## IMPORTANT NOTICE ##
Do not purchase the Duo Core MacBook Pro until Apple has upgraded them to the new Intel Duo 2 Core microprocessor (and other issues are fixed). The current Duo Core microprocessor is too hot. The current Duo Core microprocessor is too hot. The new chip should be cooler and faster (unless Apple adds something extra to OSX to make the processor work hard).
You are also wise to avoid running too many dashboard widgets in the background as they will hog a significant amount of your computer's CPU making it get hotter. Widgets can be removed from the /Library/Widgets folders and restarting the computer. Or consider using Onyx to turn off Dashboard altogether.
And make sure the computer is properly asleep or shutdown when not in use or else your computer may accidentally stay awake while being carried inside a bag. Reports of laptops getting extremely hot and frying the logic board are not uncommon. You can learn more about this issue from here.
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About the MacBook Pro of February 2006...
Known as MacBook Pro, the latest aluminium laptops comes with the Intel Core Duo microprocessor.
Purportedly to be four times faster than the latest G4 PowerBook (probably because of its dual core processing capabilities) despite the advertised 1.67GHz speed (1) from Apple, the new laptops come built-in with an iSight web camera (2) (so Apple can see who has been writing this article or who is using illegal software) and the new Intel-based MacOSX version 10.4.4 (which won't startup a PowerPC G4 computer because Apple chose not to provide a universal binary version). Price for these 15-inch laptops start at a whopping A$3,125 and goes up to A$3,895 for the same size screen model with a slightly quicker 1.87GHz speed. Although if you wait another 6 months, the speed of these laptops should increase to over 2GHz.
Screen brightness and contrast level is said to be 20 per cent better than the PowerPC models, bringing them virtually inline with Apple's top-of-the-range Cinema Display screens.
The MacBook Pro is slimmer than the aluminium PowerPC G4 laptops — now reduced to 2.5cm, athough it appears to be the same as the PowerBook G4 17-inch 1.67MHz laptop thickness-wise.
Care must be taken not to immediately buy one of these machines primarily because a number of third-party products have yet to be made available (both software and hardware). For example, there are no better third party power adapters compatible with Apple's new magnetic version (designed to stop those annoying power cable damage when the cord is accidentally pulled from a strongly gripping power socket in the laptop; now the magnetic socket should easily comes undone with the slightest of pulls). Also Apple has opted not to include a FireWire 800 port (users have to wait until the next model is released sometime in late 2006). And the new expansion card port will not accept the standard 54mm wide PC cards. Apple has allegedly improved on this feature with a new and more narrow 34mm PCMCIA expansion port known as ExpressCard forcing third-party manufacturers to develop new cards to be compatible with the new Mac. On the positive side, ExpressCard new technology is purportedly 2.5 times faster than the previous expansion port. And for this extra speed users must accept the new design!
Please be aware that ExpressCard is a technology ahead of its time, meaning that you will be looking at September 2006 at the earliest and more likely in early 2007 to find suitable cards on the market to handle things like wireless internet broadband. Otherwise, you would be better off sticking to the PowerPC laptop with its standard PC card expansion port for access to a wider range of cards. To learn more, visit http://www/expresscard.org/.
Actually the specs on the MacBook Pro are unusually low to start the Apple era on a new microprocessor suggesting that perhaps there aren't enough Intel-optimised and compatible third-party drivers included with Intel OSX to support the existing crop of expansion ports and internal drives available on PowerPC Apple PowerBooks. For example, the SuperDrive is not dual-layer. Also the S-video has been taken out. And there is no internal modem (Apple could be assuming users are on broadband).
On the software side, there are enough problems for the unweary with reports of incompatibility with the Intel processor, slow speed of running PowerPC software in Rosetta mode, and unexpected OSX behaviours.
Take, for instance, the view of an eager iMac Core Duo user who has quickly purchased one of these Intel Macs only to discover a random and intermittent situation of the screen freezing followed by the screen turning "completely blank blue". It lasts for a second or several seconds before returning to the original screen allowing the user to resume his work.
The MacBook Pro of May 2006
The 2GHz MacBook Pro is available for around the A$3,999 mark. Rather expensive compared to what you can get for the PowerPC laptop version. The LCD screen is claimed by Apple to be 67 per cent brighter (compared to what?). Touchpad is slightly larger and comes with a remote to trigger Front Row multimedia management software via infra-red. Add a digital TV tuner to the works and you'll quickly be overwhelmed by the number of remotes you will have to juggle!
This version has the latest revisions from Apple on the board (although you wouldn't think so when you see the problems below).
The positives of the MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro laptops with Intel microprocessors have come in for some special criticism. Before we mention a few from users, we should note that in general appearance, the MacBook Pro has the edge over PC laptops. Whoever is the designing team at Apple should be commended for a good design that sucks grabs people in and makes them think long and hard about whether or not to purchase one.
The other positive remark has to be the fact that the new laptop is at least as fast as a G4 microprocessor if not faster if you have the Duo Core variety, and yet still manages to generate a little less heat than a G5 computer (well, only just!).
Maybe this is deliberate in that Apple does need a fast enough processor to make it bearable for previous Apple users to run their PowerPC applications in Rosetta emulation mode. And even then, for some reason there are features in PowerPC that don't get translated into Intel very well, causing some applications to misbehave. Either that, or Apple made a rough and ready emulation system.
So is the move worth it?
As far as experienced users are concerned, the move is considered a gamble. Experienced users who have heavily invested in PowerPC software to do their work (ie. not playing games), making the move any time before 2007 would be almost suicidal especially if you are running a business. Even if you could afford to buy new software, you will have to wait until enough titles have been Intel-optimised. Because of this situation, it seems the smartest thing to do for most experienced users is wait, build up their list of free or very low-cost universal binary or pure Intel software applications, and see what's selling in the secondhand software market in 12 to 24 months before making the decisive move to a secondhand or new Intel Mac. In fact, in 12 to 24 months, users will know what will emulate well and which software needs to be new for speed and reliability, then the move will be easy and cheap. Or else do as many experienced users are doing by sticking to Windows software, which isn't as bad as some people make out to be (and with it handle Microsoft's own way of learning about their users).
On the other end of the spectrum are the less experienced users. Here, the move is a cinch if you can afford to buy one. For these users, they don't have anything to lose. To Apple, this is the ideal target market as they need early adopters of the laptop to take the product through its lifecycle. Also these users make great guinea pigs testers to see what they think of the product and at the same time help Apple to see what the users are doing with their laptops online and when they have to bring in their laptops for repairs (which will be regularly we hear). As some observers have noted, software pirates tend to be highest among the inexperienced groups of users and many "early adopters".
Speaking of repairs or problems, we can now reveal a few notable ones. Please keep the information below in mind when you are in the market for purchasing a new laptop.
DOA problem
Some MacBook Pros have arrived Dead On Arrival (DOA). This shouldn't be a major problem if you are not among the very first customers to buy one. Manufacturing and quality control processes normally improve about 6 months after the initial release of the laptops. In other cases, a MacBook Pro not starting up could be the result of the RAM not being properly seated. When the RAM is not sitting in position, it can cause the laptop to suddenly shutdown if it attempts to start up or the screen will remain black but the power LED may blick at you to signal an error in the RAM card.
As Apple stated in Apple Knowledge Base document #303083:
'If the computer detects no SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory, also referred to as RAM) or the RAM installed does not meet the appropriate specifications, the screen will remain black but the power LED on the front of the computer will blink once per second to signal the error. This error condition may be due to physically damaged RAM, installing the incorrect type of RAM, or not having RAM installed.'
No bootable third-party disk repair utility CD/DVD for Intel
Perhaps a minor oversight but it seems Apple did not supply a bootable Applecare disk for Intel-based Macs (including the MacBook Pro) sold as late as May 2006. And TechTool Pro, the utility Apple relies on to repair problems is not yet a universal binary or Intel-optimised. Apple would have done well to drop the "Pro" from MacBook Pro until these problems are sorted! As MacFixIt reader Paul Tansey wrote:
'Don't know if this is trouble shooting or not, but thought people should know.
'Just tried my Applecare which arrived with my MacBook Pro. The Applecare box says its for a Powerbook? And sure enough, try booting from the TechTool disk included, and it will not start. It cannot see the disk.
'Clearly not designed to run on this MacBook
'On phone now to Apple, who say they will replace the disk with the correct one. Which I bet doesn't even exist yet. But we'll see.' (MacFixIt.com: Note: Current AppleCare disc does not work with Intel-based Macs. 5 May 2006.)
By the time you read this, the new AppleCare CD produced in March 2006 for booting on dual-core iMacs should be available soon in your area (It should be labelled ASD Dual Boot 3S101, Part Number 691-5743-A). Please note, there is no TechTool Pro. It will boot into the Apple Service Diagnostic application only. Better than nothing!
Battery connection problem
A limited number of laptop units appear to have an issue concerning the battery itself or the circuit for drawing power from the battery once the external power cord is disconnected. The most common problem is either the laptop goes to sleep or shuts off completely within minutes or immediately after removing the power cord despite the battery indicating it is fully charged. Apple is looking into this and is deciding which ones will be replaced, fixed or ignored on a case-by-case basis (we hope replaced given how new the laptop is instead of taking the cheap route out of fixing bits and pieces as they appear). Confirmation for this observation can be found at MacFixIt.com. As one reader wrote:
'Just wanted to share some problems I've had with my MacBook Pro. I bought one of the first 2.0 GHz MacBook ProÕs available at the Las Vegas Apple Store. I had a problem with it that it sometimes would not run off of the battery. About 30% of the time if I were to unplug the MagSafe connector, the machine would just die. The battery indicator lights showed a full charge. If I put the machine to sleep and then unplugged it, it would usually not reboot from battery, and if it would it would come back from the Safe Sleep. Restarting using the power key while the machine was plugged it would restart using safe sleep. The battery didn't seem loose and the contacts looked ok. I took the machine back to the Apple Store where I was lucky to exchange it for another 2 GHz unit they had in stock.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#14): Inconsistent wireless connections with third-party routers; Problems operating from battery; more. 15 March 2006.)
There may be a solution. It involves Apple fixing up OSX's energy saving feature. Until then, David McManis recommends the following:
'I read your article and have a fix for the MacBook pro operating off battery. The problem is due to a faulty energy saver feature. All you need to [do] to stop it is open system preferences, then open energy saver. Change all setting to never then click on options and uncheck the automatically reduce brightness of the display before display sleep.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#15): Kernel panics upon waking up (Inability to wake from sleep); More on whining noise; Wireless connectivity. 16 March 2006.)
