Apple confirms MacBook Air bugs internally

By on Nov 4, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Exclusive November 4, 2010

The sleek new MacBook Air models unveiled late last month are the slimmest computers Apple has ever produced — but the manufacturer still managed to find the space to pack in a few troublesome bugs. Early MacBook Air adopters have taken to various forums as they voice complaints surrounding Apple’s new MacBook Air (Late 2010) models. While Apple has yet to address any of the reported issues publicly, a source informed BGR that the manufacturer is investigating several of them internally. Included among the issues is a bug where the display flickers or shows horizontal lines of varying colors when a computer wakes from sleep or after hot-plugging a display. Another bug causes the screen to fade from light to dark repeatedly after waking from sleep. Apple’s internal support system includes suggestions for interim fixes in each of these cases, but no permanent fixes are available at this time.

Apple has stated internally that the aforementioned issues have been isolated and will be addressed in an upcoming software update. When dealing with customers, Apple employees have been instructed to state that the company is aware of these issues and is working on solutions. Hit the break for another screen shot.

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  • Anonymous

    Oh, You’re closing it wrong!
    (Awaiting NYClady/Sandy to pipe in with, owners know best)

  • http://twitter.com/2Glock3 C W

    I’m not trying to be a hater but for a company that claims superiority because it manufactures it’s own hardware (I know they don’t make EVERY little component…but you know what I mean) and has it’s own proprietary software, they sure are having some quality control issues here lately.

    I know there’s defects in ANYTHING mass produced but this is unheard of from Apple…or maybe it’s just starting to come to light…?

    • http://www.raviudeshi.com Ravi U

      Is the issue that widespread though? I’ve only seen very limited reports, probably no more sizeable (percentage-wise) than any other manufacturer.

      • http://twitter.com/2Glock3 C W

        Probably not.

        However, things like “the product is ok if it has a few light/dark/dead pixels” is a crap customer service job. If my TV, Phone, or PC had a defective pixel and the manufacturer said “oh that’s normal. we can swap it but the one you get may have more defective pixels and we won’t swap it again” is terrible. People don’t pay thousands of their hard earned dollars to Apple for that kind of crap.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        no, all PC manufacturers have a “pixel count” where they will not fix it. it also depends if the pixel is ON, OFF or Colored… where it is on the screen, etc. Apple has a set policy on that, you can google around and find it, but Apple always does what is best for the customer which is refreshing, no other company in the world has better customer service don’t forget.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

      no, this is isolated, most every computer has a software patch issued a few weeks or months later, this is clearly not a serious issue, nor does it affect more than a handful of users, so once Apple isolates the issue, and finds other issues (not reported) they’ll issue a silent firmware fix just like they always do.

  • jon

    Looks like there’s a rat inside Apple. This is the second story from inside Apple in just a few days…

    • Blah

      The secret police will be out in no time…

      • Anonymous

        I’m telling the Apple Gestapo on you.

  • Donny

    The biggest question I have is why do people who hate and never plan to use Apple products love talking about them?

    • Anonymous

      even if you don’t use apple.please remember those smug commercials they not so subtly stated that they were superior….just maybe that has something to do with it…..all that ….it’s a mac…crap….microsoft used to take the blame for all the pc makers problem ..it is just funny when apple says there is a software fix for the issue,when in most cases there isn’t ……you know like antennagate….and please combine that with the ads for the new mac book air ….like “”everything we have learned has come down to this”"….oooops

      • Ernie

        I have yet to see ONE company that doesn’t say it’s products are superior! The fact Jobs rubs you the wrong way doesn’t mean you are correct in stating the reasons people don’t like them.

        I was at Google I/O and, I love both companies BTW, Google touted their products as the best at EVERYTHING they do.

      • http://twitter.com/2Glock3 C W

        I don’t think anyone takes it to the level of self-pride and arrogance that Jobs does though. He REALLY must think he’s the God of the computer world the way he positions Apple.

        When Jobs steps down and Apple gives me a little more bang for my buck hardware wise, I would LOOOOOVE to have an Apple. I think they’re fantastic. Until then though, my only real option is to build a hackintosh. (while I still can :( )

    • Anonymous

      They just like to complain. The “Told You So” crowd. They’re the same crowd that thinks the best computing platform is one you build by hand, and only use open-source…

      They’re against “The Man” in any way…lol

    • Don Mancer

      I’m one of those people, and it’s because Apple is such an arrogant and over hyped company. They have good products but the way Jobs manages the PR just annoys me to no end.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        keep in mind, Apple does very little PR, they have a product announcement, then the media takes over from there, so maybe you are annoyed by the media?

