Some of Apple's new MacBook Airs exhibiting issues with logic board, display
Early adopters of Apple's new MacBook Air are reporting a variety of issues, including faulty logic boards, display issues and kernel panics, after two weeks of usage.
Several discussion threads on the Apple Support website detail user trouble with both the 11-inch and 13-inch late 2010 MacBook Air models. In one thread, users report flickering and freezing issues, as well as vertical lines and odd colors. Another thread details trouble with the ultra-thin MacBook's new Instant-On feature.
Apple released a MacBook Air software update on the day of its release. The update resolved an issue where the system becomes unresponsive while playing a movie trailer in iMovie, as well as a problem where the system becomes unresponsive after waking from sleep when an external display is connected. However, several of the users reporting display issues on the Apple Support forums are still having trouble after installing the update.
One user posted a video to YouTube depicting the flickering screen issue.
Editors at Cult of Mac report having experienced both the video problem and a more serious kernel panic. According to the report, an 11-inch and a 13-inch MacBook Air model have both displayed a kernel panic when attempting to wake from sleep.
Serenity Caldwell of Macworld has also reported issues with the MacBook Air display, noting that the Air's display has turned a variety of colors: gray, tan, gray-black, and blue. Caldwell consulted an Apple Genius, who suspected "the Air's logic board might possibly be at fault."
Apple unveiled the latest MacBook Air models at its "Back to the Mac" event on Oct. 20. Sporting solid state flash storage and instant-on capabilities, the MacBook Air is "the future of the notebook," according to Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs.
For an in-depth look at the new MacBook Air, see AppleInsider's review:
Review: Apple's new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch MacBook Air (Late 2010)
Several discussion threads on the Apple Support website detail user trouble with both the 11-inch and 13-inch late 2010 MacBook Air models. In one thread, users report flickering and freezing issues, as well as vertical lines and odd colors. Another thread details trouble with the ultra-thin MacBook's new Instant-On feature.
Apple released a MacBook Air software update on the day of its release. The update resolved an issue where the system becomes unresponsive while playing a movie trailer in iMovie, as well as a problem where the system becomes unresponsive after waking from sleep when an external display is connected. However, several of the users reporting display issues on the Apple Support forums are still having trouble after installing the update.
One user posted a video to YouTube depicting the flickering screen issue.
Editors at Cult of Mac report having experienced both the video problem and a more serious kernel panic. According to the report, an 11-inch and a 13-inch MacBook Air model have both displayed a kernel panic when attempting to wake from sleep.
Serenity Caldwell of Macworld has also reported issues with the MacBook Air display, noting that the Air's display has turned a variety of colors: gray, tan, gray-black, and blue. Caldwell consulted an Apple Genius, who suspected "the Air's logic board might possibly be at fault."
Apple unveiled the latest MacBook Air models at its "Back to the Mac" event on Oct. 20. Sporting solid state flash storage and instant-on capabilities, the MacBook Air is "the future of the notebook," according to Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs.
For an in-depth look at the new MacBook Air, see AppleInsider's review:
Review: Apple's new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch MacBook Air (Late 2010)
Comments
I suspect Apple will get this fixed ASAP - if they don't they are likely to miss out on a lot of holiday sales - bummer.
BTW: I am interested in what quantity "some of the New Mac Book Airs" represent - very subjective term.
Early adopters of Apple's new MacBook Air are reporting a variety of issues, including faulty logic boards, display issues and kernel panics, after two weeks of usage.
These execution problems are starting to pile up.
And it's not just Apple... All computer manufacturers rarely get it right on the first try. It's better to wait for the second revision, which almost always adds features and cuts the price, anyway.
Computers, cars, whatever.
Or does it mean 10,000?
To those of you who are the guinea pigs...... thank you!
Know your production dates, and never buy the first run of anything.
Computers, cars, whatever.
So your advice is to buy the old model after the new ones are released? Since each revision will have a new logic board to some extent you are suggesting that everyone wait for a duration, but you don’t say what that duration is.
;-)
As much as i like the fact that the 320M does everything(ie north bridge and video) there is no accounting for shoddy Nvidia drivers.
It may finally be about time for Apple to either ditch the 320M and go with an AMD/ATI option with the current CPU's or just settle for the Intel HD option and use the i-series low voltage chips instead of the core2duo's.
This way they can have a standard across the board for all models.
The only problem i can see with this is that the 13" Macbook Pro would need to get a dedicated video card too, like the 15" and 17" models. That way it separates the "PRO" model from the Std and Air versions.
Does that mean 3?
Or does it mean 10,000?
This is the problem with news reports like these. There is simply no sense of (or even an attempt to infer) whether it is 0.05% or 50%.
Really shameful.
Always buy Apple Care. They will take care of you.
They will take care of you anyway, just any reputable company in the US will due to consumer protection laws.
So your advice is to buy the old model after the new ones are released?
My advice is to wait for the running changes that fix the early bugs (i.e. "the updated logic boards are SO much better"). Then go for it.
AirGate!?
;-)
There......
They will take care of you anyway, just any reputable company in the US will due to consumer protection laws.
Yes but the unwritten standard of care goes way beyond any reasonable warranty. My horse stepped on my iPhone - no problem.
Does that mean 3?
Or does it mean 10,000?
A couple dozen people on the Apple Support site have reported problems, as well as 3 or 4 editors on various sites.
I see a lot of silly comments about first adopters, but really the worst thing that can happen when dealing with Apple is, you have to return the product for a refund, you have to exchange it for a new one, or you have to wait for a software update. You people talk as if heaven has closed the gates on us.
And it's not like second gen products are flawless anyway - yes, the have software issues, too.