Now the reports are moving to another issue concerning the improper seating of the battery. As one MacFixIt reader said:
'I removed the battery to get the serial off the unit and when reinserting it, it was obvious that the tolerances are so accurate that one must be absolutely right on in reinsertion to guarantee full internal contact. It takes a good clamping pressure on the battery to make certain of this and for the spring loaded locks sliders to engage FULLY. I noted that the LEDs will read even if the battery is not fully engaged so it is a feel to be sure issue. It is well locked in after doing it correctly and mine has never disengaged.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro Special Report follow-up #4: More on loose batteries, powering off. 31 March 2006.)
Apple has recommended users should reset the PRAM to solve this problem should it develop over time. MacFixIt has reported on 2 June 2006 that Apple failed to mention the PRAM should be reset by allowing more than three restarts to take place when pressing simultaneously the key combination Command, Option, P and R, not the usual two. The number of restarts while pressing the keys appears to be crucial to resolving this issue. If all else fails, try resetting the PMU as some users are claiming success through this method.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
31 July 2006
Batteries that don't connect properly to the MacBook Pro 15-inch model are being recalled by Apple. As Apple stated:
'We recently discovered that some 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries supplied to Apple do not meet our high standards for battery performance. To give our users the best experience possible, we will replace these batteries for customers free of charge.' (Apple Knowledge Document)
Affected batteries has model number A1175 and those 12-digit numbers ending with U7SA, U7SB or U7SC. Batteries must be removed from the computer to view this information.
Click the Apple Knowledge Document link to fill in a form for US residents to receive the new batteries free.
Wake up from sleep or going to sleep problems
When you do send the laptop to sleep, there is no guarantee it will wake up properly. This problem does exist on some PowerPC computers, but is persistent on the Intel Mac. The surest solution is to turn off safe sleep by typing in the Terminal:
sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
Or make sure you have adequate RAM.
On the other extreme, closing the lid does not guarantee the laptop will go to sleep. As MacFixIt reader Andrew Springer writes:
"I put my system to sleep and placed it in my bag before leaving the office, when I got home the MacBook was red hot with the fan spinning. I was unable to wake the system and had to shut it down by holding down the power key. It restarted fine, but I've wondered ever since if this caused the problem.
"This happened again just yesterday. In this case I put my computer to sleep, then opened it up again just briefly (less than 5 seconds) and shut it again. The system didn't appear to wake-up, but 30 minutes later when I removed it from the bag the computer was very very hot again with the fan spinning. Again I had to force the computer to shutdown before I could use it. Battery seems OK right now, I'll keep you posted if that changes.
"It's a bit of a concern that it appears that if you quickly open the screen and then close it (accidentally or on purpose) that the computer may wake, but not sleep again." (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro Special Report: Not sleeping properly, still "on" with lid closed. 7 June 2006.)
Among the solutions include unchecking all options to wake the laptop when the modem detects a ring, Ethernet Network administrator access, and after a power failure. Disconnect all USB and FireWire devices, disable all network activity including disconnecting network volumes, and resetting PMU.
Or better still, ask Apple to fix the problems permanently!
On the other end of the spectrum, users have noticed the laptops may not go to sleep properly when the lid is closed or when trying to select Sleep from the Finder menu. Apple has finally posted a Knowledge Base article (#303698) on 25 August 2006 explaining the reasons why a laptop may not go to sleep:
(i) Some FireWire/USB devices and PCI cards may prevent laptops and desktop machines from going to sleep.
(ii) Playing music in iTunes or movies in DVD player can prevent sleep.
(iii) Self-refreshing web pages in Safari may stop sleep mode.
(iv) Some applications may prevent sleep from taking place for certain reasons (might be a good reason although it can be known only to the software developer) by calling subroutines in the system such as IORegisterForSystemPower(), IOCancelPowerChange() and in the notification provided by kIOMessageCanSystemSleep.
(v) Check the system preferences such as Bluetooth, Spotlight, Sharing and others as they may affect the ability of a Mac to go to sleep.
Strangely the titanium and other laptops when running iTunes or other applications do go to sleep much easier. Not so for those newer laptops running OSX Tiger. Does this mean there is a greater risk of corruption taking place if the system were to force a sleep in the middle of some kind of operation?
Glenn Fleishman of http://db.tidbits.com/article/8702 has provided another possible solution not mentioned by Apple. This one involves typing a UNIX command in the Terminal to set the lidwake value in the power management settings to 0. Under ordinary circumstances, new laptops are set to wake up automatically as soon as you press the the latch to release the display. Fleishman reckons this latch could sometimes accidentally get pressed or suddenly open on its own causing the laptop to wake up while sitting inside a bag.
To turn the lidwake value off, type in the Terminal:
sudo pmset lidwake 0
The following strange message may appear:
'We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:
#1) Respect the privacy of others
#2) Think before you type.
#3) With great power comes great responsibility.'
You will also be asked to type your administrator password. Type it in and press the Enter key. Changes should take effect immediately. Note that older PowerBook G4 laptops (eg. First Generation aluminium laptops, titanium PowerBooks etc) may not support this feature.
As a final resort, remove third party software from the Preferences Pane and turn off AirPort when not in use.
Keyboard problems
The keyboard appears somewhat unresponsive at times. It is most evident with the Shift key. We recommend you apply Apple's Keyboard 1.0 Update for all Intel Macs as soon as possible to make everything feel right as in previous Apple models.
MacFixIt.com reports on 7 June 2006 the problem is not resolved by the keyboard update.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
10 June 2006
You'll be glad to hear that the keyboard problem has progressed from the Shift key to a variety of other keys. Not quite in the right direction as we would like to see. Here is a quote from an American MacBook Pro user named Dave. As he said to MacFixIt:
'I've now had two 17" MacBook Pros with keyboard troubles. I returned my first MacBook Pro after 4 days because the comma key did not work consistently. They replaced that unit, and I have been working with the replacement for about one month. Initially, the replacement unit seemed to require hard key taps on the 'i' and 't' keys to insure response. Now, I'm finding flakiness on other keys. I can't tell whether [this] is a heat-related problem — though, as I type this message, my MacBook Pro is hot and I'm finding that many of my keys are not responding well.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Keyboard problems (keys not recognized); Uneven display illumination; more 27 June 2006.)
Does this suggest the heat is warping the keyboard? Damn heat! Someone needs to put a bit of heat right up Apple to get this problem fixed.
iSight camera problem
The built-in iSight camera in the MacBook Pros may not always work. The error message most commonly seen when trying to use iSight is "in use by another application" even though all other applications are quit (except the Finder) and the iSight status indicator light is supposedly off. If you encounter this problem, try resetting the System Management Controller or SMC, the equivalent to Power Management Unit or PMU on older Macs (see batteries.htm for Intel machines).
Annoying buzzing sound problem
A number of Intel-based laptops emit an annoying high-pitched whining or buzzing sound. It seems to be associated with the iSight camera. Turning on and off the mirror widget may make the noise disappear. But if you try applying the Keyboard Update 1.0 utility from Apple presumably to improve keyboard responsiveness, other users may suddenly notice the same noise. And this time the widget will not work simply by turning on and off. You will have to keep the iSight camera turned on continuously (chewing up battery power and reducing system performance) just to stop the noise. As Kyle Craft writes:
'I applied the keyboard update and now my whining noise is back. I was using the trick were I would turn on / off the mirror widget. Now I have to keep the mirror widget on at all times to keep the whining noise away.' (MacFixIt.com: Keyboard Update 1.0 for Intel-based Macs (#2): Nullifies noise workarounds for MacBook Pro. 28 April 2006.)
Annoying whining noise when battery power is nearly empty
Drawing power from the battery can at times produce a high-pitched whining noise emanating from the laptop. The noise has been heard on some titanium laptops when the battery power reaches a low point and other circuits start to kick in in readiness to let you know you are running out of power. However, as we understand it, the noise is a lot more annoying on the MacBook Pro. Various solutions do exist (we wouldn't leave you out in the cold). One is to turn off or reduce power to other circuitry such as turning off the option in the system preferences for illuminating keyboard in low light conditions, turning off one processor using Apple's CHUD tools, or reducing display brightness to name a few. Or the other solution is simply for Apple to get its act together and fix it.
The problem appears to be caused by a build up of charge on the outer metal casing when a lot of circuits are turned on which is interfering with various electronic components. As one reader discovered:
'The noise increases over time and is very distracting. It disappears if I touch the metal screen cover, but builds up again- so it's presumably some sort of capacitive effect. In my case, just touching the back of the screen causes the noise to disappear, but only temporarily.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#13): Whining noises -- more fixes; AppleTalk printers not showing up over AirPort; more. 14 March 2006.)
Here is one reader's solution:
'I just wanted to chime in. I saw the suggestion about opening and closing the display and noticed that it would stop and start again as the ambient light under the keyboard would turn on and off. On it would whine, off it would stop. So I turned on the room light, the ambient light turned off and the whining stopped. So for me, anyway, the ambient light is what causes the whining.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#13): Whining noises -- more fixes; AppleTalk printers not showing up over AirPort; more. 14 March 2006.)
The problem is considered so significant that a 'whine' noise petition is going around the traps by US customers forcing Apple to address the issue with a new revision. As this could take some time before the new revised models come out, we recommend that you wait before purchasing a new MacBook Pro.
Excessive power draw
A minor problem for those doing a lot of travelling with a MacBook Pro is the amount of power this machine draws. Power sources on aircraft and in some cars generate 75W, which may not be sufficient to run and charge the MacBook Pro. You will need 85W of power. Otherwise you must either put the laptop to sleep for the battery to charge up, or remove the battery and run the computer normally.
NOTE: The power adapter that comes with the cheaper MacBook at 75W should work with MacBook Pro. But don't expect it to charge the battery and run the MacBook Pro at the same time. Next time we should ask Apple to throw in a bar fridge and plasma screen to draw just that little bit more current.
Excessive heat problems
Since their introduction in January 2006, we are learning in late April 2006 how a number of laptops are emitting far too much heat than their cousins — the PowerPC laptops. The consequence of this is a slight bending of the display where the latching mechanism for holding the display steady when closed does not work properly. For more serious cases, a vertical line/bar or other screen defects may appear (similar to titanium models after several years of use). Again there is some inconsistency in the way these affected laptops are dealt with according to Apple resellers. Some resellers, if they are not struggling for profits, are happy to have the whole unit replaced (eg. in a big city such as Sydney or New York where there is a big enough population to support the products). For other resellers, the preferred option is to repair the display (make sure you have Apple warranty).
