[Farmgirl22]

Ok, first of all, where is a good place to buy a battery for my MacBook Pro laptop...the battery on this thing only lasts a couple hours at best, and since I bought it refurbed, I thought it might be kinda old. I was on Newegg.com, but I wasn't able to find what I was looking for, so I thought I would ask if you knew of another store.

Second, I think I must have a setting that needs changed somewhere, because sometimes I can't right click on stuff. If it's an image in particular, it locks onto the image and when I scroll down, the image gets bigger, and when I scroll up, the image gets smaller. When it does this, about the only thing I can do is close out of the browser window and start all over. It does this regardless of whether I'm using my "mouse" or my touchpad, so my first thought that it might be a faulty touchpad is apparently out. Thanks for the help!!

[Yankee Rose]

Hi.

I normally use CNET's www.shopper.com to check for the best prices for supplies. I would check there for prices on the MBP's battery. I just bought a new one for my PowerBook and got it from the Apple store. I don't think you'll find much of a range in price differences but you never know.

Also ... an alternative way to right-click is if you hold the Control key down on your keyboard and left click with the mouse. Have you checked your Keyboard & Mouse settings in System Preferences, to troubleshoot the problem?

Hope that helps.

[Pensacola Tiger]

Originally Posted by Farmgirl22

Ok, first of all, where is a good place to buy a battery for my MacBook Pro laptop...the battery on this thing only lasts a couple hours at best, and since I bought it refurbed, I thought it might be kinda old. I was on Newegg.com, but I wasn't able to find what I was looking for, so I thought I would ask if you knew of another store.

Before you go spending money on a battery, download and install Coconut Battery and see how yours measures up. You also might want to calibrate your battery, using this procedure.

Right now, there is only one source for MacBook Pro batteries - The Apple Store.

[VegasACF]

Also keep in mind that lots of things affect battery runtime in addition to the settings available in the Energy Saver preference pane. Having AirPort and Bluetooth turned on will shorten it. Using the optical drive will shorten it. Etc., etc.

[Farmgirl22]

Ok, I downloaded the coconut thing, and it says my battery is just fine, so I changed some of the settings for energy usage. Hopefully that will help. My machine is only 7 months old...I've had it for 3, what do you suppose was wrong with it??? I've done that calibration thing a few times, but I didn't really know how often to do it. I thought once a month should be sufficient though, since that's how often I do it.

Hey Vegas, you are pretty good on a mac, have you any ideas on the touchpad zoom thing? I've changed the way it is supposed to select things all around, and it still does the lockdown thing. I've switched the keys so many times, I've forgotten which one consistently did it, but I'm pretty sure it's the CTRL key followed by scrolling on the touchpad. On my mouse it's right click, and then using the scroll wheel. I don't have one of the fancy mice, so it's not a tilt-zoom or whatever problem, since I don't even have that option.

Or is it just one of those freak things that only happens to me? I have WAY too many of those types of things!!

[VegasACF]

Originally Posted by Farmgirl22

Hey Vegas, you are pretty good on a mac, have you any ideas on the touchpad zoom thing? I've changed the way it is supposed to select things all around, and it still does the lockdown thing. I've switched the keys so many times, I've forgotten which one consistently did it, but I'm pretty sure it's the CTRL key followed by scrolling on the touchpad. On my mouse it's right click, and then using the scroll wheel. I don't have one of the fancy mice, so it's not a tilt-zoom or whatever problem, since I don't even have that option.

I have to admit, I'm not fond trackpads. But I'll unplug my trackball just to try to experience what you may or may not be going through. Give me a moment.

Whoa. I am glad I hadn't eaten some mushrooms before I did that. I had no idea you could zoom things like that. What a trippy thing to have happen when you least expect it. Okay, so this zoom thing that I'm experiencing is only when I press Control and use two fingers to operate the track pad (you did know about the two-finger thing, right?). Okay, so open the System Preferences and click on the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane. Then click on the "Trackpad" tab (or whatever you call it). The items I have selected there (and I've not changed anything from standard settings, as far as I know--with the exception of "Ignore trackpad when mouse is present") is all three things under "Trackpad Gestures", nothing under "Clicking" and I have nothing selected for "Place two fingers on trackpad and click button for secondary click". That may be the one you want to select.

I hope this helps. As I mentioned, I'm not much of a trackpad fan. It was a neat novelty back in '92 when I got my first PowerBook, but I've always preferred trackballs. All the good things about a mouse plus no wrist movement, and no desk space (other than the size of the device itself) needed.

