Macbook Pro Issue Thread
Hey guys,
I'de like to start a thread where all Macbook Pro users can post their Week number of their Macbook Pro and state whether they are having any of the following known issues or if they're Macbook Pro's are running perfectly:
Well the reason for this thread is because many people have asked me if the Macbook Pro problems have all been fixed, and the honest answer I give them is that I have no clue lol. Let's try to clear up the fog and try to find out whether buying a Macbook Pro and getting a perfectly good machine is still considered 'lucky' or to just confirm that most Macbook Pro's out there seem to be running fine and that we only have the perception that most Macbook Pro's are full of errors.
I'll also be posting this on other threads so that I can begin to compile a graph of the data
Oh and to keep this organized, when you post your reply, please include your Macbook Pro Week Number so that we can see if the issues decrease or increase and list the Number of the issue(s) that you are having unless you'de like to go into detail
I'de like to start a thread where all Macbook Pro users can post their Week number of their Macbook Pro and state whether they are having any of the following known issues or if they're Macbook Pro's are running perfectly:
- A hissing noise often described as a whine, found to be caused by an idle processor. Software workarounds and the effect of screen position and power source on the issue have been reported.
- A 'mooing' noise, potentially fixed by the recent SMC Firmware update.
- Excessive heating, apparently caused by the application of excessive quantities of thermal grease on the processor during manufacturing. Reporting on this issue by an internet forum subsequently led to Apple threatening to sue for releasing images of confidential internal publications. Recently, some tests have challenged this explanation of heat issues, showing a minimal (one or two degrees F) drop in temperature when thermal grease was re-applied.
- Early models (serial numbers starting below W8610) had a screen hum emitting from the right side of the machine present when display brightness was set somewhere between maximum and minimum brightness.
- In some early models the supplied battery is faulty, and may eventually start swelling while losing capacity. Due to very limited clearance above the battery this can cause permanent damage to the touchpad if left unfixed.
Well the reason for this thread is because many people have asked me if the Macbook Pro problems have all been fixed, and the honest answer I give them is that I have no clue lol. Let's try to clear up the fog and try to find out whether buying a Macbook Pro and getting a perfectly good machine is still considered 'lucky' or to just confirm that most Macbook Pro's out there seem to be running fine and that we only have the perception that most Macbook Pro's are full of errors.
I'll also be posting this on other threads so that I can begin to compile a graph of the data
Oh and to keep this organized, when you post your reply, please include your Macbook Pro Week Number so that we can see if the issues decrease or increase and list the Number of the issue(s) that you are having unless you'de like to go into detail
Comments
Here's how to decode your MBP serial number: W8607 means that the unit was manufactured in facility W8 in the 7th week of 2006.
Let me know if you need any more help
I have noticed a somewhat annoying squeaking noise on the keyboard when I type fast, but only once in a while. I think maybe because I have to "break the computer in", since I haven't heard it at all this weekend while I was using the laptop heavily.
Anyways, hope that helps!
The only thing I would complain about is that the trackpad is very flaky. Sometimes I have to click VERY hard and other times the trackpad itself is SO sensitive. I have also given up using the trackpad to click. The cursor jumps around at times too. This is also my first laptop, so I don't know if this is typical of trackpads in general or I'm just too clumsy to use it.
Originally posted by axc51
Thanks. Well, mine is Week 25 and so far runs perfectly. It doesn't seem to overheat (according to CoreDuoTemp) and I haven't had it crash or notice any excessive whines or noises.
I have noticed a somewhat annoying squeaking noise on the keyboard when I type fast, but only once in a while. I think maybe because I have to "break the computer in", since I haven't heard it at all this weekend while I was using the laptop heavily.
Anyways, hope that helps!
At what temperature would you consider it to be in an "overheat" condition? In other words . . . how hot it too hot?
Mine does run a little hot, especially on the left palm-rest. Internally, however, the heat seems within specs. I just added and external notebook cooler and it's helped a bit.
Other than that, not problems.
it gets hot, but i think its still in the normal temp range.
thankfully none of the problems listed above!
