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162 Comments
- neodon, on 10/12/2007, -19/+65OK, I'll put it to the "text."
- sych0, on 10/12/2007, -2/+39All that matters:
"In the end, it appears to be that, in certain spots, the MacBook is significantly hotter than the Dell, but its average temperature is very close to that of the Dell. Take this information as you will. I ensure you that both laptops were checked with the upmost scruitiny. In my opinion, I think that the MacBook is a great alternative to the PC dominated computer market. It does run a little bit hotter than the dell, but I remind you that the MacBook lacks cooling fans that are built into the Dell." - avocadobeandip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+34The Macbook Pro is Aluminum. The Macbook in these tests are plastic.
- bolero421, on 10/12/2007, -1/+32That would be where the CPU a.k.a. "the single greatest producer of waste heat in the system" is located.
- bolero421, on 10/12/2007, -1/+32The Macbook used in this study is NOT a Pro version. The Macbook has a plastic case. The Macbook Pro has an aluminum case.
- Arramol, on 10/12/2007, -3/+33From a consumer standpoint, it doesn't really matter what the source of the problem is. What matters is that the problem exists. I'm not going to buy a computer with a known heat issue until I know it's fixed, regardless of who you want to point the finger at.
- vogelzang, on 10/12/2007, -4/+29whatx thex hellx isxwrongx with your keyboard?
- macgabriel87, on 10/12/2007, -7/+23its not as bad as some people say. and both laptops go over 100 degrees so at the point it wouldn't matter how hot since it will HAVE to be placed on the desk.
- xedd, on 10/12/2007, -9/+23Texting! Texting! Heat all about it!
- asmodeus, on 10/12/2007, -6/+19Three times as expensive? I just looked on the Dell website, the Latitude D620 didn't even appear to come stock with a 1.83GHz CPU, only 1.66, and only the lowest end model was cheaper than a Macbook. If you take off what the site says is a "limited offer" savings of $250, the lowest end model is more expensive.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/latit_d620?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd was the page I used. - triska, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15> It does run a little bit hotter than the dell, but I remind you that the
> MacBook lacks cooling fans that are built into the Dell.
What a bizarre statement from someone who claimed to put these devices through any kind of scrutiny.
For the reality challenged: The Macbook has fans. - drgruney, on 10/12/2007, -13/+25"upmost scruitiny". Thank God, I was worried that he would use scrutiny to the utmost degree.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14Aluminium is a far better conductor of heat than plastic, thats why ALL CPU coolers are made of metal instead of plastic!
One would reasonably expext the metal notebooks to be cooler because they'd be able to disapate any heat better from one part of the casing to adjecent areas. - LaughingMan11, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10dam1an: like all things, power consumption is relative. Core Duo was advertised as being low power, and high performance, for an overall win for performance/watt.
However, compared to most things on the laptop, with the possible exception of the LCD backlight, the Core Duo is still a major consumer of power.
Compared to the last processor that was used in a Mac laptop, the G4 in the iBook, the Core Duo uses more power and throws off more heat. However, because of advancements, it also provides 4 to 5 times the performance of its predecessor.
That may not be a great comfort to someone who has one of these hot Macbooks now... but like i've always said... wait till Rev B. of these machines. Apple has a long history of being able to work out kinks like heat issues in further revisions of their products. - dam1an, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15Isn't one of the intended advantages of the core duo lower operating temperature, therefore less colling etc
or did they just decide not to bother with cooling ;) - theblueprint, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I just have to give props to the writer of the article. He's specific about what and how is tested, and presents the results. It's nice to see something Mac related that isn't either pure hatred or rampant fanboyism.
- grammarpolice, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13You beat me to the corrections. Its just that I can't moderate ALL of Digg by myself. :D
- echo1, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12nothing's broken, he was referring to the spelling folly in the description of the submission
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9@quake
Impotentance is certainly a reason to not put a 100 degree laptop on your lap, oh and the posture problems it causes. which is besides the point because the laptop got to 120 degrees in one area which is pretty damn hot. using averages is stupid, if i have a liquid nitrogen in my left hand and liquid iron in my right, on average its not half as bad as it seems...If in one spot on a laptop is really hot, it doesnt matter how less hot the rest of the laptop is cos that doesnt change the fact that my leg is burning! - LaughingMan11, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Good observation, bolero. This is indeed the Macbook, not the Macbook Pro.