To minimise this poor manufacturing problem, you will need to reduce the temperature. You can do this by purchasing a slower MacBook Pro (eg. 1.67GHz), reduce processor speed further in the Energy Saver preference pane, find an adapter or special stand to lift the laptop off the surface for better ventilation, and run the update from Apple. Beyond that, you will have to be prepared to pay for extended Apple warranty or pay for expensive repairs when the problem starts to set in.
Oops! Sorry guys. Apple has updated the MacBook Pro to have a 2GHz microprocessor. So much for having the slower machine!
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
10 June 2006
As for the excessive fan noise and heat problems, perhaps this update will help (so long as you don't use the laptop too much, perhaps it should be left on in a relatively idle manner — like a table lamp). Good luck!
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
27 June 2006
At the same time as Apple released its OSX 10.4.7 "Tiger" update, Apple saw it in their hearts to provide a firmware update for MacBook Pro 17-inch users known as Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch SMC Firmware 1.1 (420k). There isn't quite the same liberal splashing of detailed comments about this update compared to the full Combo OSX 10.4.7 updater. It is purported that this update changes the behaviour of the fans. By behaviour, we mean probably starting up earlier and more frequently to reduce the heat.
We can now see why Apple isn't too keen to discuss the changes here!
Oh well! So much for purchasing one of those nice little fluid-dynamic hard drives to keep things whisper quiet on the laptop (Oops, portable desktop computers we should say!). Library users will be pleased to hear the sounds of fans going off nearly all the time.
Apple would be better off doing something to control the heat — automatic reduction in processor speed to as low as 250MHz and better battery-recharging circuitry would be a good start!
To run this firmware update:
(i) Quit all running applications.
(ii) Run the firmware update.
(iii) When it says to click the Restart button, do it.
(iv) Wait until the machine restarts. The update will automatically run (including a progress bar to let you know what it is doing!). Fans will blast away, but this is normal. Critical is to make sure you don't interrupt the update process (fingers cross the bloody swollen battery in the MacBook Pro had better function right and the electricity company won't give us blackouts.
(v) Click the OK button when finished.
It is not clear whether Apple provides a firmware restoration tool in case something awful does happen. Your best bet is to repeat steps (iii) to (v) and keep trying until it works. Nothing like the application of Murphy's law (or should that be Apple's law!) when running an update.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
30 June 2006
Some users are not entirely convinced Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch SMC Firmware 1.1 does increase fan activity. As MacFixIt reader Marc Marshall said:
'I've installed the 17" MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update (it didn't seem to show in my Software Update until after I had installed 10.4.7), and I can't say I've noticed any significant difference one way or the other.
'Both before and after, I can only hear the fan if the computer is under heavy load and playing a game, in which case the processor core tops out at a hair over 80C. This has not changed.
'I forgot [to] do a side-by-side test to make sure, but it's possible it did decrease the processor core temperature at idle by about 5C; after the update it is consistently idling in the low 50s (usually 51C), and I'm *almost* positive that before at very low load (just typing, for example) it tended to idle in the high 50s. It's possible that my memory is faulty on this, however, and regardless, there's no noticeable increase in fan noise or activity--it is functionally silent. These are at a room temperature of about 25C, by the way, with good airflow underneath--it's on a wire "mini-table".' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro 17-inch SMC Firmware Update (#2): Effects unclear. 30 June 2006.)
Another MacFixIt reader put it succinctly what he thinks about this firmware:
'Beware of SMC Firmware 1.5f10. Internal temps seem to run higher than before 1.5f10 (CPU gets up to 84C vs 80C).
'After installing the firmware update, I can no longer burn DVD's without the Macbook Pro 17 overheating and suddenly rebooting in the middle of writing the disc. The only solution (hack) is to place a large fan beside the Mac that moves air above and below the keyboard while burning. That cools the case enough to get through the process.
'I am now experiencing sudden reboots watching/editing MPEG's. (Video seems to generate a lot of heat.)
'The firmware update is not reversible. Apple must replace the logic board or create a new firmware update. (Support has no idea if that is in the future.)
'This is my second Macbook Pro 17. The first was returned for the same overheating problems mentioned above. This Mac (#2) worked flawlessly until installing firmware update 1.5f10. Now it has the same overheating problems as #1.
'If your Macbook Pro 17 is working now, don't risk installing the firmware.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro 17-inch SMC Firmware Update (#2): Effects unclear. 30 June 2006.)
RAM problems
Do you have a MacBook Pro that repeatedly experiences a system freeze or sudden restarts? Check to see if you have good RAM installed. Any bad RAM cards could create or exacerbate the problem. As one reader writes:
"I have a week 7, 2.0GHz MacBook Pro that I ordered with 2 GB of RAM. I was experiencing random reboots, kernel panics, application crashes and failed application startups.
"I ran the extended hardware tests off the special 'D' partition of install DVD #1, and it told me there was a memory problem. After removing one SODIMM, the tests succeeded. After swapping the SODIMMs (still only one in), the test failed.
"I ordered a replacement SODIMM from Apple, popped it in, and haven't experienced any random reboots or other such issues since." (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro Special Report: Repeated system freezes or sudden restarts — Checking for bad RAM. 7 June 2006.)
Given how new the laptop is, you are best to ask for a replacement from Apple or the vendor supplying the RAM.
QUESTION TO APPLE: How can a brand new laptop already contain bad RAM? Just how cheap is the RAM users are getting?
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
25 August 2006
You may wish to check your external devices as well while you are at it (Apple should pay users for doing the quality control work). According to this MacFixIt report, some external devices might cause start up problems, or unexpected system freezes/kernel panics. Although the report refers specifically to Mac Pro (another Apple computer to confuse the masses), we can't discount the possibility that external devices could be at fault for some system problems. MacFixIt recommends plugging the external devices into different ports on the computer as a workaround.
Insufficient drivers
Insufficient drivers to run a variety of hardware and software is a major issue for many MacBook Pro and other Intel Macs in the early stages of its release. No surprises here given the change over to a new microprocessor. Hopefully the latest Intel-optimised OSX "Tiger" version will provide some relief here.
Should get better in 2007.
MacBook Pro not quite having the full pro features
No inbuilt-modems or video out capabilities means people are basically forced to get on broadband using an external modem and/or network and buy a new adapter to show your presentations to clients.
Makes some observers wonder whether the next generation MacBook Pros with inbuilt modem and video out capabilities will have to be called the MacBook Pro Pro &*151 the professional version of the MacBook Pro.
Wireless networking problems
Slow or poor/inconsistent connection to wireless third-party routers on a network. As one reader named Michael writes:
'Connecting to a 3Com 7250 WAP using WPA2 (AES) is frequently difficult. The connection will be made initially and then go away minutes later. Subsequent attempts to connect usually do not work. When the connection disappears the DHCP information is lost and a dummy self-assigned IP address shows up on the interface.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#14): Inconsistent wireless connections with third-party routers; Problems operating from battery; more. 15 March 2006.)
AppleTalk printers may also not show up consistently and quickly on Apple's wireless AirPort network, necessitating IP printing to be used instead of AppleTalk (presumably to stop total strangers acting as freeloaders having free access to network resources such as an Apple colour laserprinter).
VLANs also gets a mention by users as being particular slow when it comes to network performance. As MacFixIt reported:
'We previously reported on an issue where Intel-based Macs exhibit significant data packet loss when connected to networks that also have 802.1q VOIP VLAN devices attached (such as VOIP phones from Cisco and other manufacturers), or when a VLAN setup is used.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#13): Whining noises -- more fixes; AppleTalk printers not showing up over AirPort; more. 14 March 2006.)
For other third-party routers, getting an IP address seems like an impossible task for OSX. For example, MacFixIt reader John Budacovich said:
'I too am having problems with a MacBook Pro accessing a secure (PEAP) wireless network.
'My laptop makes the connection to the access with no problem - but it does not receive an IP address from the CISCO access point. It self assigns a 169 address instead. In fact, I have observed the access point receiving the request for an address from the MacBook Pro which the access point does provide.
'I have also tried to get on the secure network with a fixed IP address in an open range on the VPN - but with no success. The same MacBook Pro will, however, access an open network (and receive an IP address from same) in the very same building without difficulty.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#15): Kernel panics upon waking up (Inability to wake from sleep); More on whining noise; Wireless connectivity. 16 March 2006.)
Another reader writes:
'I have done some non-scientific testing and found that the wifi, while more sensitive than in the previous Powerbooks (I had almost all generations of them), has slower throughput on the Macbook if you are any meaningful distance away from the access point even if you have a good signal (3 bars on the status bar indicator).
'I ran speed tests using speakeasy test servers.
'My Internet connect is rated at 8000/768 (8MB/768KB). When I use a wired Cat5 connection, on the closest server to me (NYC), I get 8168/695.
'On my PowerBook 1.67 at 10 feet from the access point I got 8020/695. On my MacBook Pro at the same distance I got 7080/684.
'At 40 feet from the access point with my PowerBook 1.67 I got 6400/690. With my MacBook Pro, I got 2300/534. What is most interesting is that at this distance, my PB had only 1-2 bars, where my MacBook Pro had 3/4 bars, yet the throughput on MacBook Pro drops off considerably.
'At 50-60 feet from the access point my PowerBook loses the connection. The Macbook Pro maintains the connection 1-2 bars, but the throughput slows to 430/123. My old Gateway PC laptop at that distance gets a 6300/650 throughput.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#15): Kernel panics upon waking up (Inability to wake from sleep); More on whining noise; Wireless connectivity. 16 March 2006.)
The best solution so far is to delete all AirPort network configurations, set it to automatically join a wireless network, and create new AirPort network information to help reestablish connections.
And are you having problems sharing an Internet connection on a MacBook Pro over AirPort? Try opening up Network system preference pane, clicking on "Port Configuration", and dragging the relevant sharing port (whether it is Ethernet, Firewire or whatever) to the top of the list. That should hopefully fix it until Apple sorts this one out later.
