Prevent fried MacBooks, and expensive repairs

I’ve had a couple of clients fry their MacBooks/Macbook Pros by having them wake from sleep in their laptop bag. This was expensive, and preventable, but only if the user is aware of the issue.

I’ve carried my laptops in sleep mode around the world since I bought a PowerBook 140 back in 1991. Never had a problem, as long as the lid stayed closed.

It turns out that these clients had bluetooth mice and/or keyboards in the bag with them, turned on. Pressure on the mouse or keyboard can cause a Mac laptop to wake from sleep… if the Bluetooth preferences are set for it.

It’s convenient to be able to wake your MacBook on your desktop with an external keyboard or mouse, but a great idea to turn the preference off when traveling.

Open System Preferences (Apple Menu -> System Preferences) and click on the Bluetooth pane, in the Internet and wireless section.

Then click on the Advanced button in the Bluetooth Preferences, and uncheck the “Allow Bluetooth Devices to wake this computer” checkbox.

If the lid of your MacBook/Pro is shut, the computer is asleep, and can’t be woken by bluetooth or other activity, you can be confident that you won’t fry your expensive tool… or toy, depending.

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If you have an iPad, or for that matter an iPhone, iPod or even a laptop, Mac or not, you could be burning through your battery’s lifespan quicker than you need to.

Apple recommends running the battery charge down to zero once a month, then fully recharging the battery. This advice is good for all Li-ion batteries.

Lithium ion battery life extension

Lithium Ion batteries are a bit picky about how they operate. They have a finite lifespan, and after a few years usually only have a fraction of their original capacity, but factors like operating temperature, how the battery is used, how long it is plugged in, and charge cycling can make a difference in the battery’s lifespan.

One of the worst things for your Li-ion battery is to run it completely out of charge all the time. Full discharges are hard on the battery, and it’s best to run your battery down to no lower than 20% capacity. This is the most sustainable scenario, in general. Li-ion batteries do not have a “memory” issue, like older batteries did, so there is no reason not to plug the charger in before the battery is flat.

Once a month or so , completely discharge the battery, and completely recharge it. This “conditions” the battery, and also ensures that the time estimate for discharge will be more accurate.

These batteries are “smart”, in that they can count discharge cycles. These cycles are counted based on a 100% discharge, summed up over multiple sessions, so if you discharge your battery to 30% today and charge back to 100%, tomorrow discharge it to 70%, that is one cycle of the battery. That’s why lesser discharges are better for longer Li-ion battery life.

Keeping the battery charged up all the time isn’t a good idea, though. These batteries can’t be overcharged, but they will lose capacity if plugged in all the time. Best practice is to let the battery run down to 80% capacity or so before plugging it in.

Heat kills, particularly in laptop usage. Cell phones used on a very hot day can also have battery problems, because running at elevated temperatures reduces capacity. Usually there’s not much to be done about the problem, but if you stay away from high-temperature scenarios such as direct sunlight, attics, etc, or extreme cold environments, you’ll have longer battery life.

Battery storage for long periods is best done at about half charge, in a cool place. A refrigerator is about as cool as you should go… a wine cellar-like environment is perfect. Just don’t put it in the freezer!

None of these tips will make a huge difference in your battery life. They are not immortal, but good usage practices will extend the life and the capacity, making your device more useable for a longer period.

If you’d like more info on Li-ion batteries, you can find an excellent article here.

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Apple has posted a few software and firmware updates, which address issues with airport not able to turn off or on, and drive noise with optical drives. The updates should be available through Software Update, so be sure to check there.

Apple AirPort Client Update 2009-002

This update fixes a problem we reported on a little while ago where people were unable to turn off airport if it was on, or turn it on if it was off. This affected Snow Leopard users, and while some workarounds helped a few people, this update is needed to fully address the issue.

This update also fixes problems with network loss when using “Wake on Demand” features, and the inability to create computer-to-computer networks and share internet connections. The update is 12.95MB in size.

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.8

This update is for MacBook Pro 5,1 and 5,2 computers (Late 2008, Early 2009 MacBook Pros) and addresses an issue where the optical drive makes noise when waking from sleep or starting up.

Be sure to apply the SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 (below) after installing this update.

