Hardware design flaws

zoara <me3@privacy.net> wrote:

> What about you?

Power input jacks for PowerBooks/iBooks all seem vulnerable to knock
damage, which can make the laptop unusable. They should recess them
seriously, so that only the lead protrudes from the case surface.

Stuart
--
Spamfritterspam exists only in the world of the address
harvesting spam bot. Try stuartsmacs at the same domain
if you want to email me. Dell Europe charged my credit
card £1618.26 and then cancelled my order. Bargepoles!

Bella Jones <me9@privacy.net> wrote:

> leeg <leeg@teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk.valid> wrote:
>
> > Bella Jones wrote:
> >
> > > jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan <"jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan"@mac.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Mike Jenkins wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > Putting a large number of I/O ports on the SIDE of a laptop so it looks
> > >> > like a bloody mess with more than a couple of things plugged in.
> > >>
> > >> Agree with that one. Also tray load drives on LCD iMacs, I miss the
> > >> slot load of my old Blue Dalmation.
> > >
> > > Yep. Slot load feels a lot neater.
> > >
> > >
> > It's a bit more breakable though, so I can see why they went with the
> > tray-loading models. Unfortunately as you say they do *feel* wrong; it
> > adds to the feeling that you're using a laptop computer in a funny shaped
> > box. In fact, having taken a couple of iMacs apart, you *are* using a
> > laptop computer in a funny shaped box!
>
> And the temptation to put a cup of tea or ashtray there, like on that
> ad, is all a bit too much. :-)

or a beer can? for drunken chatting.....

roger

leeg <leeg@teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk.valid> wrote:

> Roger Merriman wrote:
>
snip
> >
> > yeah that is a bit poor though for most usb stuff the speed will be
> > largly irrlevent and rember that firewire is a better connection for
> > data any way as its constant rate, but even so feels like there
> > skimping.
> >>
>
> 1: USB cameras/scanners/printers/disks/flash devices/etc.
> 2: There's no firewire 800 on the emac either. :-(

yeah bit poor for scanning etc would it make much for printing?

well you only get one firewire 800 on the G5 so... intresting because
firewire is constant rate a harddrive on FW400 should be faster than usb
2 as though usb 2 is margly max rate it doen't maintain the rate...

roger

In article <1gaam40.1n6h7ah1g8030gN%peterlee@softhome.net>, Peter Lee
<peterlee@softhome.net> wrote:

> Mike Jenkins <usenet_no_spam@kwik-e-mart.org> wrote:
>
> > zoara <me3@privacy.net> wrote:
> >
> > > What about you?
> >
> > Putting a large number of I/O ports on the SIDE of a laptop so it looks
> > like a bloody mess with more than a couple of things plugged in.
> >
> Ah - now I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you on that one - I found
> the locations of the ports on my old TiBook really quite irritating -
> always having to climb 'over' the screen just to plug something in. Of
> close it, and then still having to lift the damn thing up to see the
> ports properly.
>
> With the AlBook, I can 'hot-swap' to my heart's delight, without even
> having to do more than glance at the ports.
>
>
> Clearly, YMDV!

Absolutely. Ugly as sin, but far easier to use. I'm a southpaw, and
you'd think the cables coming out of the 12" AlBook would tangle with
the rodent, but its OK. 7 of the 9 holes normally have plugs in. It is
much faster to hook and unhook everything than it was with the old
TiBook.

--
Swen has got to me. I thought I would be the last on earth to mangle my e-mail
address. fsnospam$elliott$$

Bella Jones <me9@privacy.net> wrote:

> leeg <leeg@teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk.valid> wrote:
>
> > zoara wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > What particular hardware design decision has made you raise your
> > > eyebrows and think "they really didn't think that one through"?
> > >
> > > What about you?
> > >
> >
> > The eMac only has USB1.1. And ships with far too little memory.
>
> Damn - you got in there first! :-)
>
> White matte keyboard not a great idea either.

Love the keyboard. So much better to see in low light than the black
one.

--
Woody
Alienrat Design Ltd

Roger Merriman wrote:
> Bella Jones <me9@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
>>leeg <leeg@teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk.valid> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Bella Jones wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan <"jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan"@mac.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Mike Jenkins wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Putting a large number of I/O ports on the SIDE of a laptop so it looks
>>>>>>like a bloody mess with more than a couple of things plugged in.
>>>>>
>>>>>Agree with that one. Also tray load drives on LCD iMacs, I miss the
>>>>>slot load of my old Blue Dalmation.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Yep. Slot load feels a lot neater.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>It's a bit more breakable though, so I can see why they went with the
>>>tray-loading models. Unfortunately as you say they do *feel* wrong; it
>>>adds to the feeling that you're using a laptop computer in a funny shaped
>>>box. In fact, having taken a couple of iMacs apart, you *are* using a
>>>laptop computer in a funny shaped box!
>>
>>And the temptation to put a cup of tea or ashtray there, like on that
>>ad, is all a bit too much. :-)
>
>
> or a beer can? for drunken chatting.....

although I did like the 1st LCD iMac TC ad, when it sticks out its' to
'tongue'

Jim

Roger Merriman wrote:


>
> the slot load on the powerbook is fine but i really don't like the one
> on the imac it boke a number of times, it has allways felt iffy doesn't
> grab the disk well nor ejject it well and it seems to have more problem
> reading the disks than the powerbook i have some dvd's that will not
> play on the imac but will on the powerbook, some that have scraches some
> that the imac just plain doen't like...not a good drive all in told.

