardly ever comes on. Its also much more comfortable typing on a desk, and I can actually use my laptop as the name would suggest.

jram said:

QUOTE] My fan has only come on 3 times since I've had my PB, once I forced it just to see if the fans worked.. iLap is great, keeps the airflow going, anything to keep the bottom up in the air will keeop your PB cooler.. This works good if you like to use the PB watching TV or just sitting around, and yes it keeps the PB cooler, this is after 6 hours of using the PB, 2 hours of playing iTunes, just shut iTunes off 5min.ago.

Click to expand...

I think that the Powerbooks record the temperature of the last time the computer started, and not the current temperature it's running. Correct me if I'm wrong guys.

Oleg

you know what else gets hot? the power adapter (charger) my charger actually blew up on me. the wire connected to the plastic part that inserts into the powerbook to charge set sparks while i was using my laptop and it melted a piece of the wire.. DEFECTED. not to mention it minorly burnt 2 of my fingers too because i thought when it wasn't charging it was just loose so i tried to put it back in my powerbook.. not so much the story.. BLAH

good thing i have the apple protection plan.. they sent me a new one right away.

anyway, beware because the charger is really faulty.. blah. it was really disappointing

How are you guys accessing temp info for your PBs?