Digital presentation problems
Going back to the presentation side of things, you will need to remember that a fully charged battery does not necessarily mean you don't need a power adapter. It is true the MacBook Pro can be connected to an external display with the lid of your laptop closed saving power to the LCD screen. Yet for some reason the power isn't sufficient to deliver the video signal to the external display, or else the computer will suddenly go to sleep. You are wise to keep the power adapter plugged in at all times.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
7 July 2006
OSX 10.4.7 update may allow simultaneous viewing on an external display and the in-built display, but after a few minutes, the in-built display may lose colours or show black and white stripes. This is an update where video drivers have been botched compared to previous OSX updates.
Wait for the next OSX update to resolve this issue.
Inbuilt speaker problems
Notice anything funny about your speakers, especially the one on the right? The quality of the sound seems to be unusually poor. You are not alone! As one reader writes:
'The problem is not always obvious. I cannot hear it when listening to music. It is by far most apparent on Male speech such as podcasts or Steve Jobs Keynote. It almost sounds like the DVD drive is resonating. Please try the following with your MacBook Pros.
'Turn the volume all the way up. Launch this CNET video of Steve Jobs presenting the new Mac mini. Turn the volume control on the video playback window to 100%. Listen to part of the keynote and I bet you will hear the distortion.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#11): Audio distortion; whining noises; screen flickering; more . 7 March 2006.)
Another reader writes:
'I have realized that the speakers in my MacBook Pro are worthless. The right speaker is horribly distorted. This distortion is most apparent at higher volumes when a male voice is speaking or music with bass is playing.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#11): Audio distortion; whining noises; screen flickering; more . 7 March 2006.)
Unfortunately there is no solution to the right speaker. You will have to wait for the next MacBook Pro model to solve this one! As of 30 April 2006, Apple should be shipping replacement units with improved right speakers.
Audio line output and DVI problems
More audio output problems on the laptop. This time the audio line output is highly sensitive to noise emanating from a cable connected to the DVI video out port. Sounds like Apple doesn't want the movie pirates copying DVDs to another computer in high quality sound together with the clearest video possible through DVI. Only one problem: it is affecting everyone else trying to make a decent presentation of their own work using the DVI port and audio output. Take, for instance, the view of Mauricio Ardila:
'If you use the line out of the MacBook Pro while using the DVI video out, as it would be the case as when doing a Keynote/PowerPoint presentation for example, the audio output has a lot of distortion and noise. Disconnecting the DVI connector silences the noise and the line out is usable again.
'I have hooked my new MacBook Pro to my professional speakers in the studios at work and at home, have tried several cables, connections, patchbays, etc. and the one thing that quiets out the line out is disconnecting the DVI. I am going to measure the distortion specs because this is just NOT acceptable. I can deal with the whine, by working with the PhotoBooth "fix". I can deal with the excessive heat, by buying some fans and put the MacBook Pro on a stand. But having this noise out of the line out is just plain bad design, and one bug, that does interfere with my professional life.
'I also tried closing the lid and only running from an external monitor, the MacBook Pro's screen off. The noise is still there, so it is probably a hardware problem that arises from using the DVI video out and not a dual screen problem.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Audio distortion when using DVI. 10 May 2006.)
Your best solution is to purchase a PCI expansion card for desktop models or a USB device dedicated to professional audio output work. But as one MacFixIt reader said:
'I bet that if it was the other way around, say plugging something in the headphone jack would affect the screen resolution, people would be all over the place, and the solution could not possibly be, "just hook an external monitor and it will work fine.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Audio distortion when using DVI. 10 May 2006.)
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
15 June 2006
There is still a continuing issue with DVI when projecting an image from the MacBook Pro to a digital projector. As MacFixIt reader Payson Hall writes:
'The MacBook Pro does not seem to play nicely with the ViewSonic PJ350 using DVI. It doesn't seem to recognize it. The PJ350 supports DVI and I have driven it successfully without issue for a couple of years with my G4.
'I tried using the DVI to VGA adapter, and plugging it into a VGA to DVI cable supplied with my projector. This gave me a signal, but I was unable to get the normal 1024x768 resolution on the projector... it defaulted to 800x600 and when I tried to force it, I lost connectivity. Strangely, I turned on video mirroring, then on a lark tried to rotate the picture 90 degrees, and THAT produced an image (rotated) on the PJ350. When I tried to rotate back, I lost the signal. I rotated the image 180 degrees and got the signal. I then rotated the image from the projector (a setting to support ceiling mount) and was able to project normally. This says to me that the problem is in the hardware or software on the MacBook Pro side.
'When I tried to go back to the DVI to DVI cable (without the adapter), I had a signal. Others have reported that once you get a second device detected on the video out, this seemed to correct the DVI issue.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Melting or bursting batteries; Incompatibility with projectors; more. 15 June 2006.)
Screen flicker and vertical lines problems
Try reducing the screen brightness below a certain threshold level. You may discover another interesting anomaly of the MacBook Pro. The screen's backlight produces a faint flicker. As one reader said in March 2006:
'I realized that the backlight on my screen flickers when my screen dimmed down below 4 bars. If I turn my iSight Camera on, the flickering stops for a while, but eventually returns. This is not apparent when the brightness is turned up.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#11): Audio distortion; whining noises; screen flickering; more . 7 March 2006.)
In a more serious situation, one reader writes:
'I have had my MacBook Pro for 4 days and have had a screen problem twice. After being on for at least 3 hours the entire screen gets vertical pink/red lines across it. It appears that the 'red' in RGB has sifted on pixel right. The only way to fix the problem is to reboot and it goes away.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro (#11): Audio distortion; whining noises; screen flickering; more . 7 March 2006.)
This observation is similar to the vertical coloured lines appearing for many users of titanium laptops after a few years of regular use. However those lines tend to disappear by adjusting the screen lid angle. In this case, it seems likely a connection or few inside the display are touching something. However, for a new laptop such as this MacBook Pro, something else might be happening here.
Is this an overheating problem? Or is the VRAM getting corrupted somehow?
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
15 June 2007
MacFixIt claimed the latest MacBook Pro 2.2/2.4GHz laptops still exhibit a flickering screen when not at full brightness. As Albrei Labin said:
'I have discovered several (in fact all) new LED-macbook pros have a flickering screen if not set to maximum brightness. the flickering is worst at max minus 3 bars and disappears at about the last 4 bars. all those books have been running for at least half an hour.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro LED: Displays flickering when not at full brightness 15 June 2007.)
Then MacFixIt adds:
'There is also some indication that Apple may released a firmware update that will resolve this issue, perhaps through power delivery modification.'
Well, that's 16 months ago when users noted this flickering problem. Why is it taking so long for Apple to notice users' concerns and to do something about it?
And why hasn't the problem appeared in the aluminium PowerBook G4 laptops?
The only explanation given for why the screen flickers can be observed from the following quote by an anonymous MacFixIt user:
'I believe Apple is controlling screen brightness with PWM or pulse width modulation. Rather than changing the voltage to the screen which requires larger more expensive components, PWM is very effective for most applications. Basically what it does is turn the voltage on and off very rapidly, this on off cycle can be very precisely controlled. The longer the off cycle and or the shorter the on cycles the lower the brightness.
'Now here is where the trouble comes in. With CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) the bulb appears to be on solid at all brightness levels, this is because fluorescent lamps have a high persistence. This means that the bulb continues to glow for a fraction of a second after the voltage is removed, so when the PWM is in it's off state the bulb is getting dimmer but not going out completely and it's so quick that our eyes see it as a steady on.
'Now LED's are extremely fast acting and stop emitting light within about a nano second after the voltage turns off. For PWM this means that at certain long off cycles the LED will go dark long enough for our eyes to notice it. Since we are talking about possibly hundreds of times a second we don't see a flashing light but more of a flicker.
'It is possible that Apple may be able to fix this in software by modifying the PWM rates, they can control both the off and the on rates so if they make the off rate faster and the on rate slower they could get the same brightness levels at a rate where our eyes don't notice the off cycle as a flicker.
'If they do not have full control of the PWM cycle setting or can't get a setting that our eyes don't notice the off cycles then I am afraid the only solution is to either view the screen at full brightness or change out the backlight for a CCFL model.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro LED: Displays flickering when not at full brightness 15 June 2007.)
Is this true?
Could Apple be cutting corners on the manufacturing process as a way of saving on costs while trying to sell the laptop to unsuspecting professionals users at the highest price possible for profit as if implying the laptop is built with high quality components?
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
29 June 2007
A partial solution to the flickering screen problem has been unveiled by Apple through the official MacBook Pro 2.2/2.4GHz Software Update 1.0. The best Apple can do for now is modify the extensions controlling the GeForce/NVidia graphics card to help slow down the rate of flickering. Apple is hoping the problem will be less annoying to users. As one MacFixIt reader said:
'I have a two week old 15" 2.4GHz MacBook Pro and have had the shimmering issue from day one. After installing the 1.0 software update, the shimmer or flicker that I was experiencing has now been reduced or replaced with slow waves or bands that undulate from the middle of the display towards the top. While this is slightly less annoying that the shimmering, I still do not consider the issue resolved.' (MacFixIt: MacBook Pro 2.2/2.4GHz Software Update 1.0 (#2): Graphics card updates included; may reduce display "shimmering" 29 June 2007.)
Screen illumination problems
Thanks to the huge size of the 17-inch screen on the MacBook Pro, owners are unhappily reporting cases of uneven lighting of the display as if something in the screen housing unit is pinching the screen. A lousy design from Apple if you are a graphic artist trying to do your accurate colour work.
Take for example the quote from MacFixIt reader Bruce Stevens:
'The lighting of my brand new MacBook Pro screen is very uneven. I took some pictures.
'This uneven lighting is really bad, making it difficult to make good color choices when retouching or color correcting images. It remains uneven all the time, even after being booted for several hours.
'The placement of the uneven lighting looks like pressure points on the screen itself.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Keyboard problems (keys not recognized); Uneven display illumination; more 27 June 2006.)
A look at the first picture from Mr Stevens isn't quite clear as it suggests a reflection of a lighting source behind the camera. But the second picture is a little clearer. It seems to suggest a darkening of the screen in the top two corners.
Then again? Could this be an example of excessive heat starting to warp the LCD screen?
Inferior display used in MacBooks and MacBook Pro?
As of 16 May 2007, a class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple. It concerns the displays of the MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops released in early May 2006. According to an article written by Charles Jade and published on arstechnica.com and a digital copy of the official lawsuit available freely to the public online in the PDF format, it is claimed by plaintiffs Fred Greaves and Dave Gatley that Apple has advertised the LCD display of the laptops as far superior to that of other portable laptops including the ability to show "millions of colors" (which would effectively require 8-bit LCDs) when in fact the plaintiffs have discovered an inferior screen. On receiving instructions on how to check the specs for the display used by Apple, the plaintiffs visited the manufacturer's web site showing the colours are no greater than 262 thousand colours (ie a cheaper 6-bit LCD from Samsung). Apple has been using a dithering effect to create the illusion of millions of colours.