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.4

This update is for MacBook 5,1 and 5,2 computers (Early and Mid 2009) and addresses the optical drive noises in these non-pro systems. As with the MacBook Pro update, this will require you to install the SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0 after installing. I wonder who the mysterious person “Glenno” is, who is mentioned in the KB article about this firmware update.

Glenno has a nice suggestion…

SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0

This updates the drive's firmware to address the noise issue, as long as the computer's firmware is of the appropriate version. The update requires OS 10.5.7 or later, and is 18.35MB in size. More information on the update and how to apply it can be found here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3744

via Apple updates Airport, MacBook, and Superdrive Firmware. | MacFixIt – CNET Reviews.

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Apple’s Press release:

Apple today introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. Pioneered on iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69. [...]
Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.
The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included.
Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and is available at the end of October through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $69. Magic Mouse requires Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.8 or later.

Apple today updated its popular MacBook with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad and Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MacBook is an ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users, and is available for $999. [...]
The new MacBook features a unibody, polycarbonate enclosure that makes it lighter and more durable. The new design includes a unique non-skid bottom surface and at just 4.7 pounds, the sleek MacBook slides easily into a backpack or briefcase. MacBook comes standard with a bright, LED-backlit display with the same wide-angle viewing technology used in the MacBook Pro line. The new MacBook has a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics.
The new MacBook includes Apple’s innovative built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge, and up to 1,000 recharges. [...]
The new MacBook is available immediately through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Apple today unveiled an all new iMac line featuring brilliant LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure. The new iMac line, starting at $1,199, is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the performance. Every new iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the all new wireless Magic Mouse, the world’s first mouse with Multi-Touch technology pioneered by Apple on the iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpad. [...]
The new iMac features stunning LED-backlit displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for watching high definition movies and TV shows from iTunes, or editing and watching your own videos or photos using iLife. The new 21.5-inch iMac features a high resolution 1920-by-1080 pixel display. The 27-inch iMac features a beautiful 2560-by-1440 pixel display that offers 60 percent more pixels than the previous 24-inch model. Both 21.5 and 27-inch displays use IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle.
The iMac comes standard with a wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse featuring Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. [...]
The iMac features improved graphics across the line with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics in the 21.5-inch model, and ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics in the 27-inch model. The new iMac line now also features 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory and capacity up to 16GB across four SO-DIMM slots. Every iMac features a built-in iSight video camera, mic and stereo speakers integrated into the thin aluminum and glass design. iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a total of four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port and a new built-in SD card slot.

Apple today also announced that the Mac Mini, the world’s most energy efficient desktop, is now faster, offers more storage and comes standard with double the memory. Starting at $599, the entry level Mac Mini features a faster 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, a 160GB hard drive, five USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a SuperDrive. The $799 Mac Mini features a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of memory and a larger 320GB hard drive. Apple now offers a $999 Mac Mini that is specially configured with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server. Mac Mini with Snow Leopard Server features two 500GB hard drives for a total of 1TB of server storage in the tiny 6.5-inch square by 2-inch tall Mac Mini enclosure.

The new 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac and Mac Mini lines are now shipping and available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The Intel Core i5 and i7 quad-core iMacs are available for order and will begin shipping this November. Mac Mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is available from the Apple Store and Apple’s retail stores.

Lost in all this is the release of a new Apple Remote, longer than the original, aluminum to match the iMac, with aminor change in the button location but otherwise seemingly much the same.

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Apple is offering a $50 option to provide the matte display they dropped last year. New Mac portables have come with glossy screens only on the unibody models, much to the dismay of a very vocal minority.

Apple did retain the option for a matte screen on the 17″ MacBook Pro, and now it’s an optional install for the 15″ model as well.

For 50 bucks.

The 13″ MacBook, MacBook Air and MB Pro still have the glossy screens. If you want a matte screen, too bad, says Apple. TechRestore, on the other hand, is happy to remove your glossy screen and replace it with a matte screen surrounded by a flat-black bezel. It’s not cheap, tho… $200 plus shipping. It’s a bit of a bargain, tho, as bare LCD panels run about $200-250. TechRestore keeps your glossy screen for parts, and that keeps the cost down.

Maybe Apple will get the hint, and offer both… at the same price?

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