Actually I prefered the iMac slot drive (CDRW) to the one on my
powerbook (superdrive). The iMac one grabbed the disc earlier, the
pBook the disc is almost fully before it is grabbed. Mind you it does
make a very satisfying 'Clunk' :-)

Jim

Bella Jones wrote:


> White matte keyboard not a great idea either.
>

This ones hardly a design flaw, but the new white keyboards with the
rear USB ports, a la G5, just aren't as cool as the previous ones.
actually it's just that crappy bit of plastic around the cursor keys
that bugs me :-S

Jim

Stuart Bell wrote:

> zoara <me3@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>
>>What about you?
>
>
> Power input jacks for PowerBooks/iBooks all seem vulnerable to knock
> damage, which can make the laptop unusable.

or in my mum's case, the jack on the cable seemed prone to cat chewing. :-S

jim

jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan <"jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan"@mac.com> wrote:

> Roger Merriman wrote:
> > Bella Jones <me9@privacy.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>leeg <leeg@teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk.valid> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>Bella Jones wrote:
snipped

> >>And the temptation to put a cup of tea or ashtray there, like on that
> >>ad, is all a bit too much. :-)
> >
> >
> > or a beer can? for drunken chatting.....
>
> although I did like the 1st LCD iMac TC ad, when it sticks out its' to
> 'tongue'
>
> Jim

heheh yeah one of my mates enthosticly told me about that before i'd
seen it, was a good daft advert.

roger

jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan <"jim_<NOSPAM>mcgowan"@mac.com> wrote:

> Roger Merriman wrote:
>
>
> >
> > the slot load on the powerbook is fine but i really don't like the one
> > on the imac it boke a number of times, it has allways felt iffy doesn't
> > grab the disk well nor ejject it well and it seems to have more problem
> > reading the disks than the powerbook i have some dvd's that will not
> > play on the imac but will on the powerbook, some that have scraches some
> > that the imac just plain doen't like...not a good drive all in told.
>
> Actually I prefered the iMac slot drive (CDRW) to the one on my
> powerbook (superdrive). The iMac one grabbed the disc earlier, the
> pBook the disc is almost fully before it is grabbed. Mind you it does
> make a very satisfying 'Clunk' :-)
>
> Jim

yeah it got me the first time its like you working push it in bit
more....then finaly it grabs it. but it seems to be a better drive in
that it reads disk that have been scrached etc with out a hitch unlike
the imac which woukld get quite upset...

roger

zoara <me3@privacy.net> wrote:

> What particular hardware design decision has made you raise your
> eyebrows and think "they really didn't think that one through"?

ADC.

Yes it's neat, but it requires special graphics cards for Apple monitors
and expensive adapters for DVi. It also kills monitor sales to PC users.

Propriatary connectors may offer handy features, but standards are often
more convenient.
--
James / CountB
Home http://www.countb.co.uk/
Blog http://www.countb.co.uk/blog/

Sheesh....where do you start? Single button mouse?? No front breakout
ports?? Finally a couple on the G5 tower but only 2 internal drive
bays??? No second optical drive bay??? Only two USB and FW ports on
the back panel??? All (lacking) on the largest desktop case short of a
full tower server? And how about flash media slots? I find it hard to
belive that Apple's designers have ever actually USED a computer!
DD


On Sun, 7 Mar 2004 11:17:20 +0000, me3@privacy.net (zoara) wrote:

>
>We've talked about various flaws in OSX - and OS9 for those who want to
>'fight back' - but what about the hardware....?
>
>
>What particular hardware design decision has made you raise your
>eyebrows and think "they really didn't think that one through"?
>
>The one that irks me the most is the position of the line-out port on
>the iPod dock. The iPod cable has a release mechanism controlled by
>squeezing the edges of the plug. If you have that cable and a line out
>cable plugged into the dock, you can't get to the edge of the iPod cable
>to squeeze it so you can pull it out. You have to pull the line-out
>cable, then the iPod cable, then re-plug the line-out....
>
>Not a huge issue, but something that they seem not to have thought
>about.
>
>What about you?
>
>
> -zoara-

"It's easy when you know how..."
Johnny Shines