The official Apple advertisement subject to the lawsuit can be found today on the Apple web site for the MacBook Pro. The advertisement states:
'Everything is illuminated
'MacBook Pro makes your ideas more enlightening, with a sharp, high-resolution screen. See blacker blacks, whiter whites, and many more colors in between on a brilliant 15.4-inch, 1440-by-900-pixel or 17-inch, 1680-by-1050-pixel digital display. Enjoy a nuanced view simply unavailable on other portables.'
Enlightening indeed, especially the part that says "see...many more colors..."
See many more colours compared to what? Laptops built 20 years ago? Or are we comparing MacBook Pro laptops to say the previous model PowerBook G4 1.67GHz laptops with their millions of colours and some of the high-quality PC laptops being sold today?
Just with this statement alone, one can observe a slightly exaggerated claim assuming the plaintiffs can observe a banding effect — an unwanted feature that occurs when using colour gradients in professional illustration and photographic images for which Apple computers are meant to be designed to handle. One is led to believe this might be the case with the plaintiffs attempting to argue in the Superior Court of the State of California an inferior display and therefore a misrepresentation of the products being sold by Apple to customers.
Now it would be interesting to see if professional graphic designers can tell the difference.
For example, it is possible to reveal this banding effect on other laptops having millions of colours by reducing the colour range to thousands of colours. The banding effect becomes visible in a gradient fill from one colour to another within say a photograph or illustration image. But are there enough colours on the MacBook Pro to hide this effect? If it turns out to be true the MacBook Pro laptops does have a banding effect and any other oddities which isn't being repaired or replaced by Apple, then there would be a case to answer for. But even if this wasn't the case, the point has been made well to show that for MacBook Pro owners who have spent A$3,500 to $4,500 for the laptop, you would think Apple would have provided a decent "Pro" LCD display as in previous top-of-the-range Apple laptop models with genuine millions of colours. But no, Apple allegedly wants to save money so it can make a bigger profit without telling the public (especially the professionals who need the extra colours for their graphic work).
One would understand if the cheaper MacBook came with the inferior screen if only Apple would be nice to let customers know of this fact. However in the case of MacBook Pro owners, if it is found the display is inferior (ie. a banding effect in the gradient colours and any other dubious observations) and were not told about it before making the decision to purchase the laptops, it would be another classic example of a shareholder company driven solely by profit and will use any method available to it to help minimise the costs in return for higher profits and force customers to keep purchasing new Apple computers every few years.
To make matters worse for Apple, the plaintiffs will also argue that within weeks of customers purchasing their MacBooks, users have observed what appears to be a "grainy" display, others complained of the display being "sparkly", and others would notice "distracting lines at different points on the display screen". When the users complained, many dissatisfied customers "were chastised by Apple agents and employees for being too picky about their assessments of the quality of the display". These quotes can be found in the original lawsuit document.
With no other avenue to turn to, it would appear that users have allegedly been forced to vent their complaints on the Apple discussion forum online (not exactly a new situation for dissatisfied owners of older Macs) only to be substantially edited by Apple to reduce the severity and nature of the complaints. Again this is another interesting claim to be contested in a court of law.
One wonders whether Apple is finding it difficult to leave behind obvious manufacturing flaws inside computers as a way of getting customers to continually pay for the repairs and have now opted to fool customers into thinking they are getting a quality product? Either that or Apple is living in la-la land thinking there isn't a quality control problem in the manufacturing of Apple products. Well, this is the implication of the class action lawsuit if it is found to be true.
This is the problem with Apple computers. You don't always know where the parts are coming from until you do some investigation. And when you do, are you getting your money's worth?
And, most importantly, can you achieve the type of work you need to perform on an Apple product?
SuperDrive problems
Another interesting observation from Randy Repass is how the SuperDrive of his MacBook Pro 15" can severely scratch CD/DVD-R disks if the machine is moved, and slightly scratched if resting on a desk:
'I am on my fourth mac laptop, this one being a MacBook Pro 15". This is the first machine where I have found my disk drive is severely scratching disks if the machine is moved at all during any use of the drive. Sometimes this even happens when it is not being moved, but less often. If I tap the casing over the drive it will cease, but it is very audibly scratching the disks when it does.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: More on swollen or bursting batteries; Continuing projector issues; more. 15 June 2006.)
If you have this problem, get the SuperDrive replaced immediately while the machine is under warranty.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
21 May 2007
MacFixIt has acknowledged noisy slot load optical CD/DVD drives in MacBooks and MacBook Pro. It's an issue that appears to have been worse in early 2006 when the first generation models came out. One user commented that his noisy drive had collapsed within three months of use and had to be replaced. Some users suspect a different brand was used for the drive by Apple and later swapped back to the original drive manufactured by Matsushita. Still, even after 18 months, some users are noticing an increase in the noise level in the current crop of drives after a period of use although considered within acceptable range according to Apple.
With a bit of luck, current optical drives in the latest MacBook and MacBook Pro should not collapse too easily. Hopefully they will get past the 12 months warranty period.
Again one cannot stress the importance of considering other laptops from PC makers, or purchase a 3-year extended warranty deal for any new Apple laptop or desktop machine. This is especially true of any new model of computer coming out of Apple.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
28 June 2007
Apple has released a SuperDrive Firmware Update 2.1 for MacBooks and MacBook Pro. This one allegedly fixes among other things the way the SuperDrive (eg. Matchita DVD-R UJ-857 and Matchita DVD-R UJ-857D) stutters or freezes during playback as if it has trouble reading the data on the CD or DVD disks.
You'll need OSX 10.4.4 or higher to apply this update.
One interesting thing to note is how notoriously difficult it is to figure out which MacBook Pro needs the update. Not all MacBook Pros have the same SuperDrive (eg. you may get the HL-DT-ST DVD-RW GWA4080MA SuperDrive instead of the Matshita brand). At 12MB to download the update, it can be a time-waster for some users.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
15 August 2007
Something interesting has emerged from the SuperDrive Firmware Update 2.1 for pre-July 2007 MacBook and MacBook Pro. Those users who have went through the OSX's official Software Update tool under the Apple sign menu where it downloaded the firmware update have noticed no message indicating when it was installing the software so users could stop everything they were doing and quit all applications (ideally users should restart the computer before installation with extensions turned off). The result has been an interruption of the installation process for many users resulting in widespread failure of the optical drives. And unfortunately Apple did not provide a firmware restoration tool in case something went wrong. Apple has pulled the update down from its web site and the official web page for the update leads nowhere.
However, it is too late. A number of users have discovered their SuperDrives have become inoperative because of some kind of interruption.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
4 February 2008
Apple Inc may not have notified enough Apple resellers and stores of the SuperDrive Firmware Update 2.1 fiascoe. Users claim they are having to fight hard or cough up nearly US$300 for a new SuperDrive to solve this issue. Perhaps the following quote from a user might help those people wanting a quicker solution:
'I just received my MacBook Pro back from the Apple Store. It was two months out of warranty and they wanted to charge me over $300 for a new optical drive that went kaput after the update. I explained how the Superdrive Firmware 2.1 was the obvious culprit, especially after reading discussions and sites like this one, but the Genius said unless Apple okays it and acknowledges the problem, there was nothing they could do about the cost.
I called Apple, spoke to a Specialist and he acknowledged it was probably the firmware update. He then called the Apple Store and waived the fee.
Although I'm sure not everyone's experiences are the same, the Apple specialist I talked to was extremely articulate and accommodating. It was as easy-going as any service could be. And the turn-around for the fix was less than 24 hours.
My advice is — If you are absolutely sure it is the Superdrive Firmware 2.1 update, call Apple. Insist on speaking to a specialist. Hopefully your experience will be the same as mine.' (MacFixIt.com: Fix for some SuperDrive failures. 4 February 2008.)
More battery problems - batteries swelling and ready to explode
Are you ready for the next little ripper to plague the MacBook Pro?
Well, you'll be glad to hear at least two reports have emerged after 14 June 2006 suggesting the battery inside the MacBook Pro is swelling due to overheating (ie. either from the charging process or just generally from the heat emitted by the entire computer during normal operation). The battery may be functional, but the swelling causes the battery to press against the keyboard and/or trackpad.
As MacFixIt reader Dana Stibolt said:
'We had a MacBook Pro in our lab today, where the user complained of a problem with his track pad clicker button. It appeared that the clicker was stuck, and when pressed sometimes it would unstick for a moment, and then go back to having the track pad button continuously pressed. After a short investigation, we found the problem to be the battery. The battery had swelled and had even separated some to the point where it was pressing up on the underside of the track pad area causing the button not to work.
'I posted the following note and two pictures at my Web site.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Melting or bursting batteries; Incompatibility with projectors; more. 15 June 2006.)
Here is another picture courtesy of MacFixIt staff (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Pictures of our own swollen battery. 22 June 2006.):
Another MacFixIt reader going by the name of John revealed his interesting observation:
'I have a new MacBook Pro, and it is running like everyone else's -- hot. Today I saw that the battery was totally warped, the metal pealing away from the body.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: Melting or bursting batteries; Incompatibility with projectors; more. 15 June 2006.)
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
15 June 2006
The fattening battery problem has swelled to several dozens of reports to MacFixIt.com since users have learned about the problem yesterday.
MacFixit reader Brian Bukowski writes:
'I had a problem with my battery in my early MacBookPro. It was warped, and would just randomly loose connection and the computer would shut off. Apple replaced the battery for me at my local Apple Store.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: More on swollen or bursting batteries; Continuing projector issues; more. 15 June 2006.)
Richard Levy writes:
'I had the same thing happen to me. battery expanded and then didn't work. Apple replaced the battery.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: More on swollen or bursting batteries; Continuing projector issues; more. 15 June 2006.)
This reader had a relatively severe case of malfunction:
'I had mine burst as well, though mine completely released it's self from the shell and jammed it's self into the MacBook Pro, not a easy feat since that adhesive they close the battery case with is tough.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro: More on swollen or bursting batteries; Continuing projector issues; more. 15 June 2006.)