    • http://twitter.com/suburban_war C. Lauretano

      I know that’s a rhetorical question, but it seems like some people here still don’t get it…

      [insert company here] haters hate because their platform/gadget of choice is seen as inferior, or because they believe it is better but it just doesn’t get the attention they think it deserves.

      Case in point, Android nerds talk trash on Apple posts because while Android is growing in market share, it still isn’t getting anywhere near the attention Apple iOS products get. Plus, in SO many ways Android is vastly inferior (in some ways it’s infinitely better of course) so owners get a bit insecure about it.

      Another example is webOS nerds (like me!). webOS does so many things better than Android/iOS, yet very few people even know it exists. Since it gets no attention, it gets very few developers, and the relative lack of apps turns potential buyers away. It’s a vicious cycle that Palm, with their limited money supply, couldn’t overcome with marketing efforts.

    • Anonymous

      Because they have a hard on for Steve Jobs

  • Anonymous

    also what part of the macbook air 11,doesn’t smack as an overpriced net book …just asking…oh but it is prettier…….everything we have learned has come down to this………….just charge more and everyone will assume it is superior

    • http://twitter.com/suburban_war C. Lauretano

      1. The Core2Duo. Even at low clock speeds, it’s lightyears faster than an Atom. And it’s 64-bit. And it’s dual-core
      2. The fast SSD.
      3. More than a gigabyte of RAM
      4. Running Mac OS, legally
      5. A full-size keyboard that feels decent
      6. Excellent chassis quality, fit and finish
      7. Nvidia 320M

      I could go on but I think you get the point. In case you haven’t been following along, high end Ultraportables have existed for well over a decade. They’re always slower than some big fatty 15″ laptop, they often don’t have great battery life, but the compromises are worth it to their target market (business executives and fashionistas).

      The thing is, not only is this way less of a compromise than ultraportables even just a couple years old, it’s also a heck of a lot cheaper.

      This is 1/2 the price of the ThinkPad X201s I picked up back in March, for instance. The Lenovo SSD is slow (for an SSD that is), the Intel graphics are trash, and the MBA is thinner, lighter, and faster.

      That said, the ThinkPad wins for me since it has a Core i7 in a little ultraportable :)

      • Bill Marquette

        Too bad it’s not actually an SSD. Am I the only one that has great misgivings over having my data on a storage media that will require a motherboard replacement to fix? I tend to keep my machines for longer than Apple offers AppleCare for so if/when it breaks out of warrantee I can only imagine what the repair bill will be.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        no, you can pull the ssd card out, it’s not soldered on the logicboard. a logicboard never fails, so that’s not of any concern anyway. a repair if needed in the 5 year timeframe would be about $200, if that.

      • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/SDWH3JNGS74WV3W52HNLZ2S2KU jabber_wolf

        1. The Core2Duo. They are almost all 64 bit and just barely faster than the Atom n450
        The new netbooks will have N550 dual core.
        2. The fast SSD. Actually not so fast SSD ( not many iops on the cheap NAND they provide with no TRIM support – so that performance should last you about 3 months)
        3. More than a gigabyte of RAM (netbooks up to 2)
        4. Running Mac OS, legally ( who cares – Windows has more apps)
        5. A full-size keyboard that feels decent (copied from Sony)
        6. Excellent chassis quality, fit and finish ( again not really)
        7. Nvidia 320M ( only thing i’d agree is a nicer touch)

        But in all for the cost – you would have a better machine and for less by buying a netbook, bumping it up to 2Gb of memory, and replacing it with a 3rd part fast SSD.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        but with a netbook, it would be quite a bit slower, heavier, have poor battery life and not have OSX or access to a modern software library. apple wrote the book on how laptops work don’t forget, the 11″ has a full keyboard, they never skimp on anything. and sure that makes the price a bit higher, but if you want the most for your money, you always get apple stuff anyway.

      • Anonymous

        1. The Core2Duo. They are almost all 64 bit and just barely faster than the Atom n450
        The new netbooks will have N550 dual core.<<<<True but those processors will eat more battery life. It all boils down to what works for you and what compromises you're willing to make for your specific needs.

