Macbook Pro Issue Update (batteries, heat, whine)...

[solstice]

I have a MBP serial W8607 that just started having battery shutdown issues last week, so I'm glad this story was posted. It'll shut down wiithout warning at about 50% charge. Called up Apple Support and they're sending me a new battery, no problems.

I also have heat and whine issues when screen brightness is at anything less than max, but I'm not going to worry about those until there's an actual fix, and I don't really want to send in my Mac yet. Other than that, I love my MBP, no regrets at all.

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

Well unfortunately I don't speak Welsh even though I live here. LOL.

I translated what you wrote and it came up with this.

"Me Macintosh crookedly wonderful. Plea you are being you ' heartburn live."

HAHAHA. I don't speak fluently but i know basic Welsh.

I said ''My Macintosh is brilliant, Where do you live?''

Do you find us Mac Users are in limited number here in Wales?

Unless you do something with design or arts. I'm a Video artist.

Rich.

 

[bryanw]

I've been servicing Mac desktops and portables for 3 1/2 years now. I have a lot of horror stories dealing with Apple but I'll stick to the topic at hand. The photos of the thermal paste application do look a little sloppy but I've learned the hard way, Apple service manuals shouldn't always be followed to the T.

Forget about the external aesthetics of Apple products, some designs are a pain for service technicians like myself. Some designs are good/some are bad. Unfortunately, it turns out that the MacBook Pro in its first incarnation is not one of the better ones. Ironically, the MacBook Pro is the first Mac (desktop or portable) that everyone in our service department salivated for when it first showed up on our sales floor. Needless to say everyone of us now has decided to wait not for the next revision but for the next upgrade. Thus far, I personally have worked on 6 MacBook Pro's for various issues. One customer brought his in for infamous whining sounds. You can't imagine how frustrating it is for Mac service technicians such as myself, to know there's a problem but not being able to offer a solution. I spent an hour on a online chat with a Apple tech suport person before he begrudingly admitted there are problems with MacBook Pro. All he could do was offer "shot in the dark" fixes (e.g. maybe if you replace the inverter board) and say Apple is investigating these problems. In the end, I call the customer and say there is nothing I can do because a) Apple has not acknowledged the problems and b) Don't have a fix.

In a lot of ways, I believe Apple's a victim of its own success. Trekie-like Mac users clamour for upgraded computers (think Intel iBooks) and Apple rushes out unfinished product. Apple makes things worse by going into denial mode and frustrating customers' and service technicians in the process. As Mac market share increases you can expect these problems to increase along with it.

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

Apple is the new Dell.



Rich.

 

[macenforcer]

Apple hardware sucks.

 

[SiliconAddict]

*knock on wood* my MacBook Pro has been pretty much flawless. The only issue I've had is in Windows on Bootcamp

Event Type: Error
Event Source: ACPIEC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1
Date: 5/1/2006
Time: 3:53:37 PM
User: N/A
Computer: LEOPARD
Description:
\Device\ACPIEC: The embedded controller (EC) hardware didn't respond within the timeout period. This may indicate an error in the EC hardware or firmware, or possibly a poorly designed BIOS which accesses the EC in an unsafe manner. The EC driver will retry the failed transaction if possible.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 00 00 68 00 01 00 be 00 ..h...¾.
0008: 00 00 00 00 01 00 05 c0 .......À
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0028: 99 9e 36 00 13 19 ff ff ™ž6...ÿÿ
0030: 73 00 06 00 13 08 12 00 s.......
0038: 83 00 4c 01 a3 08 2d 04 ƒ.L.£.-.
0040: 13 08 18 00 13 0a 1e 00 ........
0048: 33 82 06 00 15 08 0e 00 3‚......
0050: 10 08 38 00 60 00 06 00 ..8.`...
0058: 90 01 59 00 70 00 06 00 �.Y.p...
0060: 10 08 12 00 80 00 06 00 ....€...
0068: 10 08 39 00 60 00 06 00 ..9.`...
0070: 50 00 d6 00 70 00 06 00 P.Ö.p...
0078: 10 0a 12 00 80 00 0c 00 ....€...
0080: 30 83 06 00 10 18 39 00 0ƒ....9.
0088: 60 00 06 00 50 00 d7 00 `...P.×.

