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Hardware Apple Admits MacBook Slip Up
Tuan Nguyen (Blog) - June 5, 2006 9:11 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 72 comment(s) - last by Pirks.. on Jun 7 at 5:22 PM
Apple cops up to a manufacturing mistake in MacBooks, but stays silent about MacBook Pro issues

Apple today released a statement on its support site that discusses the newly released family of MacBooks. Over the last several weeks, many have complained that after using their new MacBooks for extended periods of time, the devices became extremely hot and consequently locked up during normal use. The issue of poor thermals has become common place with Apple's Intel-based notebooks although the company has maintained that the MacBooks were operating within "normal" parameters.

Some MacBook owners who took a closer look at their units, however, found that the rear vents of the units had been blocked by a thin piece of plastic. The entire vent was covered and hot air from within the units could not escape. While the problem doesn't stretch across all MacBooks, it appears as though a sizeable number of owners have the problem. Apple's statement regarding the issue is the following:

Some MacBook computers may appear to be running too warm, with the fan running consistently and heat emanating from the top and/or the bottom of the computer. If this happens with your MacBook, check the rear vent of the MacBook to make sure it's not blocked.

Some MacBooks may have left the factory with a thin piece of clear plastic covering the rear vent. This is used in the factory to prevent dust from getting into your computer. If your MacBook has the plastic still over the vent, simply remove and discard it.

Another report claims that the matte paint on black MacBooks have begun to flake off from the undercoat. The problem so far has been limited to just one case.

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Yes they owned up to it for only one reason...
By sxr7171 on 6/5/2006 9:30:22 PM , Rating: 2
It won't cost them a dime in terms of support or replacement. In fact it will save them support dollars because people can now self diagnose and correct the issue.

They'll never own up the MacBook Pro thermal paste issue because it will cost them money to replace/repair the machines.




RE: Yes they owned up to it for only one reason...
By TomZ on 6/5/2006 9:43:45 PM , Rating: 1
It will cost them some real $$$ when some greedy consumer pairs up with some greedy lawyer to file the class action lawsuit. Apple seems to attract these suits lately for some reason.


By kenan921 on 6/5/2006 11:29:09 PM , Rating: 5
Greedy bastards how dare those greedy consumers stand up and fight against Apple. I mean it's Apple they are the good guys. So they paid $1500 for a horribly manufactured product. Take one for the team buddy. It's not like this is Sony or Microsoft. (Patriotic Music in Background) Apple is fighting the good fight. Commie bastards how dare they question commander Jobs products. Greedy bastards.


By Burning Bridges on 6/6/2006 4:20:45 AM , Rating: 2
Mate, are the suing to get things changed for the better?

Or are they going to sue because they can make a pile of money?

tough one, that...


By BladeVenom on 6/6/2006 6:13:42 AM , Rating: 2
The only ones who actually make money from class action lawsuits are the lawyers. The consumer usually get almost nothing, except satisfaction that they were right.


By omrtech on 6/6/2006 1:05:26 PM , Rating: 2
Right on the money Blade.


By akugami on 6/6/2006 4:56:25 PM , Rating: 2
Well...the guys named in the original lawsuit gets maybe $100 to maybe a few thousand dollars. (this largely depend on a case by case basis) but other than that, you're right. Everyone else gets a coupon for X dollars off when you buy more stuff from whichever company lost the lawsuit.


By Dipples Worth on 6/7/2006 10:26:25 AM , Rating: 2
Just so you realize, they don't get "a pile of money" when they file suit for a $1500 computer.

They'll get a fixed machine or their money back.

I mean DUHHHHHHH


RE: Yes they owned up to it for only one reason...
By sxr7171 on 6/6/2006 1:57:25 AM , Rating: 2
Class action lawsuit because they asked you to remove some plastic sheet off a vent? I seriously doubt it even in this litigious society.


By Hare on 6/6/2006 4:34:26 AM , Rating: 2
I think the question was about macbook pro not macbook.


RE: Yes they owned up to it for only one reason...
By TomZ on 6/6/2006 8:45:53 AM , Rating: 2
If you remember, Apple had a class action lawsuit against them for the iPod whose face was too easily scratched. That is the reason for my cynical comment.


By sxr7171 on 6/6/2006 5:07:39 PM , Rating: 2
Alright, good one then.


RE: Yes they owned up to it for only one reason...
By dude on 6/6/2006 6:33:36 AM , Rating: 2
Very true, as you've seen with all class action lawsuits, the lawyers walk away happy, and the persons suing gets a pat in the back. Oh yeah, the consumers also gets a small "rebate" or "discount" toward certain products. Yee-haw!

Anyways, has anyone realized Apple does not make these laptops? Has anyone even have the idea cross their minds that the manufacture messed up? Shouldn't the blame be on Quanta, Compel, Asus, and such companies?