Originally Posted by Farmgirl22

Or is it just one of those freak things that only happens to me? I have WAY too many of those types of things!!

When I headed up the tech support department for a certain music software company we had a TLA (three-letter acronym) for certain frequent-fliers on our phone lines. We'd pick up the phone, hear that too-familiar voice, listen to a brief synopsis (hopefully) of the problem, turn to a coworker and say (usually outloud), "yeah, looks like we've got a DFO problem here."

If you know what that latter DFO means, please don't take it personally. I find you amusing. I'm just glad you're not living under the same roof as me!

[Pensacola Tiger]

Originally Posted by Farmgirl22

Ok, I downloaded the coconut thing, and it says my battery is just fine, so I changed some of the settings for energy usage. Hopefully that will help. My machine is only 7 months old...I've had it for 3, what do you suppose was wrong with it??? I've done that calibration thing a few times, but I didn't really know how often to do it. I thought once a month should be sufficient though, since that's how often I do it.

Calibrating every month is fine, although I do it every couple of months.

I've found that all laptop manufacturers overstate the runtimes of their machines for an average user. It's part of the advertising hype. The best runtime I ever got on a laptop with the standard battery was a little over 4 hours on a brand new (2002) G3 iBook. On a MacBook or MacBook Pro, expect that 2 to 2.5 hours is going to be the max, even if more is claimed. But that is better than many Windows based laptops that get little more than one hour.

As far a what was wrong with your laptop that caused it to be repaired and sold as refurbished, well, it's anyone's guess. It could have been something major, or it just could have been a return in an open box, that keeps Apple from selling it as new. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

[sarei]

Also, I would like to note that there was a battery recall on MacBook Pro's. I know mine was affected. go here for more info: https://support.apple.com/macbookpro15/batteryexchange/

you may be able to save some money on that battery and just get it replaced.

[VegasACF]

Unless, of course, hers doesn't fall within the range of serial numbers that is affected.

Mine did. But the behavior it exhibited was just not holding a charge. At all. This is a far cry from lasting "a couple of hours."

[sarei]

Yeah that's why I told her to check the site - she can see the serial numbers affected on that page.

Mine was one, and mine lasts a couple of hours. Enough that I just shrugged it off as the machine being that powerful.

[Farmgirl22]

Originally Posted by VegasACF

Whoa. I am glad I hadn't eaten some mushrooms before I did that. I had no idea you could zoom things like that. What a trippy thing to have happen when you least expect it. Okay, so this zoom thing that I'm experiencing is only when I press Control and use two fingers to operate the track pad (you did know about the two-finger thing, right?). Okay, so open the System Preferences and click on the Keyboard & Mouse preference pane. Then click on the "Trackpad" tab (or whatever you call it). The items I have selected there (and I've not changed anything from standard settings, as far as I know--with the exception of "Ignore trackpad when mouse is present") is all three things under "Trackpad Gestures", nothing under "Clicking" and I have nothing selected for "Place two fingers on trackpad and click button for secondary click". That may be the one you want to select.


When I headed up the tech support department for a certain music software company we had a TLA (three-letter acronym) for certain frequent-fliers on our phone lines. We'd pick up the phone, hear that too-familiar voice, listen to a brief synopsis (hopefully) of the problem, turn to a coworker and say (usually outloud), "yeah, looks like we've got a DFO problem here."

If you know what that latter DFO means, please don't take it personally. I find you amusing. I'm just glad you're not living under the same roof as me!

Well thanks a lot Vegas, I don't know what DFO means, but I've a pretty good guess!! Ok, as for the trackpad thing, I did what you said, so we'll see how it works...it was never a constant thing for me anyway, it only seemed to work once in a while...which is part of why I was a little freaked out. So, you saw what I meant huh? Now why would ANYONE need that much zoom??? And yes, I knew about the 2 finger scroll thing...I'm ignorant, but not that ignorant!!

Sari(?) thanks for the tip on the battery, but mine isn't on the list...figured it was worth a shot though. Especially since they claim you are supposed to get like 4-4.5 hours on the battery...I thought they would at least be close!!

So anyway, I got my battery question answered, and I think I have my trackpad thing solved....however, I still cant right click on a lot of things that I should be able to....GRRRR!!!

[VegasACF]

Originally Posted by Farmgirl22

Well thanks a lot Vegas, I don't know what DFO means, but I've a pretty good guess!!

Lighten up, Francis. It was a joke.

[Farmgirl22]

Francis?? Who is that? My name is Bec....And I know it was a joke....