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Quality control problems at Apple???

Leader:

When Apple's first generation of Intel-based laptops started rolling out, first with the MacBook Pro and then the MacBook a few months later, initial user reports seemed almost too good to be true. Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to run OS X and Windows in a single bound! At least initially, the transition to Intel was largely viewed as a success, at least in terms of product reviews. This was no small feat on Apple's part. Despite the fact that the company was transitioning to a new architecture, Apple chose to stick with the form factor and general appearance of their popular PowerBook and iBook line. It seemed as though they had pulled it off without a hitch.

All of that changed after units started shipping in quantity. No computer company produces flawless products, but Apple has a reputation for being a cut above most computer companies. Yet here was the Macbook Pro "whining." Others claimed that the MacBook could burst into flames. In this brief report we look at the biggest quality control problems we've seen and heard in recent months, then answer the question: are there quality control problems at Apple? First, we review the problems that either Apple has copped to or what we believe are real issues even though Apple has not addressed them. After that, we'll talk briefly about other happenings at Apple, and then finish by assessing what we've learned in the process.

 

Whining
One of the original and most widely covered issues with the MacBook Pro was the mysterious "whining" noise. Users reported that their MacBook Pros were emitting a faint buzzing sound from environs of the LCD/keyboard/speaker area that could usually only be heard while in a quiet room. Curious users prodded further into the issue by discovering that opening up Photo Booth and then quitting the application somehow caused the whining to stop, at least temporarily. It had always been somewhat of a mystery as to what exactly was causing "The MacBook Pro Whine," but Apple officially acknowledged the problem with a knowledge base article on the topic in July of this year, instructing users who suffered from the whine to contact AppleCare.

Check that one off the list of Acknowledged Apple Boo-boos.

Heat
Heat quickly became a common complaint amongst MacBook and MacBook Pro users, especially for those who used their laptops on their laps and other non-desk surfaces. A comparative experiment on operating temperatures between a MacBook and a Dell laptop showed that, in come locations on the casing, the Macintel was emanating heat at a noticeably higher temperature than the Dell it was being tested against. Was the problem caused by improperly applied thermal grease? Indeed, an Apple service manual seemed to be instructing technicians to apply entirely too much thermal paste to the processors, and some users were able to open up their machines and apply a more sensible dosage of thermal grease which eventually resulted in a huge temperature drop in the operating temperature of their machines. This heat problem certainly seemed to look more and more like Apple's fault, and a problem that could have been fixed easily at that.

At some point, Apple released a Software Update that reportedly addressed some of these heat issues, but soon thereafter, an article on Apple's knowledge base advised against using your laptop on, well, your lap. Apple even eventually put up a knowledge base article claiming that there was some possibility that, if your MacBook was running hot, there might have been a piece of plastic blocking one of the cooling vents. The only problem with this alibi? There were absolutely no reports of anybody ever finding this elusive piece of plastic. Nice try, Apple.

But what about fires and other catastrophes that we'd heard so much about? Indeed, there was an account or two of MacBooks going up in flames, but certainly not a phenomenon that would be considered widespread. What did have a few people worried, however, were at least three separate accounts of MagSafe connectors melting down in some way—in at least one case while the user was not even home and thanked his cats for disconnecting the MagSafe before it burned down the place—which also seem to be a statistical anomaly amongst MacBook and MacBook Pro users. For the time being, there is no official acknowledgment of any fires or meltdowns by Apple, but they have reportedly replaced all of these users' machines very swiftly, no doubt for fear of quickly-spreading bad publicity.

Discoloration
Another issue that came up not too long after they started shipping was an odd discoloration on the casing around the palm rest areas on MacBooks, particularly white ones. Originally addressed as "improper handling" by Apple, the problem was spreading and the discoloration seemed impossible to remove, even showing up in places on the case where hands would not normally be placed. Finally, Apple admitted that a manufacturing "defect" caused the MacBook discoloration and threw up a knowledge base page instructing afflicted users to contact AppleCare for service on their discolored MacBooks. Acknowledged Apple Boo-boo numero dos.

Batteries
MacBook Pro users started reporting warping batteries in droves after a couple months of use. Some people were concerned about fire hazards while others were concerned about the swollen battery affecting the MacBook Pro's casing. Indeed, the warping batteries started causing a number of problems amongst users, including random shutdowns and erratic trackpad behavior. Finally, after what seemed like hundreds of accounts of users experiencing warping battery issues with their MacBook Pros, Apple came out with an official battery recall for MacBook Pro batteries that were sold with laptops before May of 2006 due to batteries not meeting Apple's "high standards for battery performance." We'll count that as a third Acknowledged Apple Boo-boo.

Logic Boards
Users who were not suffering from random shutdowns caused by warping batteries were complaining about random shutdowns of another kind. They were reported to be happening at any time, while plugged in or on battery, and usually multiple times in a single computing session. The complaints started to mount more and more, spreading around the web like wildfire and yet never managed to get too much publicity—at least not on the MacBook Pro Whine level. Amongst the hundreds of posts about this particular problem on Apple's discussion boards, users started reporting back that Apple was either replacing their machines on the spot or having them sent in for repairs, citing logic board issues. Suddenly, we are taken back to memories of Apple's previous run-in with logic boards on the iBook G3 that eventually ended with Apple acknowledging the problem and launching a global logic board repair program for the iBook. Such an acknowledgment has not occurred yet for the owners of MacBooks and MacBook Pros who have experienced what are being referred to as logic board problems on their machines, but as the problem spreads further with no official response, it would be foolish of Apple not to try to make things right in the hearts of Mac laptop users once again with another worldwide repair program.

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Is Apple's quality control slipping through the cracks with this Intel transition? We'd certainly be hard-pressed to say that it isn't, given the volume of available evidence combined with such a short timeframe. Ever since Apple announced the plan to migrate all of its hardware over to Intel in July of 2005, time has been ticking for customers to see what new, magnificent hardware they be able to get out of Apple and how soon. Perhaps Apple decided to get the transition going too quickly, anticipating a slowdown in hardware sales after the holiday season due to potential customers holding off on purchases until Intel machines were available. The iMac Core Duo and the Mac Mini Core Solo and Duo appear to be doing fine QC-wise, but the MacBook Pro and now the MacBook are big sellers for Apple, both of which are responsible for effectively doubling Apple's laptop marketshare since the Intel Macs started rolling out. Apple probably saw that trend coming and wanted to ensure that there would be no gap in sales along with keeping the customer base satisfied (depending on one's definition of "satisfied," of course). Imagine where Apple would be right now if we had to wait until WWDC time in August for our MacBooks and MacBook Pros as we did for the Mac Pro (hint: Not where they are now).

Apple is now, truly, in a stronger position than it ever has been in the past, with a rising overall market share and seemingly endless possibilities in both the near and far future, but instead of potential buyers talking excitedly about which MacBook or MacBook Pro to get, we are beginning to hear cautious questions about whether they should be worried about this or that hardware problem before buying. It's certainly heartening to see Apple trying to make things right by beginning to acknowledge some of these issues, but why does it seem to be an afterthought lately? Occasional problems and complaints are of course to be expected and there is no such thing as a perfect company, but the past six months have proven to be excessively rough for Apple's notebook lines after the Intel transition. If Apple had taken its time on the pacing of these transitions and spent some more time on quality control before rolling out MacBooks to the masses, the year of Intel would be soaring, not stumbling, for Mac users too instead of just for Apple.

Apple could not be reached for comment on this topic.