MacBook Users Fix Trackpad Problem with Origami Paper 291
yonnage writes "Some Apple MacBook owners are plagued with what seems to be a defective trackpad button. The button, when pushed, seems "squishy" and sometimes even unresponsive. While these MacBook owners are getting turned away at the Apple Genius Bars, they have come up with a custom and unique solution to the problem. A piece of paper, placed strategically under the battery pack where the trackpad is located, seems to fix this problem for most users."
Could work, but for how long? (Score:5, Insightful)
Disable USB Drives - Remotely [digg.com]
Re:Could work, but for how long? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Could work, but for how long? (Score:5, Funny)
I wouldn't trust "circular indents" in a tossed about laptop. And what's the solution?
The force that holds the Universe together.
Duct tape.
(well, well, I would actually use some crappy adhesive tape instead of the spacecraft-grade variety, but you got the idea)
It's not quite that simple. (Score:4, Funny)
It's not quite that simple.
The article is inaccurate. It says you you can fold an origami star or merely just fold the paper in a square. Neither of these methods will work. Instead, fold the origami (or other, but origami paper is preferred) into a crane, as shown here [monkey.org]. Then smash the origami crane with your fist, using a quick up and down motion, as if you were masturbating.
From here, follow the rest of the directions in the article, and your trackpad should soon be clicking like there's no tomorrow.
Re:It's not quite that simple. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Could work, but for how long? (Score:3, Funny)
you COULD do that, (Score:5, Funny)
Paper Over Hot Battery? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Paper Over Hot Battery? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Paper Over Hot Battery? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Paper Over Hot Battery? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sounds like a decent way to burn your house down (Score:4, Funny)
stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:5, Insightful)
Same thing with this whole "discoloration" thing about the palm rests. People, laptops are machines, they wear out, they have flaws. It's like some people get so emotionally attached to their computer that if they see one flaw with it they have to write an article about it.
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
Agreed. There's a certain romantic aspect of fixing a 21st century computer with an ancient japanese folding trick, but the solution itself is a stretch. There are loads of other springy, resilient objects that would solve the problem more effectively.
Why is this on Slashdot?
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
Worse than the average PC maker? (Score:2)
What do you mean? Do you mean the quality of the hardware components chip for chip, USB plug for USB plug etc.... it would surprise me if Apple hardware turned up better in such a comparison since Apple sources these components from the same manufacturers as everybody else. Mac fanboys, such as myself, claim Apple makes better computers for othe
Re:Worse than the average PC maker? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Worse than the average PC maker? (Score:2, Insightful)
This truism is always brought up in this (and similar) conversations, but I don't buy it.
No manufacturing process has a 0% failure rate. As such, you can "buy" quality by negotiating a price with smaller failure tolerances:
$x per unit with failure toleranc
Re:Worse than the average PC maker? (Score:3, Insightful)
Sigh... you're trolling, but I'll bite:
This is one of the huge problems I have with fanboys... I respect when a machine can look good, but it's hardly something I value very high. Sure, Mom and Dad don't want an ugly machine... but how does the case make a mac a better computer? If toting
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:5, Insightful)
Um, Apple was having these sorts of problems loooong before the intel switch. Logic boards on iBooks? Hinges/latches on last gen powerbooks? Etc, etc, etc.
The public is still being charged a premium price for comparitively less powerful hardware.
I'm going to assume you completely missed the last 5 years of PowerPC development which ended up with a G4 chip that could barely run a calculator, and a G5 that would initiate nuclear fusion if placed into a laptop. They switched because they had basically no choice if the wanted to remain in the computer business.
The move to standard hardware now provides consumers with a basis for comparison. Before, you couldn't compare megahertz to megahertz because the G3/G4/G5 processors were more efficient than standard desktop Intels. Now you can because Apple is using the same hardware, and they can't hide behind motorolla/ibm anymore.