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
22 June 2006
A severely warped battery can stop its proper functioning or cause the computer to shut down intermittently when running from the battery power. These batteries appear to have been shipped with the first MacBook Pro models of February 2006. The latest MacBook Pro laptops may contain improved batteries.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs would be wise to issue a Battery Repair Extension Program before things get worse. We hear Apple is replacing batteries on a case-by-case basis. It suggests Apple is looking to replace only the severely damaged batteries.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
28 June 2006
Apple resellers are simply giving MacBook Pro users new batteries from other similar machines in stock. The demand is quickly outstripping supply. In the meantime, Apple has not issued official details of the battery serial numbers affected by this problem. This can only mean two things:
(i) Either all the batteries in every single MacBook Pro sold to this day are made from the same batch and there are simply too many to replace, taking the case-by-case approach of fixing users' battery problems to save money for Apple; or
(ii) The problem is more entrenched and lies squarely at the battery-recharging circuitry (much harder to repair meaning that all MacBook Pro machines would have to be brought in as part of a repair extension program).
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
5 July 2006
We have been searching long and hard for positive feedback about the MacBook Pro. Putting aside the reasonable design, we are still plagued with serious "under-the-bonnet" hardware issues. These issues have brought the machine down to below what it should be. Here is another quote from a MacFixIt reader:
'Is it my imagination (it's not), or is it that EVERY Intel Mac released yet has had a series of problems, one right after another? What the heck has Steve Jobs given us with this "improvement" switch to Intel??? (All are based on not only Intel processors, but also Intel designed Mother Boards and Chipsets). While older PPC based Macs also had occasional problems (the G3 iBook debacle, OH BROTHER! ... I have one that was repaired THREE TIMES under warranty! And a G4 iBook that the Trackpad that STILL skips), they were far more reliable! I for one, after 12 years of buying new Macs, will never buy a "MacIntel". I hope you're reading this Stevie.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook (13"): More on vertical multi-colored lines at startup; caused by Mac OS X 10.4.7?. 5 July 2006.)
Wouldn't this be a good time to provide a major revision of the MacBook Pro, Mr Jobs?
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
14 August 2006
Dell made the biggest recall of up to 4.1 million faulty batteries from its Dell Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and Dell Precision Mobile Workstation notebooks manufactured between 2004 and August 2006 inclusive in its history after several users posted online examples of what happens when the lithium-ion batteries in Dell laptops swell and explode (literally creating a fire and burning the laptop to a crisp) and Japan's Industry Minister ordered Sony and Dell to investigate the reports. The burning of the laptops is quite spectacular and disturbing to say the least considering this is the same problem Apple is having with the batteries inside the MacBook Pro. The only difference is that Dell is prepared to spend $400 million to fix the problem. Apple, on the other hand, is looking at the problem on a case-by-case basis for those affected 17-inch MacBook users and deciding whether or not to replace the faulty batteries. Otherwise if you can check the battery model numbers and see whether it satisfies A1061, A1078 and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through HQ507 and 3X446 through 3X510 then you might benefit from Apple's battery exchange program.
Channel NewsAsia has reported on 15 August 2006 how the faulty Sony Lithium ion batteries used in the Dell laptops were also used by Apple. It is unclear when this occurred but we understand the 15-inch MacBook Pro is definitely part of Apple's official Battery Exchange Program. If you have purchased this laptop between February 2006 through May 2006, check Apple's web site for further details.
According to Channel NewsAsia, a spokeswoman for Apple claims they were looking into the issue.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
17 August 2006
Still not everyone is convinced the battery problem is widespread or of major concern. As one MacFixIt reader said:
'Why can't MacFixit start giving out numbers of reports instead non-committal terms such as "a few" or "some" or "a large number"? If MacFixit would report that they have received 10,000 reports of Superdisks failing it would help to put such an issue in perspective. Everybody wants to know how wide spread a problem appears to be. If only two or three users have reported issues ("a few"?) that is a far cry from 10,000. Most people know, or should know, that the internet tends to concentrate negatives. Uninformed users all to commonly jump to outrageous conclusions about the pervasiveness of any given issue.
'I'm not a statistician so could someone who knows about this sort of thing would work please explain. It would seem to me that surveys and/or forums that rely on self-selected participants and anonymous, anecdotal reports could not possibly provide any extrapolative conclusions about a particular issue. Am I wrong in this thinking? If not then how do we know what is really going out in the Mac universe? Note that Apple has once again been proclaimed to be the tops in customer satisfaction in a university study. There seems to be a disconnect as to what people are telling surveys and what they are posting on troubleshooting forums.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook and MacBook Pro SuperDrive failure (#3): Evidence of battery, logic board-related issue; PMU resets working for some. 17 August 2006)
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
23 August 2006
Apple announced a massive lithium-ion battery recall (a bad batch made by Sony and believed to be the same ones used by Dell) for users of PowerBook G4s and G4 iBooks sold from October 2003 until this month. The MacBook Pro battery problem is being handled by a separate battery exchange program so as not to affect sales of the new laptop. This latest battery recall affects 1.8 million Apple G4 laptops (700,000 outside the US). Now do some readers still believe the battery problem is not widespread or serious?
Apple Australia is not revealing much when it comes to the numbers of Apple laptops in Australia affected by the problem, but Apple in the US stated on its web site:
'If you participated in a previous battery recall for any of these computer models or recently purchased or received from Apple an extra battery for an iBook G3, please check your battery serial number in case you received a replacement battery that is affected by this program.'
Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said:
'We discovered that some Sony batteries in previous models of PowerPC-based iBooks and PowerBooks do not meet Apple's standards for safety and performance.
'Our No.1 priority is to recall and replace the affected batteries free of charge.' (The Canberra Times: Fire threat sparks Apple to recall laptop batteries. 26-27 August 2006, p.6.)
Apple's web site also stated the company is not expecting to incur "a material financial impact" meaning Sony is alleging it will pay for the costs. Hence the reason why Apple is happy to issue the announcement.
For the next few days, users should prepare for minor hiccups in the Apple system especially the online version where users can check and receive notification on whether their batteries are affected. As MacFixIt reader James Hsieh wrote:
'I think there are still issues. I have two batteries, both which fall in the recall range. My battery starting with 3K534 is recognized for the replacement, but the battery I have starting with 6N537 is still not being recognized.' (MacFixIt.com: PowerBook G4/iBook battery recall (#2): Some iBook G3s also eligible; continuing problems with serial number, date ranges. 25 August 2006)
Apple is working hard to have the kinks in the system ironed out.
It is a pity Apple couldn't be first to issue a major battery recall before Dell did. It is almost like Apple wasn't prepared for this recall as if they were waiting for Sony to give the word. Until then, maybe Apple was hoping no one would mention the problem to avoid yet another poor quality control measure in the battery area?
NOTE: Please note that Apple has fixed the system by the time you read this even though Apple's web page listing the serial range of the affected batteries of 6C519-6C552 for iBooks does not conform to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) web site information which states the range should be 6C510-6C552. Perhaps another kink in the Apple system requiring further ironing out?
As MacFixIt reader Rick Montgomery wrote:
'My wife's battery has a serial number starting with 6C514, which is in the CPSC range range but not in the Apple range. I think I'll wait until they get the bugs worked out.' (MacFixIt.com: Apple recalls 1.8 million PowerBook G4, iBook batteries; Online system not working for some; Serial number range discrepancies. 24 August 2006)
The discrepancy in the serial range has been fixed by the time you read this.
Here is the correct information for the faulty batteries:
12-inch iBook G4, battery model: A1061
* ZZ338 through ZZ427
* 3K429 through 3K611
* 6C510 through 6C626
12-inch PowerBook G4, battery model: A1079
* ZZ411 through ZZ427
* 3K428 through 3K611
15-inch PowerBook G4, battery models: A1078 and A1148
* 3K425 through 3K601
* 6N530 through 6N551
* 6N601
Apart from a few teething problems being resolved in the US, at least users are getting their new batteries before sending in the recalled battery upon receipt. Australian Apple users aren't so lucky. According to MacFixIt reader Mark Axton, he said:
'While there are problems in the United States at least you get to hang onto your battery. Here in Australia I have been told by my local Apple Authorized Service Provider that I have to give the old battery back and wait 2 to 8 weeks for the replacement. The recommendation was to buy another battery and then wait for the replacement. I can get another on the Australian Apple Store in 24 hours at a cost of US$150, great!
'I have rung Apple Australia a couple of times and they have basically palmed the whole thing off to call Apple Authorized Service Provider.' (MacFixIt.com: PowerBook G4/iBook battery recall (#4): Some countries apparently require original battery before replacement. 29 August 2006.)
It is not clear if other countries are following the same lead as Australia or taking the more customer service friendly approach in the US. Or maybe Apple Australia is trying to protect consumers by getting them to hand in their faulty battery and doing without a new battery for up to 6 weeks as a precaution? Either that or Apple Australia doesn't trust Australian customers for some reason.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
23 August 2006
Apple Australia were having teething policy problems of its own. MacFixIt reader John Stachlewski writes:
'A global firm that has demonstrated that it can exchange faulty product - has effectively let a number of Australians down! Why? Because they have asked those affected to exchange their batteries with an Apple Service Provider.
'Here's the catch -- what if you are 1000 kilometres away from a provider? It seems that this whole set of problems was not well thought out and the 'spin' doctors at Apple Australia (Customer Relations?!) follow the party line without listening to problems that their customer base is expressing to them!
'I am still not sure after being told that it will be fixed - what they plan to do.' (MacFixIt.com: PowerBook G4/iBook battery recall (#6): Some countries require dealer exchange. 1 September 2006.)
Overheating problems
It's official. A verification of the heat emissions of two Apple laptops on display at Domayne in Fyshwick proves the Intel-based MacBook Pro is considerably hotter than the PowerPC-based aluminium PowerBook G4. You can feel the difference by placing a hand underneath the laptops. The MacBook Pro was playing music in GarageBand and nothing more. The other laptop was displaying a movie.
The PowerBook G4 was considerably cooler to the touch. But the price for a cooler laptop is a machine whose software future is bleak. Whereas better future-proofing is achievable with the MacBook Pro at the expense of greater heat and with it a shortening in the lifespan of the computer.
Apple calls this choice for consumers.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
9 September 2006
While Sony improves its lithium-ion batteries and spends $260 million to replace the existing faulty batteries from Dell and Apple, it has come to light that Sony is arguing Apple and Dell are using a new charging system that makes the lithium ion batteries more susceptible to expanding and causing explosions and fires to a small percentage of batteries.
