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Filing the corners off my MacBooks

kentwalters.com

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Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#521

Post by foobarian »

wraptile wrote: post #310

I used a macbook for almost 2 years and genuinely don't understand how people can tolerate these machines. My wrists would be cut up all the time to the point where I looked like I was self harming myself and the glary screen is entirely unsuable anywhere but a darkest basement. Not to mention the terrible keyboard. To this day I'm perplexed how macbooks have such high desirability by full time developers when they'r…

The build quality and least-nonsense OS is why I like it. Huge caveat though, I keep it plugged into a KVM setup so I don't actually use it directly, but I do keep it open on the side of my desk for meetings.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#522

Post by jacobolus »

Sardtok wrote: post #507
Slow_Hand wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear people complain about laptop ergonomics all of the time and I don't understand it. I have zero issues with either of my Macbooks. I can go for hours and not be fatigued. If I have it in my lap, the outer ball of each wrist is resting on the body to the left and right of the trackpad and that means my forearms are angled upwards, away from the edges. They never rest on the edge of the laptop until I use the tra…

That sounds like you have your desk too low. You're going to get some major repetitive strain injuries in 10-20 years. If you have your arms at your sides, elbows should bend 90 degrees. Then just move your arms slightly forward and you'll end up somewhere around 95 degrees. Now you can rest your forearms on the desk. This won't save you from all kinds of RSI, but it might help your wrists, elbows and shoulder joints…

Having the desk low, the chair high, or putting a laptop on your lap is okay. Having the desk or table "high" (i.e. at normal height for writing with a pen or eating a meal) is generally worse but not an insurmountable problem.

In either case, the most important thing is to keep your wrists in as straight and neutral position as possible, with your palms and wrists "floating" rather than resting on anything while actively typing. Having the wrists either flexed downward or extended upward is a really bad idea. Having the wrists turned out to the side isn't great either, but not as bad.

The keyboard should be positioned close enough to your body so that your shoulders can be relaxed with your upper arms hanging loosely. The laptop surface should be roughly parallel to your forearms, so if you have a high desk or table relative to your torso you will need to prop up the far side to tilt it up a bit.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#523

Post by a456463 »

hansvm wrote: post #472
wraptile wrote: post #310

I used a macbook for almost 2 years and genuinely don't understand how people can tolerate these machines. My wrists would be cut up all the time to the point where I looked like I was self harming myself and the glary screen is entirely unsuable anywhere but a darkest basement. Not to mention the terrible keyboard. To this day I'm perplexed how macbooks have such high desirability by full time developers when they'r…

People come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and configurations. I don't have any pressure on the sharp edges in my normal day-to-day, and I'm having a little trouble figuring out how I'd contort myself to change that, so that particular issue is fine. The glare is annoying. I would like to work outside more often. Mind you, I don't really like the poor isolation and floating ground causing a tingling sensati…

same. i thought it was me, but every mbp has been spicy and leaks current like crazy.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#524

Post by swiftcoder »

a456463 wrote: post #520
wraptile wrote: post #310

I used a macbook for almost 2 years and genuinely don't understand how people can tolerate these machines. My wrists would be cut up all the time to the point where I looked like I was self harming myself and the glary screen is entirely unsuable anywhere but a darkest basement. Not to mention the terrible keyboard. To this day I'm perplexed how macbooks have such high desirability by full time developers when they'r…

oh fr. macs are garbage dev machines. display gives me headaches. keyboard is terrible, it hurts. speakers are the best part. the lock screen doesnt show battery charge level. dead battery? mac wont start for 15 min on connecting power... still need half ass homebrew

> dead battery? mac wont start for 15 min on connecting power

Having just received an M4 in the mail with a completely flat battery, I can confirm this is nearer 10 seconds on Apple silicon (you are correct it used to be this way on Intel Macs)

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#525

Post by a456463 »

Rekindle8090 wrote: post #487
scarybeard wrote: post #473

I have literally cut my finger with a sharp edge of one of my Apple laptops. Like a paper cut. Filing the edges down is the right way to do it. However - for that price it should've be done by Apple at their factory.

I dont believe this at all

i dont believe you

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#526

Post by swiftcoder »

spockz wrote: post #498
hansvm wrote: post #472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes, and configurations. I don't have any pressure on the sharp edges in my normal day-to-day, and I'm having a little trouble figuring out how I'd contort myself to change that, so that particular issue is fine. The glare is annoying. I would like to work outside more often. Mind you, I don't really like the poor isolation and floating ground causing a tingling sensati…

I’m really flummoxed at why the MacBooks continue to be spicy. When using then laptop with a charger using the grounded cable on the socket side there used to be no spice. Now that adapters are mostly only used with two prong connectors the spicyness is ubiquitous. I recall audio equipment also not being grounded because the industry prefers not being grounded over being accidentally grounded to two different grounds…

> Now that adapters are mostly only used with two prong connectors the spicyness is ubiquitous

One can still obtain the 3-prong pigtail instead of the little 2-prong inline plug, and that one grounds correctly.

Unfortunately they only seem to make a 3-prong inline version in about 3 countries.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#528

Post by swiftcoder »

throwaway290 wrote: post #455
p_l wrote: post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple avoids shipping grounded plugs as if it was personal affront to Ive. Also caused many many times for me to be shocked with electrostatic build-up.

all my EU/UK macbook plugs I got from apple are always grounded, metal prong and metal side pins so what I mean is maybe house electricity grid is not grounded.

> all my EU/UK macbook plugs I got from apple are always grounded, metal prong and metal side pins

The short version, where you remove the extension with the 3-prong plug and attach the plug directly to the charger brick, is only available in 2-prong in the EU/US (the UK thankfully still gets all 3 prongs in this configuration)

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#529

Post by jacobolus »

wraptile wrote: post #349
Slow_Hand wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear people complain about laptop ergonomics all of the time and I don't understand it. I have zero issues with either of my Macbooks. I can go for hours and not be fatigued. If I have it in my lap, the outer ball of each wrist is resting on the body to the left and right of the trackpad and that means my forearms are angled upwards, away from the edges. They never rest on the edge of the laptop until I use the tra…

Ergonomics is one of those things where you don't understand it until it effects you. Everyone can tolerate discomfort at some level and at different levels but obviously there best practices that manufacturers can partake in to make hardware more ergonomic. For example, the monitor should be at eye level vertically but with laptop that's very hard to accomplish unless you position yourself in a reclined fashion to b…

> the monitor should be at eye level vertically

This is slightly misleading advice. The ideal place for the display has the top of the display at roughly eye level, or for a very large display maybe slightly above, which puts most of the display below eye level. Humans actually have great ability to look slightly downward for long periods of time while doing stuff with their hands, even while keeping their head held up straight, and indeed our eyes can more comfortably focus on close objects in the lower part of our field of view than straight ahead. What you don't want to do is slouch or bend your neck too much.

A laptop display attached to the keyboard usually isn't an ideal placement, but it's generally not too bad.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#530

Post by a456463 »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #423
kzrdude wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably the understanding on the forum is greater when it comes to software tools. And I would usually say: don't be your computer's tool! :)

When it comes to software I've moved in the opposite direction. I want to customise my system as little as possible.

stay ready to have my toolbox change under my feet at the whims of clown PM and bean counters somewhere. wcgw
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