As soon as I get the info, I'll post my datasheets
It has the winning noise, it's not as loud as some peoples but it is definatly there. Also anytime it's plugged in a "shhhhhh" noise comes up from the left speaker. One last thing is that it seems to be getting slower for no real reason. It started off taking 10secs to load but now takes more like 1min and is progressivly getting worse. One day the screen stayed black while the "on" light was switched on for about 1min before it continued loading. Heat is not a big issue, it stays around the 50 mark but can go upto 75c pretty quick once needed.
Oh and i don't know if this is an offical problem or not, but everytime i restart/open i don't automatically connect to my wireless internet. Plus to actually connect i must turn of airport, wait 10secs, then connect to the router.
Originally posted by amoda
I have a week 11, mbp 1.83ghz stock.
It has the winning noise, it's not as loud as some peoples but it is definatly there. Also anytime it's plugged in a "shhhhhh" noise comes up from the left speaker. One last thing is that it seems to be getting slower for no real reason. It started off taking 10secs to load but now takes more like 1min and is progressivly getting worse. One day the screen stayed black while the "on" light was switched on for about 1min before it continued loading. Heat is not a big issue, it stays around the 50 mark but can go upto 75c pretty quick once needed.
Oh and i don't know if this is an offical problem or not, but everytime i restart/open i don't automatically connect to my wireless internet. Plus to actually connect i must turn of airport, wait 10secs, then connect to the router.
Hey, thanks for your reply
Yes, you're Airport connection issue is a documentated Macbook Pro problem and from what I've heard, it was fixed with the 10.4.7 Firmware Update. Have you tried the update yet? Thanks again
No problem, and yes i've tried 10.4.7. It hasn't fixed it, but it did help a sleep issue. In the past the laptop lost the connection after waking up, the update fixed that.
People that don't hear it might have some ear-damage or are less sensitive to those frequencies.
I still don't believe it is the processor, i think it has to do with power management, since it is only audible when disconnected the powercord, i guess it has something to do with downstream power from battery to logic board. Just guessing off course. :-)
About the heat, indeed it's hot, but you know apple actually doesn't call it a LAPtop but they name it a desktop replacment. Which it really is compared to my G5 performance-wise.
So it get's hot when doing processor intensive work. But did you also notice how quickly it cools off?
Try this: put it to sleep while keeping the lid open and place it on a hard flat natural cold surface, like a glass or stone table, or even better: marble...
It'll cool off to a cold touch in 10 mins, good to give your eyes a rest too ;-)
For long computer sessions, i use an external monitor on a desk...
My thoughts...
i've noticed the whine noise, and it does get hotter than my titanium PB did (to be expected)
what is annoying me are random (and frequent) kernel panics.
i made the 'mistake' of using migration assistant to bring across everything from my G5 as i think some legacy code/app is causing it
always happens when i arrive in the office and i plug in the ethernet cable, and also flipping between mail and safari
going to do a complete reinstall from scratch i think...
Week 5. It had three distinctly different high pitch buzzing noises that would happen for different reasons, I had the mooing noise, and it was very hot.
I was able to have it replaced with a:
Week 17. I still have one of the three previous high pitch buzzing noises.
For a long time I used a fix that I learned about on one of these forums.
I would open and then close Comic-Life. or, I would open and close a widget called 'Mirror'. In either case, the buzzing noises would turn off and stay off until restarted my machine (or if I openned and then closed Photobooth). (Photobooth will turn the buzzing off while Photobooth is running. But as soon as it is closed, the buzzing would start again.)
Unfortuately the last Firmware that came out for the MacBook Pro changed all of this. I can still force the sound off by turning on any one of the camera inducing apps mentioned above ( Comic-Life, 'Mirror', Photobooth ). But now closing anyone of them will turn the buzzing noise back on. I used to be able to use the open & close trick with Comic-Life or Mirror so that I would not have the camera's green light on all of the time. Unfortunately the last firmware disabled this trick. If I don't wan't to hear the buzzing sound I have to keep the camera and it's light on.
FYI: The one other camera inducing app, "iChat", is the odd man out. It is the only camera inducing app that when turned on does not turn the sound off. In fact if one were to turn the sound off by keeping any of the other camera inducing apps on, iChat is the only app for which if you turn it on, it will force the buzzing to come back on.
No whine.
Temperatures 60+ degress celsius on half load.