        2. The fast SSD. Actually not so fast SSD ( not many iops on the cheap NAND they provide with no TRIM support – so that performance should last you about 3 months) <<<<I don't follow you further explanation please.

        3. More than a gigabyte of RAM (netbooks up to 2) Partially agree with you on this point. In the netbook world you're still paying a premium for 2 gigs although I do agree for the MBA price point it should be a automatic 4 gigs not 2 gigs and 4 gigs for an extra 100 bucks.

        4. Running Mac OS, legally ( who cares – Windows has more apps) <<<<some people love Windows some people don't. Some people love OSX some people don't. Some people like both and will buy a MBA and run Windows on VM ware or bootcamp. In the end it comes down to what you decide is a good OS for you not everyone else.

        5. A full-size keyboard that feels decent (copied from Sony) <<<<Strongly disagree with this point. The Sony's I've used have all had crappy keyboards and the sizing of their touch pads are even worse Tack on your still paying a premium over other netbooks because it has Sony embossed on it just like you are with Apple and I don't see any advantages. If you have a certain model of Sony in mind please throw it out so I can see what you're talking about.

        6. Excellent chassis quality, fit and finish ( again not really) <<<Well beauty is all in the eye of the beholder. Some guys like chunky women some guys like super slim women again beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whatever floats your boat.

        7. Nvidia 320M ( only thing i'd agree is a nicer touch) Agreed although there's room to move. Maybe offer a slightly higher end card as an option.

  • http://jacobian.biz/ jacobian

    I still want to have macbook air though.

  • Visual Mofo

    So wait, a software update will fix my iPhone from losing reception too? Because I swear I still drop calls.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

      the iPhone 4 doesn’t drop calls, are you still using a 3G or 3GS?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BAE55ZRPW6JYYVSFWYE2QOMFAY Saci

    No worries! MUST be a software problem.. otherwise a reboot would not fix anything!

    • Don Mancer

      Not necessarily. It could be a hardware problem that needs a hard reset to fix.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        no, software can fix over 90% of hardware issues, and since this is nothing physical, an update will appear in a few weeks. 99.99% of owners will never experience it, plus there is an easy work around, so always keep that in mind.

      • PaulR

        Mile L. epic fail…

        don’t be an idiot. software cannot fix hardware problems.
        what if a resistor blew on the board? what if the battery, cpu, gpu, cooling fan, hard disk, or SCREEN was faulty? how exactly is a software rewrite supposed to fix those problems?

        “Actually, builds the best computing devices on the planet,it’s just Apple users are VERY quality oriented,”

        NO, LENOVO builds the best computing devices on the planet…. Apple builds faulty fashion accessories.
        Repeat after me: LEN-O-VO once again:LEN-O-VO…. you know? IBM’s manufacturer? those guys that invented the x86 computer?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        @PaulR – Hilarious! You clearly aren’t involved with this industry. Yes, software can fix most hardware, especially in this case since it’s related to video. We aren’t talking about a blown resister, but yes, the battery, cpu, gpu, cooling fan, hard disk, even screens can be fixed through software. Maybe you aren’t a Mac user so don’t understand how tightly they are made? Sure, Microsoft can’t fix a lot of problems via software, but since Apple makes the entire widget, they can.

        No, Lenovo is several steps below Apple in hardware and software according to yearly rankings. IBM no longer make Desktops or Laptops, nor did IBM have anything to do with the x86, that was Intel. geesh… so you clearly don’t know what is going on.

      • PaulR

        +1 Don…

        -1 sacci

        it could be the GPU, that could cause vertical lines, my ati did something similar…. no amount of software updates would fix it… and the lines would go away after a reboot and stay away for hours just like a macbook air does :(

  • Davedavesteeve

    I think the problem is they make it too small, it’s missing some important components.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

      no, i checked and it has all the correct components, so how could it be missing anything?

  • Mgl323

    When you release a product, there’s bound to be a few products that are going to have problems.

  • J41872

    It amuses me that when Apple pushes a product to market that has obvious, verified and sometimes performance-impacting flaws, the public is overwhelmingly willing to look past those flaws for no other reason that, “It’s Apple! I must love Apple! MUST… LOVE… APPLE!”

    Way to go Steve Jobs. You can sell crap that people wallow in and say is rose water. Kudos!