No one on onmac.net has seen this error which makes me wonder if I have faulty hardware. Oh and I can't get the thing to go to sleep under Windows. Or if it does it only does it once with the next try either failing or the system freezes as it tries to suspend itself. Part of me is thinking this is a problem with ACPI and USB drivers. Apple's got a ton of hardware running on the USB controller. I'm thinking the system's drivers aren't "happy" when they try to suspend. *shrugs*


All in all my MBP is a happy computer.

 

[miketcool]

Maybe it helped that I didn't freak immediately when I got my MBP 2.0, or maybe it was my lack of a car to run up to the Kenwood store....

I called Apple and we talked on the phone about 3 of my issues:
-Lousy Wireless
-Screen Flicker
-High pitched whining

They offered to have it sent in for repair or have me go to Kenwood. My laptop is my lifeline in studio so I dont have time for all that right now. I went to Kenwood about a week later, and a few days after a few updates...

The firmware update came out along with 10.4.6. My problems all got fixed with those two updates. Everything works great.

I got to the store and they checked for the sound issue and confirmed it had all been taken care of with the updates. Now my only issue is the heat, and again (being a first rev of a product) I will be patient for the official from Apple. Maybe the heat sensors aren't efficient enough, or maybe the computer is trying to conserve power in battery mode. I guarantee Apple WILL fix this.

They were more than likely working on it when that website went up to help stir people up. They dont need a thousand angry callers to fix a problem they have been working on. Were not talking data corruption here, or inoperable machines. We are talking machines that aren't as comfortable as we'd like, have some patience. There are HOTTER laptops out there on the market, believe me, I've felt them.

Sit, relax, set a Hot Buttered Tottie on your MBP case, yeah, right next to the trackpad. No need for a pandemic of panic, afterall, you could be trying to contact a PC vendor to fix any number of hardware/microshaft issues.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Early Macbook Pros have been plagued with numerous issues (flickering, whining, heat).

In related news, summer 2004 1.25 Ghz eMac's also seem to be having significant hardware issues.

Oh, joy... I have one of each of those. I do hear the whining, but haven't had any of the other MBP issues; and my eMac is (currently) just fine. But I think I'll call in on May 20th, just to have my voice heard. (Who knows, maybe they'll replace my MBP?)

 

[thefunkymunky]

HAHAHA. I don't speak fluently but i know basic Welsh.

I said ''My Macintosh is brilliant, Where do you live?''

Do you find us Mac Users are in limited number here in Wales?

Unless you do something with design or arts. I'm a Video artist.

Rich.

I'm in Cardiff and I know of only one other home Mac user. I use Macs for work as well though as I am a Graphic Designer.

 

[milo]

Hi,
I know that this is off topic however.
We have not heared too many issues about the intel base imacs of mac mini's.
So that is a good thing.
And as far as the 1.25 ghz emacs apple should make a repair extention on it.

The only real issues with the minis are airport and BT. I had it in for repair of the airport, now it works great.

Oh, you'll be on hold for two hours regardless, no worries. That's normal.

I guess you're calling at the wrong time. I've never been on hold more than 10 minutes or so.

 

[ITR 81]

The picture was quite clear that technicians were instructed to put a big glob of thermal grease on the heat sinks, so yes it was intentional in that respect. I don't think, however, that it was some sort of malicous thing... Someone made a HUGE engineering goof. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE.



The deep link wasn't the problem. It was what they deep linked to. Service manuals are for tech's eyes only, and not supposed to be seen by the public. I'm guessing that's especially true when they have a very big and embarassing goof-up in it.

