Do MacBook Pro's get hot?

I'm still deciding which mac to buy (i'll wait for the next macbook pro update before I decide). I sit my current toshiba on my lap and it runs hot, I actually have burns on my left thigh and thumb from it I probably should be wearing oven mitts.

How is the macbook pro for heat?

It generates considerably more heat than a standard MacBook due to the dedicated GPU and the way the aluminum enclosure dissipates heat. However, I frequently use my MacBook Pro on my lap without discomfort, for what it's worth.

I have just purchased a new MacBook Pro, the 15" one, and it does not get hot at all. It gets moderately warm, but no more than any PC laptop I have ever used. I wonder if Apple has resolved whatever design issue was causing the excessive heat, and that new units such as mine no longer exhibit this behavior?

I cannot guarantee that new MacBook Pros won't get hot, but I can report that mine does not.

mac57 said:

I have just purchased a new MacBook Pro, the 15" one, and it does not get hot at all. It gets moderately warm, but no more than any PC laptop I have ever used. I wonder if Apple has resolved whatever design issue was causing the excessive heat, and that new units such as mine no longer exhibit this behavior?

I cannot guarantee that new MacBook Pros won't get hot, but I can report that mine does not.

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Well, I have the original Intel MacBook Pro - the one that many seem to complain about, and while it does get very warm when doing processor-intensive tasks, it rarely gets uncomfortable. Most of the time, when I'm doing light tasks like browsing, checking email, word processing, etc, I can barely tell that it's warmer than ambient temperature.

With that said, keep in mind that manufacturers have stopped calling them "laptops" for a reason. You'll notice that in all of Apple's marketing materials, they are ALWAYS referred to as "notebooks". This is because they are not designed to be used on your lap. If you feel the need to do so, you should consider purchasing a lap desk or a notebook cooling pad. These are readily available at just about any store that sells computer gear.

My wife has a MBP and she uses an X-PAD underneath it so she doesn't have to worry about the heat. If you google X-PAD you'll see what it is...

My 15" pro gets a little warm but I do use a Rain Design iLap stand if I am going to have it on my lap for a long time. This keeps the airflow under the case which helps.

Hardly any notebook on sale, PC or Mac, is suitable for laptop use now.

The term 'laptop' is rarely used nowadays as computers are no longer designed to go on the lap. Hence they're all now called notebooks.

Alexis said:

Hardly any notebook on sale, PC or Mac, is suitable for laptop use now.

The term 'laptop' is rarely used nowadays as computers are no longer designed to go on the lap. Hence they're all now called notebooks.

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I swear I just heard an echo ;D