PowerBook G4 case warping: more reports, "fixes"

Yesterday we covered a reader report of "case warping" on a PowerBook G4 12" -- the PowerBook's feet don't sit flat when the unit is cool, but do when the laptop is warm. In effect, the shape of the PowerBook's case changes slightly when the PowerBook heats up.

Since that report, over 2/3 of reader mail has consisted of comments on and confirmations of this issue, indicating that this is a fairly common phenomenon for PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) owners. (Most readers who reported the issue had thought it was just a problem with their particular PowerBook -- as Robert Ameeti writes, "And I thought it was me or my table.") However, whether or not the PowerBook is "warped" when cold differs; for some people, the PowerBook is perfectly flat when cool but "warped" when hot. (And some readers indicate that their PowerBook never actually "flattens" perfectly.) Reader Skip Via provides a fairly typical report:

"I have experienced the same warping problems that David reported with my 867 MHz G4 Powerbook. The amount of warp seems to vary with operating temperature, getting more pronounced as the unit heats up. When this happens, the LCD panel [also] becomes very 'sticky.'"

Not just 12" PowerBooks Reader feedback also indicates that this issue is not unique to 12" PowerBook models. We've heard from owners of 12", 15", and 17" PowerBooks. For example, reader "NS" writes, "I just tried [my 15" 1.33GHz PowerBook] on a level surface, and it has been off for a day, so it's cold, and it is perfectly level. When it heats up it warps."

Expected behavior? Some readers pointed out that aluminum is fairly sensitive to heat, so it's no surprise that the high temperatures attained by the PowerBook G4 models often result in slight warping of the case. As reader Edward Augustin put it, "Heat affects mechanical properties [of aluminum]. Deal with it basically."

"Bending" back into shape? A number of readers have reported that since the aluminum case appears to be fairly malleable when hot, it's possible to "bend" the case back into shape; in fact, even Apple suggests such a procedure. Chris Dickinson writes:

"This is an issue I have seen many times. I have worked as a Apple service tech for several years and when the first 12" PowerBook came out we began to see this issue very quickly. The 867 models seemed to heat up very quickly and the machine would warp and not sit properly; after cooling down the machine would reshape itself back to being straight. Apple at that time did not have much of a solution other than 'lightly bending the machine back into shape.'"

Bill Reynolds uses a similar technique:

"My machine [PowerBook G4 Rev A 867MHz/640MB RAM/60GB HD/SuperDrive] has exhibited this problem since the day I bought it. It was wobbly out of the box, so I pulled it to the edge of the desk diagonally, and tweaked with my palms ever so barely, and it flattened out. I have to do this every 3 or 4 months due to heat re-warping the case, but it?s not a big deal."

Emmet Smyth has "bent" his PowerBook back, as well: "I 'fixed' it by actually bending the laptop a little over my knee to get it back into shape. I was surprised how little force it took to bend the machine back to its original level standing."

We caution readers to be very careful if you decide to attempt this procedure; it's possible to severely damage your PowerBook if you use too much force.

Other "fixes" Skip Via resorted to working around this curvature issue by using different feet: "I removed the Apple-supplied rubber feet with some much larger and softer furniture pads and this generally minimizes the effect of the warping, but it still happens." Chris Dickinson reports the same fix:

"I did find that Apple's feet on the bottom of the machine where coming unglued very quickly due to the heat, [so] we placed different feet on the machine. They were not Apple feet and they lifted the machine an extra half inch into the air. This gave much better air flow under the machine and it did not get quite so hot (therefore less warping of the machine). The feet cost only a dollar or two and can be easily found in any office supply store."

Not a show-stopper The good news is that despite all the reports we've received of "warping" with PowerBook G4 units, we have yet to receive a report of this "warping" being serious enough to adversely affect the functionality of the PowerBook (e.g., optical drives not accepting or ejecting discs, keyboards malfunctioning, etc.) In fact, some users even seem to be happy that this slight wobble on the desk is their only problem. Reader Aled B writes:

"Doesn't bother me too much though, minor irritation - it's a great little machine otherwise! Used to suffer sleep of death issues with 1GHz TiBook until I decided to sell and get a G5 2GHz DP and this brilliant 12" PowerBook as a side-kick. It's the best PowerBook I've ever had. My brother has the 15" 1.5GHz PowerBook and that's just as good. Best range of PowerBooks ever! I'll settle for a little wobble over a random sleep of death any-day."

That being said, a number of users have expressed dissatisfaction with such warping given the cost of these units.

Has your PowerBook G4 Aluminum stayed on the level, even when hot? Drop us an email at Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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