Is Apple's shutdown fix crippling MacBooks?
Apple Computer (AAPL) issued a software update Thursday to fix a problem that caused hundreds of newer MacBook laptops to shut down suddenly — but one longtime industry analyst suspects Apple's solution might force the computers to run more slowly.
An Apple spokeswoman would not provide details about what was causing the shutdowns, or how the software update corrects it.
According to the site MacBookRandomShutdown.com, which emerged over the past few weeks to document the problem and draw Apple's attention, more than 1,500 MacBook users have had their laptops suddenly turn off. Many took the time to list their names, MacBook models, and serial numbers on the shutdown site.
Rob Enderle, principal analyst with Enderle Group, said that based on user comments in Apple's online support forums he suspects the laptops have been shutting down because of overheating problems with the main logic board and "heat sink," a device that's meant to cool the machine.
"What they appear to be doing is doing a firmware update to step down the processor," Enderle said. "If you can step down the processor, say, 5 or 10 percent, you can lower heat dramatically."
But if indeed Apple is doing that, another result is decreased laptop performance. Enderle likened it to throttling back a V8 engine to make it behave like a V6. It won't get as hot, but it won't go as fast either.
"It would be really good to see if we can find someone who’s gotten the problem and measure the performance before and after the firmware update," Enderle said. Unless support forum users are misinformed about the logic board and heat sink being the issue, "the only way you can fix a problem like this without physically taking the machine apart is to step down the processor."
Either way, Enderle said other PC makers wouldn't get away with releasing so little information about what caused a laptop malfunction — but because this affects mostly individual consumers, Apple can choose to stay relatively tight-lipped.
"Typically if Dell (DELL) or anybody else has a component problem, they'll explain what the component is that caused it," he said. "Their corporate customers demand it."
I became aware of the MacBook random shutdown syndrome — nicknamed "RSD" or "RSS" by its sufferers — on September 19. When I called Apple to ask for details, company representatives wouldn't say what caused the problem, or how many people are affected.
I called again on Tuesday, and spokeswoman Teresa Weaver said she would
get back to me. Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. PST, Weaver called back to say
that Apple had just issued a firmware update that should fix the
problem. When I pressed for details on what the problem had been, she said Apple would not release that information, and emphasized that only a "small percentage" of MacBook users had been inconvenienced. (Apple said during its earnings call last week that it shipped 986,000 MacBooks and MacBook Pros last quarter.) Weaver also e-mailed a statement. It reads:
Jon,Per our conversation, the new MacBook has been a big hit with customers since its introduction. Apple has identified an issue that causes a small percentage of MacBooks to shutdown intermittently. Today we released a downloadable firmware update that addresses this issue, and eliminates the need for customers to send their systems in for warranty service. Apple recommends that all MacBook customers download and install the MacBook SMC Firmware Update v1.1 now available on the Apple web site at http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/.
Best,
Teresa
Of course, it could be too early to assume that Apple is throttling back MacBook processors to fix the problem, though Apple so far won't detail what the firmware update does. Below is the text of the firmware-related instructions on Apple's support site:
MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1
About this update
The SMC Update improves the MacBook’s internal monitoring system and
addresses issues with unexpected shutdowns. This update is recommended
for all MacBook systems, including those that received warranty repair.
Note:
If your MacBook is running Mac OS X 10.4.6, you won’t be able to install the SMC Update until you update to Mac OS X 10.4.8.
MacBooks running Mac OS X 10.4.7 will be able to download and install
the SMC Update, so it is not essential that you update your system
software, although Apple always recommends updating to the latest
version of the system software.
After this update has completed successfully, your SMC Version will be: 1.4f12.
Installation:
The updater application will be installed in the /Applications/Utilities folder.
Please follow the instructions in the updater application to complete the update process.
Here are the instructions within the updater:
To update the SMC firmware on your MacBook:
Your computer’s power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source.
