"it's not like apple just invented this superhot computer. they all get hot, especially if you have a lot of dust in your ventilator hole."

Actually this isn't true. Making cooler chips has been an obsession in the PC world over the past couple years; many PC laptops now run on AMD and Intel chips specially designed to minimize power draw and heat. I suspect this is part of the reason Apple has decided to switch to Intel.

Laptops should run comfortably on one's lap, dang it -- I've been in plenty of situations (on a plane, in a room without desks, on a bus) where placing my laptop on a flat surface was not an option.

Apple isn't doing anything egregious here. Almost every laptop (including mine) has a warning on the bottom that says that leaving the bottom in contact with bare skin can cause burns.

it's not like apple just invented this superhot computer. they all get hot, especially if you have a lot of dust in your ventilator hole.

It's a myth that leaving a computer on helps it last longer. From the EnergyStar Guide for Small Business: "Today's computers do not suffer from being turned on and off thousands of times. In fact, turning computers off when they're not being used lowers the amount of dust buildup inside, which helps them last longer while saving you money" (Putting Energy Into Profits 7).

>This is a piece of expensive computer equipment, something we don't really know how to use<

I'm sorry--haven't computers been around long enough so that those adults who regularly use them have a fair idea of how to do so? Usually, the manual comes in handy when one needs to find out how to do something one has never done before.

>The companies that make these things include a manual from which we can learn best practices for those same computers. Isn't it not only in our best interest to read the manual, but the only way we're not going to break the computer we just spent $2500 on?<

And how is an excuse for putting a neccessary warning about safe computer useage on page 107?

>I work with computers every day -- as a technical support person, one of those "self-respecting techies" to which you refer<

Ah, no wonder you're so peeved--and have that patronizing "customers are stupid because they aren't tech-superior like me" attitude, to boot.

>I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we've really turned into a nation of stupid people. Last time I checked, metal conducted heat.<

So that gives Apple the right to underventilate/overclock this bad boy to the point it burns people--and not clue them in until page 107 of the manual? Wouldn't it have been a smart play for the company to put warnings out about this model just in case people thought a laptop should be used...on a lap. As well, even if the author hadn't used it on her lap, that's still a dangerous amount of head to be on _any_ surface. Supposed she'd used it on an old plastic table or on a newspaper or something similar?

>This is the kind of reactionary, self-absorbed writing I expect from most newspapers, not an online news site that considers itself above the fray<

And that is the kind of snotty, condescending, non-helpful "the company should never take responsiblity for any-damm-thing" crap that gives some techies a rotten rep.--and rightly so.

A manual is meant as a reference book, not a bible. If the advertising says "Plug and Play," then we plug and play and if it works, great. If it doesn't, we refer to the manual and see if there's some other ritual that needs to be done.

You make an attractive ergonomically designed tool the right size to sit in the lap, and even call it a laptop, you should not be surprised when people decide to use it there. Yes, they're not calling it a "laptop" anymore, but it is being called a "macbook" which implies that it should have the same basic traits as a book. I have lots of books, and none of them heat up and burn my thighs, spontaneously sprout razorblades to gouge my hands, or generally do anything else untowards beyond the occasionally papercut.

I have a palm-size Jornada. It gets faintly but not unpleasantly warm. I've also got a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. Both have batteries, but are cool to the touch. Ditto my cel phone and numerous cordless phones. Likewise battery-operated drills and screwdrivers.

Any portable computer that gets hot enough to be uncomfortable has a serious design flaw. Any portable computer that gets hot enough to burn has a defect. Mentioning this design flaw or defect on page 107 of the manual does not excuse it being there.

But the point of leaving them on is to help extend the computer's lifecycle, not save electricity. Computers in general are susceptible to problems caused by the expansion and contraction that occurs when they are powered on and off. Leaving them in one state helps prevent the computer from experiencing these extremes. When you're spending thousands of dollars on a computer, an extra 10 bucks a month seems like a small price to pay to help prevent problems from occurring.

Also, anyone who's having trouble with their notebook overheating needs to check out the wide range of USB powered auxiliary fans out there. They really do help dissapate the heat from your laptop. They generally won't help if your computer is having heat related crashes, but it can help make it more comfortable to use.

While everyone's on the subject of computers, I'd like to point out a little-appreciated fact that this article drives home: Computers use a lot of energy. This laptop I'm typing on draws about 63 Watts. A desktop mainframe will draw in the area of 80 watts plus the monitor, speakers, printer, etc. Leaving your computer on continuously is bad energy policy, especially because it's easy to correct. If you're serious about shutting off the power when not using your computer (this goes for other electronics as well), you have to plug your comp into a power strip and switch the power strip off after turning the computer off. Many computers, tvs, dvd players, and other electronics draw energy even while turned off, what is sometimes called phantom power loss.

A compromise would be enabling your computer's sleep, standby, or hibernate mode. This will still draw power, but at 1-4 watts.