New MacBook Airs Experiencing Logic Board Issues?

[HLdan]

The news is all over Internet. It's not about one "guy". As this thread from Apple support forums indicates, many people experience this problem.

I'll admit I rarely visit the Apple Discussion forums but since MR is a pretty big a very vocal place I can stay here and collect enough responses to warrant what considered a "Problem". On the Macbook Air forums I haven't seen anyone (but the guy in question who's video is posted on front page news) complaining of issues with their new Air. The only complaints I see are the missing backlit keyboard.

 

[justfine]

brave souls buy Rev. A Apple products.

Still quite pleased that I was "brave" the second week in February 2008 when I bought my original, fist gen MBA. I hardly feel "brave" that I just ordered a new 11" with the 1.6G processor (same as is in my original one), 128 with 4G RAM.

If it's a problem the Apple Store will fix or replace quickly. Relax.

 

[res1233]

The news is all over Internet. It's not about one "guy". As this thread from Apple support forums indicates, many people experience this problem.

The issue is, "many people" by internet standards can mean 20 people, 1,000 people, or 1,000,000 people. There is no way to know. Taking a handful of forum posts to prove a point, proves nothing. Wait till real statistics are released. Number of forum posts isn't a good statistic because it's tremendously skewed towards the negative.

 

[electric]

Apple is Lazy!

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

I am disappointed with this news. I was looking to buy an Air very soon. This news has put me off. It has also made me think back over the past 10 years of Macs.

Please fill in anything i may have missed...

1. iMac SL - Black screen issue if firmware not updated prior to upgrading to OS X. No easy user solution.

2. eMac - Logicboard (capacitor) issue. Too-short video cable.

3. iBook G3 - GFX BGA separation. Backlight cable problems.

4. iBook G4 - VRAM chip separation. Battery recall.

5. PowerBook G4 - Screen issue, lower RAM slot failure and battery recall. Titanium hinges!!!

6. iMac G5 - Logicboard (capacitor) issue. GFX failure.

7. PMG4 MDD - Hoover like fan problems. PSU and fan replacement programme.

8. PMG5 - Fan speed issue. Major LCS issues. Power Supply issues.

9. iMac iSight - GFX failure.

10. iMac Intel - LCD failures.

11. MacBook - Logicboard and battery failure.

12. MacBook Pro - GFX issue and worst battery every made.

13. Time Capsule - Power Supply (capacitor) failure.

14. MacBook Air - unconfirmed issue.


What have i missed?

This is quite a list for a company that claims to create the best products and states that they cannot make things any cheaper etc etc.

You missed the horror of being a Mac Genius during those REP programs. I got so sick of Macbook Heatsinks, eMac Logic Boards, iMac Non ALS power supply/logic boards, Power Mac Power Supply, etc replacements. It was constant. At one point our Genius Room had around 100 iMacs awaiting Power Supplies and we had no to offer.

 

[KptIglo]

Air book? Pro book? You expect them to throw in a backlight into such a thin package? There was NONE book? Or maybe all your book are belong to us... Your post is full of fail my friend... Full of fail...

hu, another "expert" right?
tell me, what was your first mac you've bought?

i'm a hardcore mac user since the 80ies and giving support, training and repair
take a look at my registration date, that was when the trouble began
in the 20 years before i only had to phone with the support 1x time which was pointless cause the told me the logicboard had short cause of dust but it was only the sequence of installing the hd driver from 8.1 on a 9600!!!!!
at the moment i own the i5 mbp, early mac pro, 3 c2d minis, 1 3gs, 2 apextreme, 3 apexpress, ipad
so plz don't tell me anything from which you don't have any notion, thx

and plz be aware of the apple stasi in many forums.....

apple was outstanding, but this time is gone, definitely!!!

 

[Sound Evolution]

It's interesting that the MBA issue got attention so quickly. The 27" ACD has a major audio issue that affects all of the monitors on USB audio. One person bought 16 of these monitors and ALL have the audio issue. Nothing has been done about this either:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2611014

Oh oh. I am screwed now?

I just ordered both a 27" cinema display and the "ultimate" MBA 11

I suffered immens amount of trouble with my REV A MBA. I hope my destiny is better now....