1. Quit all other open applications.
2. Click Restart in the MacBook SMC Firmware Update window and wait for your computer to restart.
The SMC firmware update starts automatically. A status bar indicates
the progress of the update. During the update your computer fans will
run at full speed, but will return to normal once the update completes.
Important: Do not interrupt the update.
Your computer restarts automatically when the update is completed and opens the MacBook SMC Firmware Update.
3. Click OK. The SMC firmware is now up-to-date.
If these instructions appear on your screen again, the SMC firmware update was not successful. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n304308.
The detailed information link adds:
If you continue to experience trouble with your MacBook after applying
both updates or if your MacBook is in a state that will not allow you
to install the updates please contact AppleCare for further assistance.
One might note BTW that you can largely put ANY information into MacBookRandomShutdown.com and have it 'count' you. I have 5 I added that are just there to see if any validation is performed plus there are a great number of BLANK entries.
I agree, Enderle has a plausible but not an exclusive explanation. He should not tout his conjucture as the only explanation of the Syndrome. HOWEVER, Apple may have done something halfway– only slowing the chip when temperatures rose, and then unconstraining it again when the system had cooled, for example. This will mean that Enderle is not all wrong, and Apple still mosty honest (okay, I am a liberal)
I have another hypothesis to tout– that Apple retuned the temp sensors, so they do not perceive an emergency at 140 deg F (say), but wait till it is 180 deg F. This is supported by my observation that in my MacBook the fans are running LESS often than they used to earlier! Clearly the system has been re-educated in heat response.
That said, I don't see why the strong reaction to a mere surmise by Enderle. If my MacBook core duo 2.0 GHz runs 10% slower, it runs at 1.8-GHz-plenty-fast! Truth be told, my 1.3 GHz mono-core ran really well also. I know we in our age obssess on chip speed, but in all reality a MacBook will be worth as much at 1.5 GHz to those evaluating it on performance, as it would be at 2.0 GHz. If a 2.4 GHz came out tomorrow, none of us will covet that as essentially a breakthrough advance, nor be compelled to buy that just because our was suddenly not up to our demands.
I do get that it will be dishonest of Apple to not disclose that it was implementing a chip-throtle. And so, saying that that is what it was doing is tantamount to blasphamy. Either way, lets stay civil and patient in critiquing an article we didn't have to read in the first place.
Rob Enderle is not a credible source for anything to do with Apple. How many times has that moron stated that Apple will go belly up? Not to mention his complete BS that Microsoft wrote MacOS. He also claimed that Palm was founded by former Newton engineers. That's interesting, since Palm was founded BEFORE the Newton was even released.
Enderle flat out makes things up. He is NOT a credible source.
Enderle, I completely see his point. For years I used PC'S when I lived in Milwaukee. Lake Michigan has what is known as a warming effect in the winter months. Therefore the PC machines were much more appropriate. When I moved to Minneapolis where the winters are much cooler I opted for the MAC. This has served me quite well.
Hey, if I keep it up maybe I can take his job with false claims like his!
Why do you journalists keep using Enderle ??!!?
I thought Business2 had some credibility until you quoted him. Its the sort of thing I would expect from CNet.
He has zero understanding of the technical issue for the shutdown which for all we know could be caused by poor control over the fans or a myriad of technical issues that a firmware update can fix.
PLEASE I implore you DONT use Enderle !!
Enderle is a complete tool. He has 0% evidence for his conjecture. There are so many things this update could be doing thathis idle speculation is just that. Its also grossly irresponsible to make owners fear their laptops are being forced to run slower, when as one poster points out, the fans could just be sped up or set to run more frequently.
Almost every observation Enderle has to make about Apple products is laughable. Do you remember the one about the iMac when it came out? He said that he would be wary of owning one – especially if he lived in San Francisco – in case an earthquake caused it to fall off a table and break the screen.
And he gets paid to write this stuff! Unreal!
Oh God, please don't use Rob Enderle as the source of any credible information. He's the one who claims Microsoft wrote the original MacOS. He makes a career out of being so wrong that people link to him and quote him. If anything he's saying in this context is correct, it's by pure chance. As soon as I see his name quoted in an article, I know the article is fluff.