My impressions of the Macbook even with the display models at the Apple store seemed to be that they did run very hot, especially in that left-hand corner described by this article... The Macbook Pro, on the other hand, seemed cooler overall. This probably has something to do with the internal layout of the components in both models, and that the MBP has the added advantage of the aluminum case to dissipate the heat more evenly.
Oh well... the moral of the story... wait for Rev. B for Apple products. - SPLASTiK, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I'm kind of wondering about the old Powerbooks and how hot they were... It seems the Macbook gets bashed for being hot, where the old Powerbooks ice cubes or something?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9i use my macbook (and my 12" powerbook) on my lap all the time, it is a laptop unless you're a 9 year old girl and/or spontaneously combust when in contact with the slighest heat.
oh and i think your keyboard is broken - vspazv, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Let's have a real heat battle. Put them together in a sealed container and see which one shuts off first.
- greenagain, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9It's true. One of the key benefits of the MacBook Pro's aluminum casing is the way it cools the core by conducting the heat to your balls. You just don't get that kind of transfer with the plastic MacBook.
- dustinhoffman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Have you seen some of the comments on Digg lately? I think those people should have the hottest notebooks they can find in their laps... If they become sterile, we all win!
- Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11I know that, but I wasn't referring to this article per-se. I was explaining the "feel" and the difference of aluminum vs plastic.
- jamesthejust, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Does anyone else think that half the problem is how tiny the LRF (Little Rubber Feet) are? My MacBook has almost no ground clearance.
- LaughingMan11, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Neither the Dell nor the Macbook Pro are advertised as *laptop* computers. "Laptop" is mostly a nickname that is used by people to describe such computers, but not one used by those in the computer industry... a colloquialism, really.
Both Dell and Apple refer to their computers in this formfactor as "notebook computers." This has been this way for YEARS. I doubt that any manufacturer out there has specifically encouraged the use of these notebook computers on your lap, so it is a bit unfair for this guy to imply that Apple is deliberately lying to their customers by calling their computers laptops. - quakeIII, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7"its not as bad as some people say. and both laptops go over 100 degrees so at the point it wouldn't matter how hot since it will HAVE to be placed on the desk."
Sorry if I seem defensive, but I have a 100 degree laptop that spends more time on my lap than on my desk, and have no problem with the temperature.
Almost everyone would want a laptop that is as close to room temperature as possible, but being 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) is certainly not a reason to not use it on your lap. I know different people have different standards, but as a guy, I certainly wouldn't mind a hot laptop with a powerful processor. People take showers around 100 degrees, why not have a 100 degree laptop?
Maybe I'm just unusual. - EssEff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6A nice idea this test - the conculsion based on averages is a little odd though seeing that a cold spot on a notebook could conceivably bring the average down quite a bit (espeically sicne the macbook shell is plastic and hence doesn't conduct heat very well).
Having said that I am typing this on a white 2GHz Macbook and I am totally happy with the temperature it's at =). From memory pretty much all mac notebooks have had a "heat spot" where the power comes into the case - my PowerBook G4 certainly did. - cklol, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7http://duggmirror.com/apple/Macbook_vs._Dell,_The_heated_battle
Dugg mirror!
Interesting comparison. I've got a Macbook Pro and it seems to get pretty hot sometimes.
On a different note, I really hate that movie they used to test it. - Snyder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@triska:
I think he mean it has LESS fans. Add the word "some"... the MacBook lacks "some" cooling fans that are built into the Dell. - drizek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6The dell isnt plastic. THe dell is made up of magnesium, aluminum and something else. THe only plastic parts on the d620 are the palm rest and the lcd bezel. the top, bottom and sides are all metal. AFAIK, the macbook is 100% plastic.
- SPLASTiK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Here's the dimensions for you though since they aren't mentioned...