So now it's not that PowerPC is more powerful - it's just that they can't dupe consumers into thinking it is? How about just make good computers and let the public decide instead of lying to them? And if you're still trying to suggest that the new dual core Intel chips are slower than a G4, you're nuts. Talk to anyone who's used both.
Software and software alone is what's driving Macintosh sales, since quality and performance are no longer viable selling points.
One chip does not a whole machine make. Compare Thinkpads (pre Lenovo especially) with, say, eMachines - they both use Intel, but there the similarities stop. Honestly, as a latecomer to the Apple camp, I've never understood the obsession with microchips among a group of people who wouldn't recognize one if they were staring at it. Apple makes its money through an OS that many people feel is far superior to Windows, and by creating well-designed machines that are very functional and visually striking. This has not changed with the Intel switch. And like most makers of functional, pretty machines, something comes up lacking and sometimes that's component testing (kind of like a European sports car). But the thing is, that is NOT new.
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
As for performance, my wife's PowerMac G4 Dual 867mhz compares in frame rate on WoW and ET with my Dual Xeon 2.0ghz dell. Both had an upgraded video card (9600xt 128mb agp in dell, 9800 agp4x 128mb in mac). For many tasks the systems
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:5, Insightful)
Tell that to my G3 iBook and its 6 logic boards.
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:5, Interesting)
Duh. Mac systems have always been known to be extremely dodgy as far as rev1 is concerned, which is why veterans whose live doesn't require to immediately upgrade usually wait for rev2 of any hardware Apple produces.
iMacs, iBooks and PowerBooks always suffered high defect rates for rev1s, the difference is that since Apple had much less popularity, there were less switchers and we had fewer internets on the web, it was noticeably less publicized.
Apple's extremely bad record with rev1s is the reason why I'm still waiting before buying a mac. That, and the Core2 being released by the end of the year that seem to literally spank the Core (and AMD chips) perfs-wise.
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
(I bought a 1st gen. AlBook, just to get rid of my awful TiBook and I did live happily ever after).
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:3, Funny)
So, uh...
How many internets do we have on the web now?
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
re: Revision 1 Macs (Score:3, Informative)
I bought a Macbook Pro about 5 weeks after they were released, and mine arrived completely dead. It was obvious it was getting power, but that was about it. No display or sound.... That was quite irritating,
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:3, Insightful)
Other companies already fixed these problems (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:stupid Macbook tricks make frontpage? (Score:2)
My computer is my girlfriend and I am VERY emotionally attached to her -- anyone who really loves their computer will learn to embrace any flaws as just what makes their computer special. Like my computer's sex... I mean floppy drive is all sticky inside for some reason, but it doesn't make me love my computer any less.
smugness, sodomy (Score:2, Funny)
Seems like a piece of foam would work (Score:2)
Or anything resilient.
Useless tricks become useful (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Useless tricks become useful (Score:2)
Just think... now there is a practical use for not only your skill, but for SCO stock too!
Same problem... (Score:5, Informative)
Or go into the system preferences and set it so that tapping the trackpad clicks. (Tapping it with two fingers to 'right-click' is nice too...)
- sm
Re:Same problem... (Score:2)
Wouldn't it more intuitive if right-click was done by tapping with the pinky, and two fingers would give you middle click (think Emulate3Buttons)?
I know, when I'm confronted with a touchscreen, and feel the need to rightclick (to open contextual menues or whatever), I spontaneously use the pinky. Well, obviously it doesn't work (with most touchscreens anyways...), but it would indeed be a nice intuitive feature if they somehow found a way to impl
Re:Same problem... (Score:2)
Re:Same problem... (Score:3, Funny)
One thing all these MacBook problems have shown me (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:One thing all these MacBook problems have shown (Score:3, Insightful)
And before someone feverishly responds "What does one data point prove?", I only mention this episode because someone is extra
All about the Apple Care problem (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:One thing all these MacBook problems have shown (Score:3, Informative)
The other thing is that I know quite a few people with macbooks and none has yet had any problems as those mentioned on slashdot. My guess is that many mac users tend to be more active online than other l
Your perception is wrong (Score:2)
As long as you're within AppleCare, Apple's service is phenomenal. It's more like an insurance than a guarantee. Apple will replace your stuff if there's a problem, no matter what exactly the cause is. My brother got his iPod replaced after he actually fell on it and destroyed the screen. A friend of mine got his iBook replaced after he broke the screen in a skateboarding accident, and another friend got his iBook replaced after it fell out of a train (don't ask).
