iBook G4: does your battery fit?

Three of the corners are flush with the case, but the fourth sticks up (or down) about the width of a dime or so.
Brian Lee wrote on :

I just got a 12" iBook G4, and noticed that the battery doesn't fit very well. Three of the corners are flush with the case, but the fourth sticks up (or down) about the width of a dime or so. It's the corner below the trackpad and latch, so that looking at the front of the case there's a gap between the case and battery on the left side.

Is this normal, or is my battery (or case) warped?

I'll try to stop by some shops that sell Apples to see what their iBooks look like, but I thought I'd ask here.

Thanks.

Bernhard Mayer replied on :

In h9HDb.40543$Gp3.12632@redacted.invalid Brian Lee wrote:

Is this normal, or is my battery (or case) warped?

unfortunately yes but then, this is a really cheap notebook

I'll try to stop by some shops that sell Apples to see what their iBooks look like, but I thought I'd ask here.

it used to be worse

Gary Archer replied on :

Same here -- I have the 14" iBook G4 and since removing the battery once it now has a slight gap at the front edge by the trackpad -- but it's more like a few sheets of paper thick, no where near a dime's thickness.

G/

On 12/16/03 9:20 AM, in article h9HDb.40543$Gp3.12632@redacted.invalid, "Brian Lee" bclee@redacted.invalid wrote:

I just got a 12" iBook G4, and noticed that the battery doesn't fit very well. Three of the corners are flush with the case, but the fourth sticks up (or down) about the width of a dime or so. It's the corner below the trackpad and latch, so that looking at the front of the case there's a gap between the case and battery on the left side.

Is this normal, or is my battery (or case) warped?

I'll try to stop by some shops that sell Apples to see what their iBooks look like, but I thought I'd ask here.

Thanks.

Rick Blythin replied on :

"Brian Lee" bclee@redacted.invalid wrote in message news:h9HDb.40543$Gp3.12632@redacted.invalid

I just got a 12" iBook G4, and noticed that the battery doesn't fit very well. Three of the corners are flush with the case, but the fourth sticks up (or down) about the width of a dime or so. It's the corner below the trackpad and latch, so that looking at the front of the case there's a gap between the case and battery on the left side.

Is this normal, or is my battery (or case) warped?

I'll try to stop by some shops that sell Apples to see what their iBooks look like, but I thought I'd ask here.

Thanks.

I have a 12" PowerBook rev A. I believe my battery sticks up a fraction maybe a sheet or two of paper thick. Nothing that I get worried about, but if it sticks up the width of a dime I'd go to the store and see about a replacement battery, no battery should be up that far. With metal cases I'd expect not everything to be 100% flush and minor warping due to heat over time. I heard people having similar issues with the PB and they got the battery changed and it fitted better. You might have to go through several replacement batteries until you get one that fits good.

Rick

Brian C. Lee replied on :

Rick Blythin wrote:

if it sticks up the width of a dime I'd go to the store and see about a replacement battery, no battery should be up that far.

We bought it through the web, so I called and they said they would need me to send the whole thing back, that they didn't want to just send a battery. I can't part with it at the moment, so maybe I'll do that in January.

You might have to go through several replacement batteries until you get one that fits good.

The reason AppleCare gave for not sending a battery, but wanting me to send it in, was that it might be the case and not the battery that's warped. I had originally assumed it was the battery, but after looking closer I think it may well be the case.

Rick Blythin replied on :

"Brian C. Lee" bclee@redacted.invalid wrote in message news:bro01n$djr$1@redacted.invalid

Rick Blythin wrote:

if it sticks up the width of a dime I'd go to the store and see about a replacement battery, no battery should be up that far.

We bought it through the web, so I called and they said they would need me to send the whole thing back, that they didn't want to just send a battery. I can't part with it at the moment, so maybe I'll do that in January.

That's a pain!, but know how you feel I use mine for business and can't really do without it.

You might have to go through several replacement batteries until you get one that fits good.

The reason AppleCare gave for not sending a battery, but wanting me to send it in, was that it might be the case and not the battery that's warped. I had originally assumed it was the battery, but after looking closer I think it may well be the case.

From the sound of the gap being so wide it very well could be the case. In that situation Apple will have to replace the bottom.

Brian Lee replied on :

Brian Lee wrote:

I'll try to stop by some shops that sell Apples to see what their iBooks look like, but I thought I'd ask here.

I stopped by Best Buy, their 12" iBook's battery looked about like mine. In fact I think it fit worse. A coworker who had an iBook for a while said his was like that. So I'll just assume they are all this way.

Bernhard Mayer wrote:

but then, this is a really cheap notebook

Well, cheap in the sense of poorly constructed, yes. Unfortunately not cheap in the sense of inexpensive -- it may be the least expensive Apple laptop, but I had many less expensive options.

I've used at least 8 different laptops that I can recall (including two of my Wife's powerbooks) and this is the first where the battery didn't fit the case! This is my first Mac, and my experience so far: new, out of the box, the battery doesn't fit and the keyboard needed to be replaced. Hmm.

rtt replied on :

"Brian Lee" bclee@redacted.invalid wrote in message news:tqRDb.72213$LX.47687@redacted.invalid

Brian Lee wrote:

I'll try to stop by some shops that sell Apples to see what their iBooks look like, but I thought I'd ask here.

I stopped by Best Buy, their 12" iBook's battery looked about like mine. In fact I think it fit worse. A coworker who had an iBook for a while said his was like that. So I'll just assume they are all this way.

Bernhard Mayer wrote:

but then, this is a really cheap notebook

Well, cheap in the sense of poorly constructed, yes. Unfortunately not cheap in the sense of inexpensive -- it may be the least expensive Apple laptop, but I had many less expensive options.

I've used at least 8 different laptops that I can recall (including two of my Wife's powerbooks) and this is the first where the battery didn't fit the case! This is my first Mac, and my experience so far: new, out of the box, the battery doesn't fit and the keyboard needed to be replaced. Hmm.

I looked at all of the iBooks and 12" PBs at the last MacExpo in London. EVERY SINGLE one had the battery pack resting noticeably out of true with the casing. It is simply shoddily designed. From what I could see, the tightening screw was at one corner, and the battery simply hangs off the case. I think if you send it in, they will most likely return it.

It may be a cheap computer, but similar cheap PC laptops get at least this part right.