MacBook Pro Unibody ? Known problem.
I posted when I first got my unibody macbook pro in Dec and immediately realized that my forearms and palms were sporting angry red indentations whenever I used the computer in bed or on the couch. I taped the edges, but the macbook pro cut through five layers of tape! Lately, when I have a choice, I've been using my 4 yr old macbook pro instead, which was very comfortable.... I also have had the opportunity to use three similar (tho smaller -- 15 inch vs 17 -- which changes the ergonomics slightly ) machines at work, and I can report with certainty that some of them are NOT this sharp. I realize some people think it's a personal preference issue, or that we're complaining unnecessarily, but in my experience, some of these are razor sharp on the front and side edge, with very dangerous protrusions where you lift the lid, while other unibodies have edges that are blunter and much less uncomfortable to use. I think the 17 inch model may be more problematic because the keypad is placed further back so you almost have to lean into it a bit more while typing and using the trackpad to reach the keys.
MacBook Pro Unibody – known problem.
Just an update - sanding with the ceramic file improved the edge sharpness considerably, but I was still getting indentations on my arm when leaning in over the edge (if using the computer on the couch or in bed), so I decided to try the rubber strips mentioned above, thinking they might serve as a bumper of sorts to protect my forearms. Got them in a couple of days, the vendor was very nice and followed up when I had a question. These "guard strips" are a little deeper than I 'd expected so they extend out a bit at the front edge of the mac, and there's a very thin edge that wraps around the TOP of the macbook pro that effectively covers the razor sharp edge. They have a 3-M adhesive backing that adheres to the aluminum and it seemed like a good solution -- until I realized that the (cut-to-size) edges of the strips themselves felt sharp because they were cut straight. (This is a 17 inch model and you almost have to lean in to reach the keys). I pulled the strips off, used a standard emory board to round off the edges to a more comfortable, smooth bevelled shape, then buffed the hard rubber edge so it was blunt on the cut sides, then reattached it to the mac. It doesn't look as nice as the unsanded rubber did, but FINALLY, I'm comfortable using this computer. If I forget and touch the sides of the aluminum unibody, it's still really sharp, so I'm going to go back and lightly buff the top side edges on the sides, too.
I'd like to have some feedback about this problem. Short story : whenever I try to hook up a Macboo Pro Unibody to my 2408WFP Dell monitor using a mini-Displayport to Displayport cable (and I tried two different certified cable) the computers are unable to detect the monitor (monitor unknown) and the resolution is stuck at 640x480 (it's the only available resolution).