I myself did destroy a PowerBook when I stu
Why all the blogging? (Score:5, Insightful)
When I buy a new computer / household device that does not live up to my expectations, I return it to the store and demand a refund or a new one that works properly. I always get what I want, including from vendors such as Apple.
Now why does no-one in the blogosphere think of that? Why start fiddling around with pieces of paper, toothpicks, reinstalling software, "trying this and that because a friend told me". Why? WHY?
GO BACK TO THE STORE AND DEMAND A PROPER PRODUCT!
I blame the switchers. (Score:2)
Re:I blame the switchers. (Score:4, Interesting)
The site seems to contradict itself when it says "Lenovo managed to tie Apple in each case in the laptop survey" but then says "...Apple also scored an 82, with Lenovo at 69..." Or maybe the numbers are just different than the survey.
I wonder if Apples numbers could be skewed because Apple owners are sort of a special group(no insult or compliment intended by special). There is probably much less brand loyalty among the owners of Windows machines. I also wonder what the price difference is between comparable Apple and Windows machines (if any), and what kind of support and quality that could buy if a Windows vendor would/could/does sell it.
Maybe the lesson to take from the report is that if you're going to buy a Windows box, that you shouldn't buy it from any of the companies listed, because Apple proves that they could do much better.
I wonder if you would get better support if you told them you were a consumer reports member and you always fill out their surveys.
Re:Why all the blogging? (Score:2, Informative)
That works at many stores in the US, but it does not at the Apple Store. They charge a 10% restocking fee. December 2004 when I bought a new 17" PowerBook, it had a broken keyboard out of the box. Apple wanted a 10% restocking fee to replace it. That would have cost me almost $300. My other option was to send it in for repair, but Apple was out of the backlit keyboards so it would have taken over six weeks to get it repaired. After fighting with th
Re:Why all the blogging? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Why all the blogging? (Score:2)
I could never understand that, either (Score:4, Insightful)
But you should see the GIGANTIC thread about this issue in Apple forums. Folks try everything except for the right thing - take it to the store and have it repaired or replaced. Some folks have been posting into that thread for MONTHS.
Re:Why all the blogging? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why all the blogging? (Score:2, Interesting)
It has to do with Americans prefering cheap goods that don't always work to more expensive products that don't always work. For the most part, we don't actually have the option of buying quality products backed by reliable manufacturers. Competent customer service was eradicated by a mysterious plauge apparently inadvertantly imported from Communist Eastern Europe in the early
Re:Why all the blogging? (Score:2)
You forgot: ... and when it comes back, notice that all your data is gone and problem still isn't fixed
Ok, so for the "data gone" part, there are backups. But for the "problem still not fixed" there is no easy solution. Had that happen with a Fujitsu Siemens Laptop (broken Irda and Wifi). After the 3rd attempt I just gave up... Warranty is fine if the manufacturer actually fixes the stuff
Not sure what it means (Score:5, Insightful)
First Generation (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:First Generation (Score:2)
I'm not trolling, and I know I'll get modded down for this, but I can't help but enjoy seeing so many problems with Apple's products. We all know someone who looks down their nose at non-Apple PCs, and each one of these stories knocks these people down a peg.
eg "Did you hear about the recent root-my-mac-mini competition? Apparently there are loads of critical undisclosed vulnerabilities in OS X."