"the only way you can fix a problem like this without physically taking the machine apart is to step down the processor."
Despite being annoyed at Apple with this whole RSS problem, I must say that I do NOT agree with the above!
After looking into the possible causes of the shut downs, it seems like they could be caused by the temperature sensor cable being exposed to high temperatures, thus increasing its resistance (and current flowing through it.
The firmware update can fix the shut downs simply by altering the behaviour of the SMC (System Management Controller) when the latter receives an unusual signal from the temperature sensor.
You can read more on this here.
http://techpaedia.com/apple/2006/10/27/random-shut-downs-apple-releases-firmware-update/
(Includes photos of the heat sink and sensor cable).
Either way, Enderle said other PC makers wouldn't get away with releasing so little information about what caused a laptop malfunction — but because this affects mostly individual consumers, Apple can choose to stay relatively tight-lipped.
"Typically if Dell (DELL) or anybody else has a component problem, they'll explain what the component is that caused it," he said. "Their corporate customers demand it."
—
Are you kidding me? Just ask the tons of Inspiron 5100 users if Dell owned up to it. To this day Dell still REFUSES to acknowledge any suddne shutdown problem (or other issues for that matter) on these units. Do a quick search for Inspiron 5100 problems and you'll realize the Macbook RSS is small scale in comparison.
As for servers, yeah you may have a point – but then again, once the Dell servers started catching on fire I think Dell didn't have any choice but to disclose it.
At least Apple has done something – made some type of annoucment unlike the "bigger" pc companies. I cannot say I'm happy with my RSS Macbook, but the firmware is an acceptable solution from my point of view – if it works
The firmware update just makes the fan run more often to keep the processor cooler. From running CoreDuoTemp I have noticed that my computer is running substantially cooler and the processor speed has been at 2GHZ the whole time.
I think the author needs to realize that there is more than one way of making something run cooler, throttling it down IS one way but improving ventilation is also another way. Many good points have been brought up about this issue and I think the author was very ill informed and jumped to a lot of illogical conclusion.
"Am I missing something?"
Other possibilities:
The update makes the fan run more often.
The update only takes effect when the computer is about to shutdown.
The problem has nothing to do with heat.
The update only applies to a range of serial numbers.
Mike,
Good question. I'm guessing that Enderle's reasoning is this: Maybe the firmware update dials back the processor only in laptops that are prone to overheating and shutdowns. So it would be best to measure the effects in those laptops specifically.
Still, I should emphasize that we don't yet know whether Apple's firmware update dials back the processor at all. Maybe it fixes the problem in a much more innocuous manner. I'm still trying to get more details from the spokespeople there.
The author of the article states that "he wishes he could find somebody with the problem so that they could measure the performance of the CPU before and after the patch."
My question is – why would you have to possess the problem in the first place? If the "patch" from Apple is indeed a firmware update that causes the processor to behave at slower speeds, as the author suggests, then this would cause ALL laptops to behave at slower speeds, not just laptops with the "RSS" problem?
Am I missing something?
- Mike
Recent MacBook Convert and Lover
I had this problem one week before, then using Disk Utily booting from the install Disc could repair an exit problem on the Macintosh HD. And for 1 week there was not any problem, but 30 minutes ago, when I had to send a very important poster on my coming conference to print, my MacBook shut down 3 times, but the first time I was reading your post from feed, so I could solve the problem eventually, thank you very much. Cheers, Attila.
Hi Jon,
You have a very cool blog here…loved the content.
U know there is an awesome opportunity for people like you who have ur own blogs n sites…I came across this site called Myndnet.com…it’s a platform for people to buy and sell IT related information. and everytime you sell some information you get paid for it…Good money for people like us in the IT domain. Here the link http://www.myndnet.com/login.jsp?referral=alpa83&channel=al357
Sign up is free…check it out…
You can contact me at my id here for more questions : barot.alpa@gmail.com
Cheers
Alpa