Actually it could've been the technical writer.
Technical Writers are the ones that write the books and manuals with computers and etc..

I'm sure the Service Manual was written by a Technical Writer that just got things screwed up. (happens alot in the car industry)

The only real issues with the minis are airport and BT. I had it in for repair of the airport, now it works great.



I guess you're calling at the wrong time. I've never been on hold more than 10 minutes or so.

Wow...I've never been on hold more then 2 mins.
Had to call about my G5 when it failed to bootup...but it had something to do with the storm....but Apple still fixed it!! for FREE!

 

[TWEO]

...
Maybe the heat sensors aren't efficient enough, or maybe the computer is trying to conserve power in battery mode. I guarantee Apple WILL fix this.

Thermal paste was applied incorrectly. This cannot be fixed in software without any sacrifices (ie. shorter battery life or a noisier laptop).

They were more than likely working on it when that website went up to help stir people up. They dont need a thousand angry callers to fix a problem they have been working on.

Correct. What they really need is the guts to admit that they messed up and are working on a solution of some kind. But they're acting as if they don't even speak English, as if they don't understand what we are all babbling about. Maybe thousands of callers might change at least that attitude, but I'm not too optimistic about that.

Were not talking data corruption here, or inoperable machines. We are talking machines that aren't as comfortable as we'd like, have some patience. There are HOTTER laptops out there on the market, believe me, I've felt them.

You cannot say that for sure. As the temperature is related to the way the paste was applied, it can vary a lot. Maybe your MBP isn't that hot and you can live with it, that's great. But others who are less lucky are facing a machine that they cannot work with in the way they're used to.

And even worse, the electronics in their brand new machines are deteriorating in a horrible way. Cooking a silicium chip like this WILL shorten its lifetime. If Apple comes up with a software "fix" or even if they offer to replace the thermal paste in the machines, the damage has already been done. A lot of these MBP's will just cease to work a lot sooner than they should and it could cause a lot of people to be stuck with a broken laptop a short time after their warranty expired.

Sit, relax...

I am I fixed mine already so I have no reason to be upset

 

[ITR 81]

Apple hardware sucks.

"Apple is the new Dell.



Rich."


Apple hardware...most of Apple's hardware is Intels and other manufactures HD wares..

From what I understand other folks with Dells and HP's and Sony's are having similar problems...but this is common in most new PC's I've seen...(were new tech is included)

As for folks having issues with Windows XP.....
"Welcome to MS land"

Sometimes it works and other times it fails...it's been doing this since Win95. It's gotten better over time but it still happens.

 

[MIDI_EVIL]

"Apple is the new Dell.



Rich."


Apple hardware...most of Apple's hardware is Intels and other manufactures HD wares..

From what I understand other folks with Dells and HP's and Sony's are having similar problems...but this is common in most new PC's I've seen...(were new tech is included)

As for folks having issues with Windows XP.....
"Welcome to MS land"

Sometimes it works and other times it fails...it's been doing this since Win95. It's gotten better over time but it still happens.

What i mean is, Apple are just supplying the shell, and the insides becoming problematic generic hunks of junk.

Rich.

 

[plarusa]

Oh man... I just ordered a MBP this Tuesday, waiting for it to ship. I've been reading about all the problems but decided to take the plunge anyways, as things seemed to have been getting better....

Things have been getting better in what way ? Apple did not even acknowledge the MBP problems reported in this forum and elsewhere.

 

[Snowy_River]

"I guess she didn't like the cornbread, either."

Name the movie and win... well, your own personal approval. I haven't much to offer.

Aliens. Frost talking about the fact that Riply just knocked the tray of cornbread out of Bishop's hand... Hehehe.

 

[PlayUltimate]

B. the whole thermal paste thing. So did apple by accident say put on more Paste then was needed?

The 'Tim Allen effect': more and bigger is always better.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Apple hardware sucks.

