Quarter Life Crisis

The world according to Sven-S. Porst

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Replaced top case

454 words on

My MacBook has been partially reborn. Which means that after the the numerous repairs my previous MacBook had, this one now finally got to know our local Mac dealer.

Of the problems I had described last month this repair is supposed to fix the overly sensitive trackpad button: The button used to register clicks when you pressed your wrist down on the handrest to the right of it. Which, in some situations was really annoying as it vigorously typing with the machine on your lap could just mean that you inadvertently clicked in some other part of the text while typing, thus re-locating the cursor, inserting what you typed at the wrong place and causing a bit of a mess. A topcase replacement was supposed to fix it and after just a few weeks Apple was able to supply the replacement topcase and I got it exchanged this morning before the christmas shopper frenzy broke into the store. They also tried to resolve the DVD scratching problem while they had the machine open by somehow widening the drive’s slot which wasn’t perfectly straight a little.

My first impression of the repairs is that the DVD drive now works without discs getting stuck and making scratching noises when ejecting discs. So that has definitely been improved. I’m a bit unsure about the topcase, though. While this one isn’t as sensitive to non-clicks as the old one was, the problem is still there. Essentially, pressing the top case firmly a bit to the right of the trackpad button around the height where the trackpad button ends still registers as mouse click. With the new topcase you need to press rather firmly, so this may just be a non-issue in actual use. Still makes me wonder about the design of the thing, though. If you have a MacBook, try this out with yours and let me know the result. It’d be interesting to know whether this is a general issue or whether I’m just the king of wonky topcases.

Unfortunately – but expectedly – the main issue I am having with the machine, the intermittent Airport connection problems remain. I am still convinced that there is some kind of hardware issue involved in this as occasionally the problem can be ‘turned on and off’ by doing things like slapping the machine or changing its angle on my lap. Unfortunately this happens quasi randomly and I couldn’t demonstrate the problem to the people capable of fixing it yet. With the christmas rush they didn’t have time to do further tests now, so this has to wait until next year. Hopefully it will be fixed then.

Let me note that I’d still prefer a machine that ‘just works’.

December 15, 2007, 14:15

Tagged as apple, apple defect, broken.

Comments

Comment by Nerg: User icon

I’ve got a black mac book here and I’m not getting the right hand side pressure sensitive thing, though to be fair, I generally have a mouse attached. I assume that in System Preferences you have your track pad set to ignore accidental track pad input. You’re probably way ahead of me on that.

Thankfully I haven’t had anything like the horrors you describe regarding CD/DVD scratching.

Airport misery has decrease to the point where it’s not an issue, but that’s with 10.4.11. Not made the move to Leopard yet

December 17, 2007, 9:43

Comment by nick: User icon

Got exactly the same problem as you…on a replacement macbook after my first one had inverter issues 3 times in 2 months. And then the one apple have replaced the faulty topcase one with (ie my 3rd macbook…still under warranty) is also having the same problem. Try removing the battery and see if it still does it. That’s what the techs thought, but since it was still within 2 weeks, i got it replaced rather than piss fart around with replacing parts

April 20, 2008, 14:13

Comment by Jay: User icon

Hi!

Just got mine back from service…

My topcase had a crack in it just right of the mouse button (I´ve heard this is common regardless of what apple says) and even thought my warranty period was over they replaced it (isnt that a confession that the fault was apples?).

Anyway, just got it back and I was very disappointed. They had it for a week and thats okay. I it worked… Now with the new topcase the mouse button doesnt click, it seems like it is stuck in pressed down mode (cant explain better) and its super sensitive!

I did as you said above; moved the mouse cursor in circles and tapped/squeezed the topcase right of the mouse button and it got registered as a click…

I´m gonna call the support supervisor tomorrow.

October 28, 2008, 16:23

Comment by ssp: User icon

Good luck with your additional repair, Jay!

October 28, 2008, 16:30

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