Put simply, Apple and Dell are overcharging the lithium ion batteries to the point where the materials used in current generation batteries such as the cobalt oxide are breaking down and becoming more unstable. Sony is investigating alternative and more stable material such as iron phosphate to help solve the problem. But what will Apple and Dell do to prevent overcharging of the batteries?
Or is Apple and Dell competing with each other in the area of faster battery recharging times?
Logic boards being exchanged without software serial numbers
Apple is replacing some logic boards on a case-by-case basis. Users are noticing the serial numbers for the logic boards have been removed, making it difficult to know whether this is a new revised logic board or not. Is Apple trying to look like it has improved the logic boards when in fact it is using what's in stock?
Faulty batteries may be replaced with existing stock
Despite the battery exchange program, Apple could still be using batteries in stock to replace faulty ones in the hope the batteries will not exhibit swelling.
As MacFixIt said:
'In-house, our second MacBook Pro battery (for an original revision, Core Duo MacBook Pro) has severely swollen and failed to operate properly. This battery was an Apple-supplied replacement for our original swollen battery [see pictures here].
'As noted our previous coverage noted, in mild cases, batteries swell but remain functional. In these cases, keyboard and/or trackpad functionality is sometimes affected by the rising of internal components. In severe cases, the swelling is visually striking, and users are eventually left with non-functioning batteries. Sudden shutdowns while charge remains are usually precursory to such failures.
'This second failure calls into question the cause of the issue: are the batteries defective and failing, or is the MacBook Pro itself delivering a somehow faulty charge to the battery and therefore causing the swelling? With two failures, the verdict is out, but a third failure would almost certainly indicate a systemic cause (three swollen batteries in a row would be a statistical anomaly since the vast majority of users are not experiencing this issue).' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pro battery swelling: Second in-house unit fails; battery or system cause?. 19 December 2006.)
Power cable breaking free from MagSafe power plug/connector
Although this issue is not new and has been mentioned by users of the 2006 MacBook Pro edition (it takes between 3 to 8 months for the problem to develop), it seems Apple has finally acknowledged the problem. Two Knowledge Base articles have been released. The first article titled How to disconnect the MagSafe power adapter, makes the point that users should pull the power plug by gripping the square connector where the cable goes into it. Any pulling on the cable to the side or straight back will weaken the joint and eventually break.
For example, to pull the connector out of the laptop, this is what you should do:
But not like so,
However, as one user has sensibly explained, the connector is so small, you would have to grip hard with the tips of your fingers to pull it free:
'How about if Apple makes the connector robust enough that such reminders are unnecessary? It is trivial to do. The connector should include a "handle" that protrudes about 1 cm with which it would be easy to break the magnetic connection. People are pulling on the wire, because the connector's plastic housing is too small.' (MacFixIt.com: Apple posts reminders on care of MagSafe power adapters. 11 October 2007.)
While it makes common sense not to pull on the cable part, it is imperative Apple designs a bigger connector to allow users to pull the adapter away from the socket.
As another MacFixIt readers said:
'It is interesting the original selling point of the MagSafe connector that is was supposed to solve some of the these power connector based issues like damaged power connectors and system being pull down because of the power connector. I remember that they said that you can "inadvertently" yank the connector without damage to the MacBook/MacBook Pro and power connector. Now they sort of change their story about this power connector taking the some abuse and issues how to properly disconnect the power connector without damaging it. I like the MagSafe power connector but I do see some engineering deficiencies like the there is not sufficient strain relief at cord end of the connector and I think wire connection in the connector is not strong enough for what it is designed to do. I noticed that the older power connector has very little strain relief compared to the new power supplies and I have sent one in that had a internal connection problem which I think is caused by short strain relief. The older power connector appeared to be okay from the outside, no sign of wear, bungling or damage at all, but when I plug it in to a MacBook Pro and it wouldn't charge the system and I called AppleCare and sent a new power supply to replace the old one.' (MacFixIt.com: Apple posts reminders on care of MagSafe power adapters. 11 October 2007.)
The second article titled Reducing cable strain on your MagSafe power adapter explains how users should avoid stretching or bending the power cable at the point of entry into the connector or immediately out of the power adapter.
For example, to put away the cable around the power adapter, this is what you should do.
and
But not like so,
But even if one follows these instructions (and without wrapping the main power cable around anything), this is what can happen:
Instead of looking like this:
To put it quite simply, the power cable is not of a high quality. You don't see this with PC laptops. This is a decision by Apple to save money by building power supplies on the cheap.
Apple must wake up from its obsolesence policy and doing things on the cheap for the sake of profit and realise the company should manufacturer quality power adapters for customers. This includes a flexible power cable (ie. can return to its original shape), stronger metal filaments, better protection of the wire where it joins the plug, and a bigger power connector to allow users to pull the power plug out of the computer in the correct way as indicated by Apple in its latest Knowledge Base articles.
Conclusion
Given the problems we see in the MacBook Pro, Apple would have done well to drop the "Pro" from MacBook Pro until everything is sorted out. All in all, we have to assume this is one of Apple's better laptops. (3)
And now for the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros...
About the new Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros...
Finally Apple has upped the ante with the release of the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros in late 2006. Speed improvements are said to be around 39 percent faster compared to the first generation Core Duo processor. Professional users with many processor intensive workloads may benefit from this minor extra speed. However families and schools should carry on with their existing computers as usual.
You would be better off waiting until the Intel Core 2 Duo Extreme is released in later 2007.
FireWire 800 and other features comes as standard as with the aluminium 1.67GHz PowerBook G4 and previous MacBook Pros. Apple has decided to be generous on the memory and storage capacity to attract users to the new machines. Well, you have to. How many people were gullible enough to buy the previous model? Anyway, you'll now get 2GB RAM built-in as standard for the mid and high-end models, expandable to 3GB. And hard drive capacity has reached a whopping 160GB (5,400rpm) although you can purchase a 200GB (4,200rpm) version should storage space be at a premium.
Please note that you can't simply swap a hard disk from a PowerBook G4 into an Intel Mac laptop. Connectors will be different. Use a FireWire 400/800 cable to transfer information across (and check the applications can run and if necessary reinstall). For really old Macs, consider the slower ethernet and reboot the old Mac with only the core Apple extensions and control panels to avoid a convenient glitch where copying large amounts of data can suddenly interrupt for no apparent reason.
Beyond that, you should wait for the latest batch of manufacturing faults Apple may have allowed to get through to be fixed before considering a purchase of this model. Minimum waiting time should be 6 months (we recommend at least 12 months as some users as of December 2006 are noticing a screen flickering problem at high brightness levels).
Better still, why not wait until the proper 64-bit MacBook Pros are released late next year? You can tell the current Core 2 Duo machines are still 32-bit even though the CPU is 64-bit because of the limitation set by Intel on the maximum RAM for the machine (ie. 3GB). True 64 bit machines will always exceed this limit.
Good luck!
Manufacturing inconsistencies — problems with AirPort reception
As of 7 November 2006, some reports have come in that not all Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros work identically. Like Forrest Gump's "Life is like a box of chocolates, you don't know what you might get", we see some MacBook Pros experiencing unusually poor AirPort reception with certain wireless routers. But not all MacBook Pros are affected.
There is talk of a mismatch between the new 802.11 pre-N chipset Apple has included in the latest MacBook Pro and the chipsets used in some routers. The problem is most notable in older router models having the 802.11b-only transfer capabilities.
There seems to be a solution to this problem: move the folder SystemConfiguration out of /System/Library and restart the computer. A number of users are discovering the connectivity issues are resolved. But remember, this technique will require you to reconfigure and reenter network configuration settings.
Apple must love annoying some users out there (possible those involved in software piracy?).
Screen problems with the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros
As of 13 November 2006, we received reports of screen issues. Incredibly, for what suppose to be a change in microprocessor and nothing else (ie. same aluminium case as in the previous Core Duo and PowerBook G4 model), some reports have come in suggesting the display flickers in brightness (and may be accompanied by a buzzing sound just to complete the annoyance) after a period of time or begins to suffer from the appearance of dark horizontal distortion lines. MacFixIt.com suggests this problem has been seen on some iBook G4s and the solution was to replace the logic board. We hope this isn't the case with the latest Core 2 Duo laptop.
Further details can be read from here.
Magsafe cable breaking from plug
And finally, if you're still not convinced a PC is for you, we can happily report the latest news concerning the radically-designed magsafe power adapter. The trouble Apple has gone to build a unique magsafe power adapter to prevent users from accidentally pulling on the cable and damaging it will now break whether or not you pull on it.
According to this MacFixIt report, users are noticing melting or fraying of the insulation around the point of contact with the magsafe plug. And worse, the heat created at this point is enough to weaken the very thin wires and break, putting the power cable out-of-action. It looks like Apple has indeed chosen to have very thin wires at this critical juncture in the plug head causing the resistance and heat to jump up dramatically.
MacFixIt claims to have experienced the problem, confirming a number of other users' observations. And MacFixIt claims the power cord has been used in a normal manner.
Yet Apple is taking a hard line on "strain relief damage according to Knowledge Base article #302461 as if not expecting the power cable to be at fault because of poor design. As the article stated:
'If the DC cable shows visible strain relief damage or if the cable is missing insulation or rubber in some areas, discard the adapter properly and do not use it again. Strain relief damage and missing cable insulation or rubber typically result from excessive force or improper use which are not covered by Apple's one year limited warranty. Replacement power power adapters may be purchased from the online Apple Store or from an Apple Authorized Reseller. If no damage is visible on the DC cable, contact Apple using the contact information listed in step 5.'
The problem here is how does a customer distinguish the effects of an abnormal or deliberately damaged power cord and one which is used properly? Unfortunately you can't. The damage looks the same much to the convenience of Apple. In the eyes of Apple, the fault has to be placed squarely at the user and no one else..
Such an attitude from Apple has seen yet another barrage of verbal abuse emerge from its MacBook Pro customers. Here are some examples:
'Same old, same old. Apple blames the victims.... On the heels of the battery fiasco think for a minute Apple: REPLACE THEM, PERIOD.' (MacFixIt.com: Melting or fraying MagSafe power adapter connections (MacBook, MacBook Pro). 23 November 2006.)
'This has happened to me. It stopped charging the computer after a while because the ground (the "frayed" wire) no longer had a connection. I just put a dallop of solder on there to complete the connection, and it works again.
Apple should replace these for their customers. Period. Then they should figure out a way to make sure that this doesn't happen again.