Apple generally does stuff that no one else tries. There isn't anything revolutionary in the MBP but there are enough new things under the hood that it makes purchasing a MBP a risk. Windows XP still acting funky even with Apple’s blessing is testament to this.
The reason you hardly ever see this kind of thing happen on a Dell or a Toshiba is because they are using the tried and true design that has been used for years. The result being hardware that is pretty much the same from OEM to OEM. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is more of a personal preference at the end of the day.
Do I think the MBP was rushed? Of course. Overall the hardware is solid. The biggest problem with Apple is two fold. Their insane desire to have their hardware totally silent which I’m 100% certain is the primary reason for the various failures in the past. Apple hangs RIGHT on the edge of the thermal threshold for what the components in their systems can handle. This IMHO is a severe failing in the company AFAIC. I’m noticing that with bootcamp the system stays much cooler in Windows then in OS X mainly because the fans are running pretty much nonstop keeping the system much cooler. Take that statement any way you want. I think more then anything a shift needs to occur in the thinking that fans == bad. As long as they remain quiet there is nothing wrong with a little fan action if it means keeping your system cool. Apple has to face reality. These are modern CPU’s and GPU’s they are dealing with. As such they need some TLC from their fans.
Also I just think that, similar to their OS, they don't do nearly enough QC before it ships. As for why. No idea. I have some theories centered around secrecy and cost but they are just that – theories.

 

[SiliconAddict]

As for folks having issues with Windows XP.....
"Welcome to MS land"

Sometimes it works and other times it fails...it's been doing this since Win95. It's gotten better over time but it still happens.

Bullcrap. I have 3 laptops (ThinkPad X31, Tosh Sat, Dell Latitude.) and one desktop. None of them experience the problems that I'm seeing with XP on the MBP. I'm sorry if you have had problems but I will state this as pure fact in my case: Windows XP, appropriately setup, is a solid OS.
Simply put Apple either did a crappy job on their CSM for EFI or did a crappy job on tweaking their chipset drivers for the MBP. In either case Boot Camp feels like Alpha software instead of a "beta".

 

[slazareth]

I just got a W8615 15" MBP, and I think I might have the whine, but I'm not sure.

It's on the right side of the machine, near to the DVD drive. It sounds almost like a fan spinning (almost a grinding, but not a scary grinding), and isn't constant. I noticed it first my second day owning it, before I'd even put anything in the DVD drive. It seems to happen more when I'm making heavy use of the hard drive.

Any thoughts?

congrats, you have the whine . get the mirror widget and do not upgrade to the latest apple keyboard update. If you do, search around and someone has uploaded a fix for it. I accidentally updated and had to go back to the old version which must be done manually.

 

[neutrino23]

The thermal paste issue is a puzzle. I don't think that applying excess paste is a huge problem. Afterall, thermal paste is an excellent heat conductor and air is not. So having a few extra blobs of paste around a chip shouldn't hurt and might even help slightly, acting like a small heat sink. The problem has to be at the interface where the two metal surfaces face each other. Regardless of how much paste is outside the chip, the important thing is that there be no air bubbles in this interface. Perhaps there was something else going on and that these bubbles got fixed when the paste was re-applied?

 

[SiliconAddict]

The thermal paste issue is a puzzle. I don't think that applying excess paste is a huge problem. Afterall, thermal paste is an excellent heat conductor and air is not. So having a few extra blobs of paste around a chip shouldn't hurt and might even help slightly, acting like a small heat sink. The problem has to be at the interface where the two metal surfaces face each other. Regardless of how much paste is outside the chip, the important thing is that there be no air bubbles in this interface. Perhaps there was something else going on and that these bubbles got fixed when the paste was re-applied?

Yes thermal paste is a conductor. But at some point with too much of the stuff it becomes counter productive. The point of thermal paste is to bridge the microgaps between the CPU and the head sink. That is all. When you start loading the stuff on in globs it still accomplishes that job but not nearly as efficiently.