With kind regards,
Bas

 

[res1233]

hu, another "expert" right?
tell me, what was your first mac you've bought?

i'm a hardcore mac user since the 80ies and giving support, training and repair
take a look at my registration date, that was when the trouble began
in the 20 years before i only had to phone with the support 1x time which was pointless cause the told me the logicboard had short cause of dust but it was only the sequence of installing the hd driver from 8.1 on a 9600!!!!!
at the moment i own the i5 mbp, early mac pro, 3 c2d minis, 1 3gs, 2 apextreme, 3 apexpress, ipad
so plz don't tell me anything from which you don't have any notion, thx

and plz be aware of the apple stasi in many forums.....

apple was outstanding, but this time is gone, definitely!!!

The first mac i owned was a B&W Mac classic, but why does it matter? Your post still was full of fail Size of e-peen doesn't matter it's what you do with it that counts. Also, I think you may be unintentionally sounding differently than you intend because it sounds like english isn't your native language. It's often hard to grasp those subtle differences. Also, i don't care about apple stasi. Is it a kind of cake? Your girlfriend? I don't know.

 

[LouieSamman]

So last six months-

iPhone 4- proximity issues and grip-off-death
iPhoto '11- there go your pictures
iOS- alarms going off at wrong time
MacBook Air- suffering panic attacks

Go Apple.

My guess-

"We don't see functioning logic boards taking off right now.

-Sent from my iPhone"

I just received my MacBook Air and all seems fine.

People are complaining over the number of problems Apple has been having with some of their products but you guys must know that there products are of high quality and ahead of the game so there times we will see issues since Apple goes straight to newer tech.

Honestly from looking at the 4 Apple fails you listed, thats very minimal from everything that they've released.

Apple will look into these issues and make it a non-issue in future products.

Apple is growing strong.

 

[hachre]

hu, another "expert" right?
tell me, what was your first mac you've bought?

Guess it was a book book ;D

 

[fixmymac]

You missed the horror of being a Mac Genius during those REP programs. I got so sick of Macbook Heatsinks, eMac Logic Boards, iMac Non ALS power supply/logic boards, Power Mac Power Supply, etc replacements. It was constant. At one point our Genius Room had around 100 iMacs awaiting Power Supplies and we had no to offer.

I started my repair business around 5 years ago. It is obvious that i will have seen many different faults. However, i have also owned several of the products mentioned. This lets me speak from personal experience as well as business.

I accept that electronics are complicated and getting more so. However, other manufacturers do not have the reputation and aura that Apple enjoys. Apple also make major boasts about the quality of their products and the fact that they will not produce a product that isn't a 'pile of crap'. Apple also enjoy top ratings for customer service etc.

My major gripe is about how long, if at all, it takes them to throw their arms up and admit there is a problem. Also, the hostility shown to customers when evidence is presented to them that the problems are real. To dat there has still not been a repair programme for the iBook G4 vreg issue. This is despite a European company going to great lengths to prove the problem exists and show irrefutable evidence.

A website, dedicated to the death of Time Capsules, was not enough for Apple to openly admit to a problem. The problem is abundantly clear when you take a look at the PSU's. Ruptured capacitors. I had to fix my (already replaced under AppleCare) TC at the weekend. One is booked in for Thursday and i have fixed many more.

Out of ALL of the Macs i have owned, only my MacPro 8c 3.0Ghz has never given a second of grief.

We have been shown the extensive testing that Apple subject their products to (iPhone 4, for example). We know that they design the stuff. We know that we pay a premium to own their stuff and we know they give only a 1 year warranty. Why should we not EXPECT them to get it right every single time?

 

[Hawkeye411]

What has happend with Apple? It seems like every product they release has issues.

LMAO. Every product EVER released has issues. But .... Oh right. Apple **** is supposed to be perfect with no issues!!

Why do you even care? You will probably never own a MacBook Air!

 

[CplBadboy]

Here we go again!

Apple should stick an 'Alba" sticker on their products now. No wait, im sure Ive still got an old Alba Hifi somewhere from about 20 years ago. Still working a charm. Apple QC is really gone down the pan. Until its resolved they should be priced around the same as a dell or acer. utter *****.

 

[Adam552]

I get this sometimes on my Macbook Pro (latest one) when playing games.
I go into system preferences --> display and it fixes for some reason and the flickering and distortion stops.

 

[Westyfield2]

TBH something like that doesn't put me off buying. Though having had one of the Nvidia MacBook Pro's of FAIL I guess a Mac having graphics problems doesn't surprise me .

If I had one doing that I'd just take it to the Apple store and get them to fix it.