    • Guest

      yawn… boring. quit criticizing other successful people and do something productive with your life.

      • J41872

        The only success of Apple is using their marketing might to convince the masses that they want to own their sub-standard, piece of crap products. They all look pretty, but under that pretty exterior, they’re really not all that remarkable. And certainly not magical. And hardly innovative. They’re just laptops, MP3 players and cell phones with pretty glass an aluminum cases with swishy, colorful UIs designed to make people buy more stuff they probably don’t even need in the first place.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        Actually, builds the best computing devices on the planet, it’s just Apple users are VERY quality oriented, so even a small flaw like this that affects 250 users will get blown out of proportion since everyone holds Apple in such high regard. It’s just a software glitch, so nothing to worry about.

      • PaulR

        are you saying that apple are successful or that you are successful? cos if you’d bought a macbook air both would be an epic fail…. lolz

    • Don82

      What about MicroSoft? They developed the line ” it’s not a bug, lt’s a feature “? The difference is that Apple WILL FIX the problem.Microsoft will just ignore it.

      • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/SDWH3JNGS74WV3W52HNLZ2S2KU jabber_wolf

        Actually microsoft is usually the fastest to repair software issues.
        Apple has been known to go for months up to years ignoring issues

      • bap

        When Word 6 shipped in the 90′s, it came on about 30 floppies, though CD’s were beginning to be quite common. I called MS about the issue and was told that they did not burn a gold master as they knew about numerous bugs and later shipped a free CD of 6.1a to all registered users. That is the most egregious example I can think of. On the Apple side, the original Newton was shipped against the engineer’s advice because the marketing people did not want to ship late. End result, Apple was out of the market a few years later despite having a good product at that time due to lack of public confidence.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        nonsense, windows has been around since 1985 or so, but they still haven’t fixed it.

  • Cha_Pimp

    Pretty sure Sony recalled like 2 million vios or however it’s spelled.. It’s not a big deal. Its hard to predict everything that could possibly be wrong with a product…

  • Gary

    I think every one is just holding it wrong.

  • Hfmjic

    Well, that explains the problem with my wife’s new 13″ Mac Air. First apple device I’ve ever bought that isn’t an ipod…the last too?

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

      It will be fixed with an upcoming software update, so no big problem.

      • JT_ANDYOUDONTSTAAAAP

        Love it, Microsoft fixes problems with an update and all the fanboiz scream BAD BAD MICROSOFT, Apple does the same and fanboiz say – problems what problems all will be ironed out with an upcoming software update

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

        microsoft doesn’t really sell hardware, learn the difference. and keep in mind when apple releases updates they usual work, with microsoft, they usually break something else.

      • Anonymous

        I still haven’t met a Mac fan that wasn’t a total douche. Can you fix that with an update or your poor grammar Mile L?

      • Anonymous

        Mikey, sorrey, I have to reply to your rubbish on ere.

        So the question I have is, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

  • Whiskey Guzzler

    Every product has bugs. High horsers go home.

  • RexRox

    I’d love to know if there is a similar support document for the new AppleTV for this problem many people reckon they have with it of ‘frame-skipping’.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y4AJEC7WSC22KKCYIH6ANZ43CM Mile L.

      that’s related to certain TVs, not the AppleTV itself.

  • Craig_holm

    As will all new products, there are bound to be a few gotchas with Apple gizmos when they first make the scene. Subsequent versions of the product will no doubt have these issues corrected. Contrast this with Microsoft operating systems which apparently sell insanely well despite all their flaws. It seems that Microsoft goes out of their way to make their products inconvenient to use.

    • Derp

      “Subsequent versions of the product will no doubt have these issues corrected.”

      Kinda crumb for the people who picked up one this time around.

  • Anonymous

    DOA

  • rob.alarcon

    does someone know the softwere they use for this tickets?

    • http://twitter.com/ctxppc ctxppc

      Their own. ;-)

  • D Blass

    The bright spots are the internal films of the displays sticking to each other. They obviously made the display so thin, without internal supports, to make the films “wet-out” and stick to each themselves. The lines coming out of a sleep mode are likely a violation of a “power on” sequence. This is when power is supplied to the displays before the display actually wakes up. The power is turning on the row drivers before they are under logic control.

    It is likely that the power on issue can be easily corrected but the film sticking is the nature of the beast of a ultra-thin display.

    DB

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