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Apple Launches 2023 Mac Mini Repair Program Due to Power Issue
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My company at the time was using MacBooks and had so many fail that they put out a memo to keep the MacBooks docked when possible.
Completely agree.
This one actually may be a small number. Then again, why would they issue a an out-of-warranty repair program for it? And if it’s capacitors, it’ll likely only get worse over time.
Apple’s wording should not be taken at face value. They literally always claim “small number” or “rare cases” on all of their repair programs.
Even in instances where it’s not. Such as the 2011 MacBook Pro GPU issues - which affected way more than just a small percentage, with even replacement boards often failing within months.
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Nope. Recalls are for safety issues and they’re not based on the number of products affected. For example if batteries might overheat and burst, or if there was danger of electric shock.
A device that doesn’t power on, unless it represented a safety hazard, would not be grounds for a recall. Love the confidence in your reply though! 😂
It’s nuts that you have no idea what you’re talking about but pretend to. Look up the definition of recall.
Not sure why some people only think of “safety” recalls. Are you not familiar with the word “quality”?
Western Digital recalls PC drives - EE Times
IRVINE, Calif. Western Digital Corp. is recalling nearly half a million hard disk drives because a faulty chip might cause failures as the drives age. WD did not name the chip supplier.
A billion-dollar mistake: Intel recalls a supporting chip for popular Sandy Bridge platform
Intel made a big deal at the recent Consumer Electronics Show about how its Sandy Bridge combination graphics-microprocessor chip has been one of its most successful in history. But it spoke too soon. Now the world’s biggest chip maker said it has discovered a design flaw in the chip’s companion...
That seems... highly unlikely.
I can't think of a single issue with a power cord that would NOT be a safety issue that would justify an actual recall. A broken connector in a 100V - 240V cable can cause arcing, overheating, and fire. And it's basic troubleshooting to try a different power cord anyway, it's an international standard "figure 8" (IEC 60320 C7) cord.
Fully agree. I have my doubts, but we'll see what actually happens. They should be shipping the cord to a relative in 3-5 days.
You link to two examples, but I can't help it if people writing headlines in those links you provided use the term "recall" colloquially, as you did, for product service programs. Want to know what an actual recall is? Check the laws. Non-safety so-called "recalls" are considered "product corrections" under the law and the remedy is not a recall but a service program, as with the subject of this thread. If it was a recall, it would have to be called that, as it was with the MBP battery recall.
Don't believe me? The laws covering recalls can be found in the Federal Register. But you do you, I'm sure Internet experts know more than the lawyers for all the federal agencies, Apple, Intel or Western Digital do.
Or check recalls.gov, the government site that covers recalls of many things, including consumer products. Search "Intel" and you will not find the Sandy Bridge chip "recall" you linked to. But search "Macbook" and it shows the MBP battery recall from several years ago. That's because what Intel did was not a recall, it was a service program. Same as the Western Digitial "recall" item you linked to. It's not on the recall site.
This literal search of actual recalls does not show the examples you linked to, but you go with what the headline writer from Venture Beat or EE Times colloquially calls a recall.
Recalls are mandated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and Drug Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a couple other agencies, and they cover consumer products (including electronic devices!), food and drugs, pesticides and related products, and vehicles. Non-safety corrections for vehicles are called Technical Service Bulletins.
Want to see the gov't rules for recalls of consumer products, including electronics? Here's the Recall Handbook (pdf).
Complete fallacy. As you can see, legally, the difference between a service program and a recall is not the number of products affected.
Right back atcha.
Well it wouldnt be the modern internet if we didn't do that really. Perhaps throw in a conspiracy about the deep state or something for good measure. Its probably a part not to spec, but thats never going to be as much fun.
Yes.
But... if we're talking about "the internet", all one has to do is go to the Mini forum here at MR and look for all the M2 Mini owners posting about power supply problems... and ... crickets.
In my case, this Mac mini model with M2 stopped working due to its use with a 3D printer with Arduino Mega2560, as the printer was directly connected to the computer. I believe that the miniaturization of the SoC design components does not allow for maintaining the necessary current to connect multiple devices to the computer.
After three months in the service workshop, where Apple replaced the motherboard of a Mac mini with 8GB RAM with one of 16GB RAM, I now connect everything that I consider may require a lot of power through the monitor, which has its own power module for its USB ports.
After three months in the service workshop, where Apple replaced the motherboard of a Mac mini with 8GB RAM with one of 16GB RAM, I now connect everything that I consider may require a lot of power through the monitor, which has its own power module for its USB ports.
Buyer should insist on the serial number from the seller before purchase and check the serial number on apples website. If seller refuses to provide the serial number they’ve told you all you need to know.
That doesn't mean that the entire production line in those 6 months was affected.
I'm wondering, if every apple product explode at the same time across the globe, would they still say its a very small percentage of affected devices?
Nice, bought both of ours like 2 weeks before that manufacturing run started.
Doesn't mean you don't have the problem, just means you don't have the coverage.
But these things usually end up expanding, so maybe you'll be ok.
Errrr....what?
What would using the USB ports have to do with the computer dying? Why do you believe there is a link there?
Please do keep us posted.
I am in the same boat. Have an impacted unit, but no problems with it yet. Trying to decide if I need to preemptively do anything.
Because just an hour before the computer shut down and wouldn’t turn back on, I was using the 3D printer and the USB port stopped sending and receiving data. I disconnect/ and reconnec the cable to the USB port, but it didn’t work (the computer didn’t recognize the connection). I restarted the computer, and everything worked normally. Forty minutes later, it shut down for never turn on again.
Fortunately, it was still under warranty, so I didn’t have to pay anything.
Now, to avoid surprises and $$$, I connect everything through the monitor.
Given millions of people (billions?) connect to usb devices all day every day, I think you're really stretching the limits there, but sure, if there's some out of spec (read: bad) USB device that sends bad/wrong power amounts, all kinds of things in theory could happen. In 25 years of USB being common I've not read about this, but anything's possible.
Whit my intel macs never have a isue...Given millions of people (billions?) connect to usb devices all day every day, I think you're really stretching the limits there, but sure, if there's some out of spec (read: bad) USB device that sends bad/wrong power amounts, all kinds of things in theory could happen. In 25 years of USB being common I've not read about this, but anything's possible.
Sorry, but a sample size of one is meaningless. Just because it happens with one device doesn't mean it will happen with all. Lightning storm. Power surge. Insert your scenario here.