 

[Hawkeye411]

Boy, the Apple defenders are coming out in full force. People, 1 week of use doesn't tell that everything is okay (for those not (yet) affected). First it was the hinge problem (this was on the earlier airs-Apple should have fixed this) and now it's the logic board. In a year, I can see it now, ebay is inundated with mbas that have faulty logic boards; unfortunately, the warranty has run out and the buyers are out of luck. It's pretty expensive to replace the logic board.

That cute little laptop isn't so cute after all...

OMG!! So what your saying is that every piece of technology (regardless of the manufacturer) that we all currently own, especially items that are less that one year old, are "not yet effected" and they are all bound to fail and cost us countless amounts of money? We are all doomed!! The global economy will dive even further!! Oh the horror of it all!!

Idiot

 

[wirelessmacuser]

Props to Apple on their return policy. Both times I've had issues that any other company would have blamed me for, I've walked out of the store with a brand new (probably not "brand new" but new to me) device.

Not sure if "any other company would have blamed you?"

I had a boot problem with a new ThinkPad T510, made one phone call (they don't have stores) at 10am PST, and had a brand new (sealed box) one at 9:30AM PST the very next morning. A note thanking me for my business and a prepaid return label for my defective unit. Now _That_ is why I use _both_ ThinkPad's & MacBook Pro's.

 

[iPlm]

I've got two macs, an iMac and a MBP, both of them have problems. The iMac has a graphics card issue, or is it overheating, dunno, it's more or less the same as the one in the video of the Air. Really sucks. The MBP has a service battery problem, even though the battery looks to be OK. I've read that many MBPs like mine experience the same thing with Snow Leopard. So no Mac is perfect. My Mac Pro at work which costs as much as a new car also has problems but you know, it's computers, you can never rely on them really.

I know that my 1st gen iPod touch and 1st gen Shuffle still work perfectly, however.

 

[Maximized]

You're holding it wrong.

 

[StarshipTrooper]

brave souls buy Rev. A Apple products.

Call it a curse if you want,

I bought the MBP 1.1 when they first came out with Intel and the MagSafe adaptor... issues out the ying yang...

3.5 years after I bought it I had been through 2 logic boards 2 screens, 2 keyboards 2 batteries, 2 power adaptors, 3 optical drives, 2 track pads 7 fans and 3 sets of speakers.

A fan died on me.

I brought it in to the apple store to see how much it would cost me to replace the fan as all the previous work had been done through Apple Care.

Apple did the fan for free, found a couple other things that were wrong with the laptop and asked me if I still loved it. I said yes.

The Apple Store credited me $1800 for my laptop and I paid the difference to upgrade to an i7 27inch iMac, $430 and a little tax.

Sounds like a happy ending if you ask me, but that's just my experience, I’ll vouch for the best customer service I have ever received.

 

[rhinosrcool]

OMG!! So what your saying is that every piece of technology (regardless of the manufacturer) that we all currently own, especially items that are less that one year old, are "not yet effected" and they are all bound to fail and cost us countless amounts of money? We are all doomed!! The global economy will dive even further!! Oh the horror of it all!!

Idiot

GMAB! All I talked about is the mba. And, I was being somewhat sarcastic. It is a problem for some.

Putting a smiley face after calling someone an idiot is still insulting.

 

[morgmorg]

Common people you're just exaggerating!!
It's a feature!
A new Magic ready to rumble

 

[gcmexico]

So last six months-

iPhone 4- proximity issues and grip-off-death*** bunch of phones have that issue, proximity issue was fixed with software update
iPhoto '11- there go your pictures**** you should have a backup no matter what
iOS- alarms going off at wrong time***glitch that can be solved easily, with update
MacBook Air- suffering panic attacks***who knows what's causing that, could be the display cable, graphics card or board...but that is what a warranty is for

Geez it's all about blaming Apple, enough already

 

[iDisk]

Not a big percentage

What percentage exactly are you talking? Is, say, 30% considered to be a "small percentage"?

Apples history has shown that the majority of complaints are due to a small (say 2%) of customers (but it's important to Apple that ALL users , enjoy their purchased product as advertised).

That's why I said a fix will be soon.

- Bruce

 

[theBigD23]

Oh oh. I am screwed now?

I just ordered both a 27" cinema display and the "ultimate" MBA 11

I suffered immens amount of trouble with my REV A MBA. I hope my destiny is better now....

With kind regards,
Bas

Sorry, to say, if you use USB for the audio, you are. However, if you are connecting the ACD to a MDP for audio, you won't have this issue. You'll need a MBP or MBA late 2009+. But nearly every person with this monitor that uses USB audio, has this issue. I've only read about one person that said they didn't, but they might later get it.