Apple issues MacBook shutdown fix but skeptics remain

Stan Beer
Saturday, 28 October 2006 09:23

Your IT - Home IT

Apple Computer has issued a fix for a problem afflicting some MacBook owners since July which caused their computers to randomly shutdown. However, some users remain skeptical that the firmware update will solve what they believe is essentially a hardware problem.

According to Apple's advisory, the MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1 The SMC Update improves the MacBook’s internal monitoring system and addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns. The advisory also states that the update is recommended for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair.

While Apple claims that the shutdown problem only affects a small percentage of MacBooks, the number of affected users has been large enough to cause some users in August to launch a website devoted to the issue called Macbookrandomshutdown.com. There have also been reports of some users trying organize a class action against Apple because of long waits after returning their machines to service the problem.

The fix issued by Apple has been welcomed by some MacBook users but met with skepticism by others who claim that issue is hardware problem caused by internal overheating causing a short in the system. Users have reported repaired MacBooks being returned with new heat sinks and lgic boards. According to some techs, however, the hardware issues can be addressed by improved firmware monitoring of the processor to regulate overheating.

A visit to the homepage of Macbookrandomshutdown.com will reveal that at least one affected user has found that Apple's firmware fix for the random shut down problem appears to work.