Re: Correct Use of Apple //c Handle

[Chad Choi Lin <chadlin@nyetcom.com>]

Vincent Quinn wrote:

> In article <Pine.SUN.3.95.981114225018.3873B-100000@scfn>,
> "Stephen E. Adams" <sfxerzf@scfn.thpl.lib.fl.us> wrote:
> 
> >No, it is /not/ just a matter of typing convenience.  It is a technical
> >requirement.  According to the user's manual, you MUST prop up the
> >computer on it's handle while it is powered on for ventilation's sake.
> >Failure to do so will result in a buildup of heat that will damage the
> >componentry.
> 
> Just wondering why the casings on two of my three //c s (possibly just by
> coincidence, it's the two that work) are distorted under the floppy drive -
> they have a distinct downward bulge. Is this a particular hot-spot?
> 
> V
> 
> From Ferret on the Dartboard
> Shankill, Dun Laoghaire
> Ireland

Absolutely! The problem with the design of the //c is that it crams all
the components -- power supply, motherboard, internal disk drive -- into
an extremely small space, and all of those parts generate waste heat
during operation. This is especially true of the drive unit, which Apple
chose over a cooler-running alternative drive.

Why would they deliberately pick a disk drive that generates *more*
heat? Well, during the design/test phase of the //c project the
engineers at Apple realized they would have to make the computer stand
up at an angle to keep it from lying flat on a desk or table. By putting
air vents in the top and bottom sides of the //c case, air would
naturally flow through the unit from the bottom up due to convection,
creating a "passive cooling system" (there just wasn't enough room for a
proper cooling fan). It turned out that this scheme worked best with the
drive that ran hotter, since this increased the convection effect: the
warmer air rose more quickly, drawing in more cool air from below the
//c. Unfortunately, this system fails if the user does not prop up the
//c on its carrying handle (with disasterous results -- I once fried a
floppy disk in my //c's internal drive like a burnt slice of bread in a
toaster).

It is probable that the pair of //c computers in your posession were
used while lying flat on a surface, thus causing the noticeable damage
to the cases underneath the drives. Then again, it could also be due to
operating the //c computers in too warm of an environment, since this
reduces the convection effect.

-- 
Peace, Love, and Stay Cool,
Chad Choi Lin
chadlin@nyetcom.com

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