Power outages on MacBook Pros

MacBook Pro owners are apparently having trouble supplying power to their computers both from the battery and from the wall.

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is getting ready to introduce new 85-watt MagSafe adapters for MacBook Pros following a litany of complaints about fraying cables on the adapters. When they were first introduced, most customers liked the idea of flexible cables that would detach from the computer if subjected to excessive stress, preventing your nice laptop from flying across the floor of the coffee shop when somebody trips over the cord.

Reports that Apple's MagSafe power adapter has been prone to fray might be prompting the introduction of new models.

(Credit: Apple)

However, the flexibility of the power cable has caused some cables to fray at the connection point after repeated use. Reports have surfaced over the past few months of MagSafe adapters that have started to smoke or even spark in certain cases. Some of those affected have reported receiving adapters with heftier cords, which might be what Apple is getting ready to ship to all MacBook Pro customers.

A CNET News.com reader reported having trouble finding 85-watt MagSafe adapters at Apple retail stores late last week, and the online Apple Store is currently quoting a two- to three-week delay in shipments of the 85-watt adapters, designed just for use with the MacBook Pro. Apple representatives did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.

In other MacBook Pro news, last week's battery update--coming six months after a similar one in April--doesn't appear to have satisfied owners posting on Apple's support discussions forum. Numerous threads have been started complaining about automatic shutdowns and batteries that have less capacity after the update was installed.

For the record, my MacBook Pro's MagSafe adapter cord is working fine, but I have been experiencing the random shutdowns when on battery power both before and after installing the latest update. I had figured the shutdowns were somehow my fault since I hadn't been practicing very good battery hygiene by draining the battery every so often and recharging. I've had my notebook for a year and a half, and I tend to leave it plugged in all the time. (I know, I know.)

However, several posters on Apple's site recommended checking the battery stats under the Utilities folder (Utilities to System Profiler to Power) to see if the Full Charge Capacity is holding up the way it should. I'll do that later tonight and see what I get.

[smokeonit]

already power adapter exchanged!

i already had my power brick exchanged since i bought it in late
march 2006. if it breaks again apple will for sure ask me to pay
for it... but i feel that this is a design problem, not a usage
problem... i definetly don't torture my mbp or power brick..

i'm on my 3rd battery... hopefully thid 3rd battery will have a
longer life... the 1st battery bulged... the 2nd lost capacity way
too fast, after 2 month i only had less than 60% of overall
capacity left, apple exchanged both quick and without
discussion.

then i had chipped paint on my top next to the track pad, apple
tried to weasel out of replacing it, but i insisted that that is a
production problem, and not a usage problem!!! i got a new top
and keyboard since the paint on some keyboard keys chipped
off too...

[wlau]

it's an apple, what do you expect?

I remember apple lovers getting all excited about the magnetic power plug and I thought it was a stupid idea and that reliability will become an issue. It's no rocket science and other companies chose not to implement it because of the long term reliability problems... I've heard more of these design issues on Apple products more than any other products on the market. It's clear Apple emphasize on looks instead of durability.

[lingsun]

Maybe Apple destroyed them with an update, like they did to iPhones.

Maybe Apple destroyed them with an update, like they did to iPhones.

[scweezil]

Dose of reality

Mod most hardware you're screwed that's life:

http://www.techfreaks.org/articles/modxbox.shtml

[lenrooney]

Suck it up. Take responsibility

People (a very small number of people) who had their iPhones
bricked managed to ignore EULAs, Apple News Releases,
common knowledge, and AN ON-SCREEN WARNING before hand,
that updating their unlocked or otherwise modified iPhone might
cause it to cease working permanently. They took their chances
and updated anyway.

So what is the problem?

Apple's price to repair the phone: $399 (buy a new iPhone).
Otherwise, see if your unlocking or hack providing services will
warranty their wares and fix or replace.

If you were smart/stupid enough to get into this fix after all
those warnings, well please, You didn't take their advice then,
don't ask Apple to start wiping your butt now.

As for Apple bicking those phones on purpose? Prove it.

http://smallurl.co.uk/?1689

[lenrooney]

Also, for those who want to hack

iPhone is only 3 months old, be patient and you may soon be able
to develop within the Apple update cycle and warranty:

http://smallurl.co.uk/?1690

[scweezil]

Satisfaction survey

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/10/09/macs-
top-another-satisfaction-survey

[fiyyazp]

omg apple isnt perfect..........

aw the irony....

[Bill_I]

Apple's bleeding edge

Mr. Jobs has changed my life for the better and made some nifty movies, but I am beginning to think that his first name is not Steve, but Snow. Batteries are the heartbeat of any portable product, and finding some harried engineer who will lie about what they can do seems to be rather easy. Same goes for things that overheat like the original Mac toaster.

[drukenhard]

I'd take..

a mac with a dodgy battery over a PC with a dodgy operating
system any day!

I'm actually saving up for a MacBook Pro at the moment to
compliment the MacBook I have already.

Windows? Never again!

[adscram14]

I had a problem with this too. I had my charger plugged in on by bed for an hour and a half and when I touched it, it was very hot and smelled like wires were starting to fall apart.