"Really? But OS X is UNIX [so how could
Re:First Generation (Score:2)
Re:First Generation (Score:2)
Re:First Generation (Score:2)
New marketing angle! (Score:2)
Re:New marketing angle! (Score:2)
That's the evidence (Score:5, Funny)
FUD tag (Score:3, Insightful)
Cue FUD tag on this story in 3...2..1..
Why so many FUD tags? (Score:2)
Yep, this story got a FUD tag. Why is that? FUD is supposed to mean "fear, uncertainty, and doubt". It's used as an attack on change. For example:
"We can't allow the construction of wind generator turbines. They will chop our precious bald eagles to pieces!" - American Association of Snake Oil Salesmen
This story is not an attack on MacBooks, it's somebody who's sensitive to tactile details suggesting a workaround. Lots of similar stories on Slashdot are getting tagged as FUD. Why?
Maybe some peo
Re:Why so many FUD tags? (Score:2)
This one was interesting as there was no FUD tag when I posted that, then immediately after I posted it there was one, then it vanished for a while, then came back.
It seems on
Other MacBook problems (Score:3, Informative)
Here are the MacBook problems people wrote about:
1. the bottom gets very hot (one person compared it to a vulcano), not suitable for laptop work
2. plastic around the screen likes to come off
3. the white MacBooks get "stained" where people rest their hands. These stains cannot be cleaned with any kind of a cleaning agent.
4. trackpad problems like this one.
Guess which type of a laptop I'm now leaning towards?
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:2)
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:2)
I think it's people overreacting for the most part.
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:2)
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:4, Insightful)
Never heard this one. As long as you didn't abuse it, I'd expect Apple would replace it.
Actually, nail polish remover (non-acetone, non-isopropyl alcohol kind) does the trick. Also, this happens to a small number of people. Perhaps if you just have unlucky skin chemistry?
Test one out at the Apple Store.
In fact, I suggest looking at all of those issues at the Apple Store. I tested the heat on the MacBooks/MacBook Pros, which are all running full-time on power, and while they were all warm, they were not "OMFG BBQ!" hot.
In the end, pick the computer you think will serve you best. If you do decide to get a MacBook, you're already ahead of the game by being aware of the problems others are having, and can quickly take it to Apple for replacement. I would definitely check out the heat and the trackpad on the display models so at least you'll have reasonable expectations.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:2)
And neither do properly operating MacBooks/MacBook Pros. There are confirmed reports of ones which significantly overheat, and have been replaced by Apple.
There are two issues here. One is a legitimate product failure, the other is just Mac users finding out that the Intel Core Duo/Solo runs hotter than G3's and G4's.
Re:Other MacBook problems (Score:2)
I can think of a better way to fix the problem (Score:2)
Steps: (Score:3, Funny)
1 -- Buy hardware from a company whose business model consists of selling brand hardware with particularly high margins.
2 -- High margins != high price. High margins > high price. High margins = high price + low costs.
3 -- ???
4 -- Profit! For Apple!
This is my first time ever with the 'Profit!' cliche and I promise it will probably be my last.
WOW... (Score:3, Informative)
Should be a sign: Early Adopters beware! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Some perspective here folks! (Score:4, Interesting)
Let's start off with an admission - I use Apple products. There, I've said it. I find OS X to be the best OS for what I do, full stop. OK, my servers are all Linux and _occasionally_ I have to use 'doze, but OS X is my bread and butter OS. My Macbook is one very capable machine.
Now, I don't think you'll find many people who've used it who don't rate OS X. It's a _very_ capable and compelling system which has most of the advantages of a real OS with most of the advantages of a windowing interface - it wins. It ain't perfect, but it's pretty fine. OK OK..enough already. Let's not get into the relative merits of all that...suffice to say, for joe user, it's pretty good. Two of the primary reasons for it's stability are it's compartmentalization of legacy/back compatibility issues (Rosetta and prior to that the mechanisms for OS 9 and 68K compatibility) and the fact that it only has to work on a limited, well defined, set of hardware...these are both big bonuses.