 

[TWEO]

The thermal paste issue is a puzzle. I don't think that applying excess paste is a huge problem. Afterall, thermal paste is an excellent heat conductor and air is not. So having a few extra blobs of paste around a chip shouldn't hurt and might even help slightly, acting like a small heat sink. The problem has to be at the interface where the two metal surfaces face each other. Regardless of how much paste is outside the chip, the important thing is that there be no air bubbles in this interface. Perhaps there was something else going on and that these bubbles got fixed when the paste was re-applied?

Good point. There's also the problem of the paste not covering the entire surface of the chip's cores. I believe that was the issue with my MBP, but the excessive amount of paste doesn't do much good either. It sure is a better heat conductor than air, but metal is an even better conductor.

 

[Maxx Power]

I just got a W8615 15" MBP, and I think I might have the whine, but I'm not sure.

It's on the right side of the machine, near to the DVD drive. It sounds almost like a fan spinning (almost a grinding, but not a scary grinding), and isn't constant. I noticed it first my second day owning it, before I'd even put anything in the DVD drive. It seems to happen more when I'm making heavy use of the hard drive.

Any thoughts?

From what I have read, it is a whine from a transformer/inductor located in that position. It is oscillating badly to the magnetic field, typical transformer whine. You might want to do a search on it, people who have this problem have pinned it down to a few components a while back.

I've been servicing Mac desktops and portables for 3 1/2 years now. I have a lot of horror stories dealing with Apple but I'll stick to the topic at hand. The photos of the thermal paste application do look a little sloppy but I've learned the hard way, Apple service manuals shouldn't always be followed to the T.

Forget about the external aesthetics of Apple products, some designs are a pain for service technicians like myself. Some designs are good/some are bad. Unfortunately, it turns out that the MacBook Pro in its first incarnation is not one of the better ones. Ironically, the MacBook Pro is the first Mac (desktop or portable) that everyone in our service department salivated for when it first showed up on our sales floor. Needless to say everyone of us now has decided to wait not for the next revision but for the next upgrade. Thus far, I personally have worked on 6 MacBook Pro's for various issues. One customer brought his in for infamous whining sounds. You can't imagine how frustrating it is for Mac service technicians such as myself, to know there's a problem but not being able to offer a solution. I spent an hour on a online chat with a Apple tech suport person before he begrudingly admitted there are problems with MacBook Pro. All he could do was offer "shot in the dark" fixes (e.g. maybe if you replace the inverter board) and say Apple is investigating these problems. In the end, I call the customer and say there is nothing I can do because a) Apple has not acknowledged the problems and b) Don't have a fix.

In a lot of ways, I believe Apple's a victim of its own success. Trekie-like Mac users clamour for upgraded computers (think Intel iBooks) and Apple rushes out unfinished product. Apple makes things worse by going into denial mode and frustrating customers' and service technicians in the process. As Mac market share increases you can expect these problems to increase along with it.

Yep, the non-apple authorized computer repair shops are saying the same thing.

 

[Shintocam]

The thermal paste issue is a puzzle. I don't think that applying excess paste is a huge problem. Afterall, thermal paste is an excellent heat conductor and air is not. So having a few extra blobs of paste around a chip shouldn't hurt and might even help slightly, acting like a small heat sink. The problem has to be at the interface where the two metal surfaces face each other. Regardless of how much paste is outside the chip, the important thing is that there be no air bubbles in this interface. Perhaps there was something else going on and that these bubbles got fixed when the paste was re-applied?

The problem is actually that if you apply too much thermal paste it actually starts doing the opposite and almost becomes like an insulator. If you read the instructions that come with most of the pastes they are very clear that you need to apply a thin layer (often using something like the edge of a piece of paper or even a razor blade to thin out the paste). We've had several computers here at work blow a CPU because of too much paste and the processor overheating. We've also seen CPU's get very hot (without overheating) and upon taking the system apart and thining out the paste seeing the temperature drop dramatically.