By joust on 6/6/2006 3:26:02 PM , Rating: 2
Farming out production to other countries does not absolve Apple of guilt in this. They have oversight. They designed and advertise the product. They put their logo on it, and the machines are even called Macs or Apples. The consumer typically buys the product from an Apple store. You're making a completely nonsensical point. Apple controls who does the manufacturing -- Apple chose those shoddy fabs and should live with the consequences.

Yeah, greedy, vicious consumers, suing Apple. Unbelievable. They only shelled out two grand for their product. And they only lost countless hours of productivity on phone support, waiting for their laptops to work. They're totally overcompensated; that $15 will really overpay them for the 8 hours of wasted time.


By kelmon on 6/6/2006 3:51:11 AM , Rating: 2
Last time I saw information on it the thermal paste issue had been debunked. An article by O'Reilly (http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2006/05/23/t...) took 2 MacBook Pros, measured their temperature and then "corrected" the thermal paste on one and measured the resulting difference - a mighty 2 degrees. If for nothing else this article is interesting in that you get to see the problem and general disassembly of one of these notebooks. What they did note, however, on the 3rd page of the article, is that software changes to the power management system governing the use of the fans could well make the necessary difference. A cock-up during reassembly resulted in the fans running constantly and the machine itself remained cold even under a heavy load. The conclusion made from this was that Apple has elected, at this time, to keep the machines quiet at the expense of increased heat. Whether this is the right decision remains to be seen (a friend with a new MacBook Pro reports no heat issues with his and I'll be buying one later this year) but at least it is easy to fix with a simple software release rather than a trip back to the factory.

To be honest, I'd be interested to see the quality of thermal paste application in other mass produced laptops for comparison.


Squandering it's position
By joust on 6/5/2006 10:13:30 PM , Rating: 3
With users fed up with Spyware/Adware, hateful of Microsoft, wary of Dell's customer service, loving the iPod, misunderstanding AMD, etc., you would have thought Apple would have seized the day.

It sure hasn't taken Apple long to squander such great opportunity. Such opportunity will be gone once Vista arrives and retaliates against, (perhaps utterly crushing) OSX. Where will Apple be then?




RE: Squandering it's position
By hiscross on 6/5/2006 10:52:51 PM , Rating: 2
Yep, a piece of plastic will shut Apple down. Like PC's never have any issues. Please show me the Dell battery fires and I'll buy a couple.


RE: Squandering it's position
By joust on 6/6/2006 2:06:35 AM , Rating: 2
I think you missed my point entirely. I am not launching a broadside attack on Apple. All I am doing is pointing out the fact that now is one of the most favorable climates I have seen for Apple in a long time -- and they are not cashing in.

They made a mistake with the thermal paste. Big deal -- as computer enthusiasts we see QA issues all the time. The problem, however, was their response. They sued those who broke the story because they were embarassed. Way to win over the customers and enthusiasts the RIAA way. That'll really gain our hearts, minds, and goodwill.

It took them forever to respond and admit they screwed up on the thermal grease issue. Doesn't that sound like Microsoft two to three years ago on security issues? Yup. And just like Microsoft, they only took action when besieged and overwhelmed by angry, frustrated customers demanding action.

You would think by now they would have fixed all these thermal QA problems. If Apple really wants to dominate the notebook segment, they need to start cleaning up now . I am becoming extremely skeptical of this supposed meteoric comeback of Apple everyone keeps foretelling. All I see coming is a lackluster burnout.


RE: Squandering it's position
By sxr7171 on 6/6/2006 2:14:28 AM , Rating: 2
Yes, very well said. Mistakes happen, but the response is what differentiates a great company from a bad one.

And, yes I was very seriously considering (even excited to be) picking up a MacBook Pro this fall, but no way will I buy a lemon like that. I'll just get a nice X60 Thinkpad, because I know it will work and should something go wrong it will be taken care of.


RE: Squandering it's position
By Pirks on 6/5/2006 10:58:56 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
Where will Apple be then?
It'll stick around offering nicely integrated "tiny mp3 player + small form factor computer" bundles with which you don't have to install drivers when you buy new hardware and do any other maintenance/antivirii/antiadware/spyware/etc etc. When MS and others reach same level of slickness, comfort and integration (which may never happen, who knows) Apple will be far ahead again, just like they were this year or last year... when it was OS X versus WinXP. MS will always play catch up it seems, for reasons not directly related to computing power or pixels per shader... i.e. for reasons not related to or understood by my majority of AT/DailyTech readers. And I don't include crappy MacBooks and such in the picture, cause other manufacturers do same stuff so Apple does not differentiate itself with regard to this.


RE: Squandering it's position
By TomZ on 6/5/2006 11:10:20 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
MS will always play catch up it seems, for reasons not directly related to computing power or pixels per shader... i.e. for reasons not related to or understood by my majority of AT/DailyTech readers.

WTF are you talking about?