Sure, I would love to have a brand new charger. But why should I buy another one when I'm sure that this is just going to happen again?' (MacFixIt.com: Melting or fraying MagSafe power adapter connections (MacBook, MacBook Pro). 23 November 2006.)
'I hate to bring up the whole mac/pc comparison, but over the last 4 years working IT at universities I have distributed over 200 PC laptops of various brands and I can only recall one incident with a damaged power cord and it was clear abuse. With Apple laptops I've see at least 4 damaged power cords in the last year. I think Apple resorts to too thin of cords for looks (same with their mice, which I have replaced almost every apple optical mouse we have) and as a result they get damaged too easily. I'm sure most users would gladly deal with thicker cables if it lowers the chance of damage through normal use.' (MacFixIt.com: Melting or fraying MagSafe power adapter connections (MacBook, MacBook Pro). 23 November 2006.)
'New MacBook Pro in April, replacement MagSafe charger in September. The charger was never tugged but frequently packed away (we took the computer with us on a 4 month holiday) yet the cord insulation separated from the MagSafe head and the adapter stopped charging. It's funny that this is the 3rd Apple power cord that has failed on me - all from different models (a clamshell iBook , a G4 PowerBook and a MacBook Pro) and I've never had a USB or Firewire plug problem.' (MacFixIt.com: Melting or fraying MagSafe power adapter connections (MacBook, MacBook Pro). 23 November 2006.)
A user has published a photograph he has taken of an extreme case of the magsafe cable melting and breaking up. The following image was available from http://www.flickr.com/photos/60224724@N00/294239030/:
And it isn't a new discovery. It has been happening regularly enough with previous aluminium PowerBook users, which only a third-party power adapter can significiantly improve the situation (eg. Kerio). If you can get away with not using Apple power adapters, you would be better off in the long run. Here is an example:
'Yep, blame the customer. I have 4 power adapters for my 17" Aluminum Powerbook so that I don't have to wind and unwind the cords at my multiple locations that I visit. Regardless of that, I have 3 power adapters sitting on the floor that have failed even without visible fraying' (MacFixIt.com: Melting or fraying MagSafe power adapter connections (MacBook, MacBook Pro). 23 November 2006.)
So just when you thought the latest Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro might be fixed, you have the power adapter to contend with.
Users must be getting the biggest hint from Apple yet at how much better it is to have a desktop machine. In that way, Apple can always track you down if you are doing something the company doesn't like.
And with the amount of power adapters people have to buy and send in the damaged ones to Apple, hasn't Apple done enough quality control work to test the new magsafe power adapters before they are released onto the unsuspecting public?
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
12 October 2007
Apple released two Knowledge Base articles explaining how to look after your MagSafe power adapters (see above).
Faster Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros
On 5 June 2007, Apple released a slightly faster MacBook Pro of between 2.2 and 2.4GHz depending on how much money you wish to throw at Apple to purchase this laptop (between US$1999 for the slower 15-inch model right up to US$2799 for the 17-inch model).
Not a significant speed improvement in anyone's language, but it does help when it comes with a decent 800MHz frontside bus speed (up from 667MHz). When purchasing one of these laptops, the base RAM is now 2GB expandable to 4GB (up from 1GB expandable to 3GB in previous models). And if this isn't Pro enough for those users wanting to participate in a class action against Apple for allegedly putting in an inferior screen on the MacBook Pro, Apple has provided a longer-life and brighter LED backlit display that many users have been requesting for some time.
Also thrown in is a better graphics card to speed up graphics processing (to quell the concerns by users they are not getting a Pro machine for their professional graphics designing work). The new model comes with a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT.
And finally, the new 802.11n wireless technology has been incorporated as a standard feature on all the new models.
Will these features be enough to keep customers happy?
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
9 August 2007
Hot on the heels of the highly cryptic iMac 2007 Software Update to fix alleged graphics card bugs, comes another vaguely described Software Update 1.1 for all 2.2/2.4GHz MacBook Pro models. The improvements here are allegedly to "provide important bug fixes" and increase the stability with Apple Motion 2 and Motion 3 (a motion graphics package with real-time previews). It is not clear if "bug fixes" is the same as fixing the stability issues of Motion 2 and 3. Apple is again unclear. Perhaps Apple has realised it is time to secretly cover up other gaping flaws in the software of MacBook Pros before anyone finds out. Or is Apple playing games?
If this ain't true, Apple should (although in the unregulated industry of software and hardware manufacturing, Steve Jobs probably wouldn't give a rat's arse) give the details rather than let users discover by chance other instability issues after the update.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
15 November 2006
One major criticism of the keyboard used in the aluminium MacBook Pro is how flimsy the keys are physically attached. All it takes is a quick wipe of the keyboard with a cleaning cloth and you'll find yourself with one or more broken keys (ie. cannot be reattached). There are single key replacements on eBay.com at US$5 each. Apple will only sell the entire keyboard at a hefty price as the best solution to fixing one or two damaged keys.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
20 August 2007
Apple has realised after selling a few MacBooks how much fewer reports there are of damaged or ripped out keys. So now the company is testing a new anodized aluminium "super thin" keyboard of the wired and wireless variety designed in a similar way to the MacBook keyboard with the public. The keys in this new product are designed to be virtually impossible to accidentally lift off with a cleaning cloth. If successful, it is likely the future of all Apple laptops and desktop machines will see this keyboard design incorporated as a permanent feature.
If there are any disadvantages in the new aluminium keyboard, it might be in the Keyboard Update 1.1 required to make it work on any Macintosh computer. It is claimed by some users they are no longer able to boot the machine through certain key sequences such as Cmd-S to go into single user mode, pressing the Option key to select an external hard drive connected by FireWire, or other methods.
Further details of this anomaly (or perhaps a new quiet policy emerging from Apple Inc.) can be found here.
Either that or its time for another Keyboard Update (version 1.2?).
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
25 September 2007
Have you noticed how MacBooks and MacBook Pros (15-inch and 2.2 or 2.4GHz in processor speed) shipped in mid-2007 came with journaling switched off. This mistake from Apple has been rectified by the Apple MacBook/Pro Software Update 1.0. Users have noticed a considerable increase in speed after applying the update.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
7 October 2007
Have you installed Apple 's recent EFI Firmware updates for your particular Intel Mac (MacBook Pro, MacBooks, iMac etc) and discovered sluggish system performance? You may discover the speed improves when disconnecting USB devices. This undocumented problem from Apple and discovered by users almost immediately may be resolved by creating a new user account and logging into it. Apparently some system file is corrupted or not compatible with the new firmware conditions. Unfortunately the updates cannot fix the offending system file for total stability. OSX has become too complex for Apple to do the quality control work.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
16 October 2007
Apple could be getting its ass into gear with respect to the batteries of the latest MacBook Pro after revelations that Apple is prepared to quickly replace faulty or somewhat suspect batteries not providing sufficient charge after the Battery Update 1.3. Most of the faulty batteries appear to come from the MacBook Pro 15-inch (first generation) model.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
12 May 2008
To bump up profits on the sale of MacBook Pros, Apple has released an updated version containing the 2.6GHz Penryn processor and you have the option to add a 300GB 4200rpm hard drive. Price is expected to be between US$2,750 and US$3,000.
This is a necessary move until all problems in the MacBook Air are ironed out before releasing the new MacBook Pro Air version.
The return of the hiss, pop and beeping noises
After Apple's release of version 1.1 of the OSX 10.4.10 update to fix an audio popping noise but still managed to introduce other poor quality sound issues, some people thought the problem had disappeared with OSX 10.5.x. Not anymore. The popping noise is now very subtle and is heard occasionally at the start or end of a sound (system alerts, changing volume level, music in iTunes etc). This may be accompanied by hissing or beeping sounds. As one MacFixIt user noted:
'When I startup the computer (sound muted or not), there are two distinct pops from the left speaker (approximately 2 seconds apart. Then when the computer is on, say I press the volume up key for instance, almost simultaneously there is a pop from the left speaker. About thirty seconds afterward, there is another popping noise and I can hear a hiss from the left speaker disappearing if I put my ear right up to it.' (MacFixIt.com: MacBook Pros make mild popping and beeping sounds before playing audio files. 19 May 2008.)
Could Apple be trying to prevent users from re-recording copyright music on their computers? Or is this another hardware manufacturing or OSX software-related problem?
Other problems that could get solved with an Apple software update
Although not universal in nature, a number of users as of May 2008 have claimed that the MacBook Pro's ethernet port may suddenly lose connection to a network when sending a large file, say, to a printer or another computer. As one user bgarlock said on the Apple Discussion board:
'All I have to do is simply submit any "large" print job, be it to a network printer, or even saving as a PDF will throw this error...The files are usually at least 100 or so pages, but I did have this happen when it was only about 20 pages. I thought it was the printer driver, so I removed the printer, downloaded the latest driver (HP PSC 7310), and installed it. It still did not make a difference.'
Could Apple be trying to prevent users from copying large software files through the ethernet port? Or is this another hardware manufacturing or OSX software-related problem?
It's an issue that hasn't affected users of early MacBook Pro models and all previous laptop models, and it seems OSX "Tiger" is immuned.
Best solution is try deleting the Finder's preference file located at ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Finder.plist and restart, or restart to reactivate ethernet connection and wait for Apple to decide when to provide an software update for this issue.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
10 November 2008
The latest 2008 MacBook Pros appear to have a hidden restriction put into them courtesy of good old Apple. Apparently users are having great difficulties applying a jailbreaking techniques to unlock their iPhones. And if they do manage to unlock the iPhone, Apple has prevented users from syncing their data with their unlocked iPhones through iTunes. Apple has recognised there is flag information that tells the company if the disk inside the iPhone is unlocked and then tells the iTunes software to behave badly as a result. Some users are feeling deterred by the latest move. Others are resorting to Windows XP on a PC to bypass the restrictions.
## SPECIAL UPDATE ##
13 November 2008
Could there be more hidden restrictions incorporated into this latest MacBook Pro model? According to one user, he claimed the latest MacBook Pro for late 2008 will not burn a disk image of OSX Leopard and, if you succeed in doing so by other means, the so-called professional laptop will not boot up from a burned OSX disk. If anything happens to your original disks, bad luck. You will have to purchase a brand new OSX disk from Apple.
Apple may wish to consider dropping "Pro" from MacBook Pro. Or call it the Clayton MacBook Pro machine? There isn't a great deal of "pro" in this latest machine.
Further details from this MacFixIt article.