Macbook:
* Height: 1.08 inches (2.75 cm)
* Width: 12.78 inches (32.5 cm)
* Depth: 8.92 inches (22.7 cm)
Dell:
*Height: 1.26 inches (3.2cm)
*Width: 13.27 inches (33.7cm)
*Depth: 9.37 inches (23.8cm) - drizek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I have a d620 and i managed to control the temperature in windows by undervolting the cpu. Its a safe and simple way to reduce heat and noise and increase battery life with 0 performance loss.
you can use a program called notebook hadware control(nhc) for it, but make sure you actually read the documentation. If you undervolt too low your computer will BSOD.
Im not sure if theres an OSX equivelant(you can do it in linux BTW if you patch the kernel), but the ability to undervolt on these hot laptops is a pretty big issue IMO. - pintomp3, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6you don't always have a tray handy. it's interesting that we must change our behavior to accomadate for bad cooling design. don't put it on your lap. carry around a cooling pad. i don't care about the symantecs between calling it a laptop vs calling it a notebook. it's portable, you don't always have a desk to put it on. and we used to be able to use it on our lap, how is this progress? perhaps it's just the fanboys not wanting to fault the manufacturer, but it's still insane. btw, my new car won't start unless i jiggle the keys just so and say a small prayer to xenu. i guess nothing's wrong with the car, i should just get used to it.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+12xp will crash on the dell, does that count? :p
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6So, they break easily then? :)
I've had a couple as well, nice product. I'll not be using anything else in the forseeable future either. - Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have no problem doing that with a Powerbook, try it with a Macbook Pro though... There is a HUGE difference.
- redxii, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4How dare they second guess Apple...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5hmm, my macbook is pretty comfortable on my lap which i use while travelling, watching tv and in bed on my lap all the time...
if i saw an ad like you describe i'd be like "yep that's what I do! thanks apple!" - joel8x, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Interesting find and a good job done. It may be good to know that the Macbook and Lattitude are both plastic, and the Macbook is a smaller laptop (less room for airflow).
I finally got to work one a new Macbook the other day and I was simply floored by the speed of it (it was a 1.83GHz model with 1GB of RAM). I was working on it on my lap for about 40 minutes and it felt no hotter than my 1GHz Powerbook (I intentionally worked with it on my lap to see if it got uncomfortable). - Kittyflipping, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4IN CERTIAN SPOTS it was significantly hotter... e.g. 100.8 vs. 90.1
the average temperature was similar - SPLASTiK, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Vision problems? The first section of the article clearly says Latitude D620 and then lists specs.
- drizek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have a 7 year old thinkpad thats still going strong. The keyboard is actually still better than my 6 month old dells, kinda pathetic.
- cypherz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4The Toughbooks are good computers. At my last gig we had dozens of them - and used them in a very harsh environment (outside in the sun, dirt and heat) and they held up very well.
The downside of the Toughbooks is compatibility. Some models use wierd chipsets that aren't very well supported by linux. There are a few places on the web where you can buy refurbed older models for about 600-800 dollars (pretty low-power ones). If you can manage to get linux working on one (we did but it wasn't easy) the result is an almost indestructable notebook that will have the ability to have *months* of uptime. We ran ours in the tech shop for months without reboot.
In a similar vein my ancient white G3 iBook has run for months without any need for reboot and runs linux very well. With the exception of the cheezy keyboard, it is almost as rugged as the Toughbooks we use at work. - dixonr315, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Ahhh my mistake, wow got dugg down for asking a question.
- jeruvin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Why do people like to put things that will overheat into closed containers until they die? At work we had to test the XBox 360 and it's overheating problem when they were first released. One of the guys I work with decided to put them in a closed container to make them overheat. Of course it's going to die after a while. I find that type of test similair to shooting yourself to see if you'll bleed. Why? Why I ask...?
- jeruvin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There is a lot of interest in the heat of a MacBook and comparing it to the most similair hardware makes sense.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4A problem with 80%+ of the notebooks sold these days it would seem. When will they realise that the vast majority of ppl who buy the machines don't want a kazillion stupid little apps, that degrade performance, call home, give you stupid animated cursors etc etc. I always wipe the things and install a fresh XP on without adding any of the trash I don't want or will never need.
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