Working With Your Macbook Pro Lid Closed

[cameronv]

I have it attached to an Apple display..i hear varying things about working with the lid closed as being bad for the laptop....

Is that true? Overheating issues steam from this?

Thanks

Cameron

[houltmac]

There are no issues associated with running an Apple notebook with the lid closed, in fact it's supported by Apple. They call it clamshell mode. The design of the Apple notebooks currently pushes heat out of the back of the machines and thus having the clamshell closed is not an issue. I have run my old MacBook in clamshell mode exclusively for over 6 months without issue.

I have also read advise to the contrary, but this is very misinformed. If anything, less power is consumed (since there is no need for the unit to display anything or backlight the display and thus the unit as a whole would actually be cooler.

[divigation]

As always, what Matt said. I too ran my previous MBP in clamshell mode for almost six months on a job and never had a single issue. The machine is doing less work and is designed to function this way, so worry not.