Apple hardware, on the other hand, is slightly less slick, in my experience. QC and design quality are both slightly lacking, resulting in products that don't Quite Work Right. Now, Apple deliberately set themselves up as some kind of centre of design excellence so they are (and should be) judged against higher metrics than your bucket-pc-producer and, against those metrics, their hardware just ain't so good at the moment. Go google the issues on the MB and the MBP or pretty much any of the machines over the past few years and you'll see issues.
Now, my point is, we need to keep this in some sort of perspective - can you imagine Dell taking a machine back because it has a soft trackpad button, or the screen doesn't lie flat against the base of the machine? No, nor can I.
So, Apple isn't perfect, it needs to improve its hardware QC and QA (especially on rev 1 kit), but the only real reason they get such a lot of headlines on these issues is because they've set themselves up as Something Better.....live by the sword, you'll die by it too.
Please, take all these reports with a pinch of salt. Out of the set of compromises you always make when buying a new machine, don't let a few hardware imperfections skew your decision unnecessarily harshly, just 'cos some people are reporting them with the aid of a megaphone...perhaps OS X isn't the best choice for you, but there's a fairly good chance that it might be.
DAVE
Re:Some perspective here folks! (Score:2)
I use most of the major OSs and have used/now use most major brand manufacturer's computers, so I don't have a particular slant for/against anything (just give me chips, disks, display, and input devices). I must say that the 1.0 of a product (one that is a radical departure in design or manufact
1 out of 6 squishy so far (Score:3, Interesting)
i'm not surprised (Score:3, Interesting)
New Apple Products (Score:3, Funny)
* Price/availability of engravings dependent on what printer the store has.
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:3, Informative)
Not sure what you mean by Apple "combining the consumer and pro brand into 'MacBook'," but:
MacBook = consumer-class notebook
MacBook Pro = professional-class notebook
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:2)
Well, they did drop the 12" PB, forcing those who want/need a smaller form factor to sacrifice for the cheaper MacBook.
...which is superior in every way to the 12" PB (except for not being as small). People are upset because they can't buy a small silver machine anymore. If Apple took a MacBook, made the case silver, put in a crappy X300 (not for performance, but so people could feel that they had a separate graphics card) and called it "MacBook Pro" people would stop complaining.
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:2)
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:3, Insightful)
Old:
* Brand: PowerBook
* Brand: iBook
New:
* Brand: MacBook
* Brand Extension: MacBook Pro
I'm sure Jobs would hate the comparison to fizzy water, but it's sort of like the transition from Coke/Tab to Coke/Diet Coke. Diet Coke is a brand extension of Coke. It's a definite consolidation under the new name. But really, I don't know if that's necessarily a bad thing and Apple is screwing themselves. It puts more weight behind the Mac name, an
Re:double brand extension (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:2, Insightful)
So I think Apple is screwing themselves by combining the consumer and pro brand into 'MacBook'.
Yeah. They should make a better laptop and call it "MacBook Pro." (cough.)
The Nano, which was clearly designed to cheap and accessible, does not have the ruggedness of the original machines.
As per the name, the Nano was designed to be smaller than the iPod. And it is. "Ruggedness" has nothing to do with it.
Now, the Shuffle WAS designed to be the cheap and accessible iPod. But since it's flash-based, encased
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:2)
or use it for a few months. they tend to die on their own pretty quickly from what i've seen (~3 months before the headphone jack loosened and ~10 months before a surface mount ic fell off).
Re:Why did apple have to call it a Macbook? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:OMFGPONIEZ!!! Apple laptops have problems ?! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Same with Powerbook (Score:5, Funny)
This is too true (Score:5, Insightful)
I watched a demo on a 17" X86 Powerbook the other day and I decided the ONLY real selling point was the screen, for road warriors. The downside is that in order to get the very thin design they must have made compromises, and I bet this is at the root of both the battery problems and the trackpad problems. Lots of research has gone into making reliable batteries with rolled construction - it is much harder to make a reliable thin battery.