Helen Johnson

So Apple have now not only decided that it’s best to have all of their laptops look the same (unibody design) but now also be called the same thing. No longer will there be MacBooks and MacBook Pros but now there will only be MacBook Pros. Apple, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to add the “Pro” designation to all MacBooks regardless of whether or not they are actually “pro” at all.

It used to be that “Pro” meant something, that it was a “Professional” machine. The laptop had a dedicated graphics card, more power, better build quality and top end features for the users who needed or just wanted them. Read the rest of this entry »

So after seeing the new MacBook Pros get released last year, waiting for Apple to eventually release a new 17-inch version, and then waiting for my order, I have now finally got myself a new 17-inch MacBook Pro.

I have already talked about the new features of the 17-inch MacBook Pro before so no need to bore anyone with that again, instead I will let you know about my initial impressions of the new machine.

For starters it is quite shiny and nice, the new unibody design seems very sturdy. I have already noticed that the new model does not seem to get as hot (to touch) as the previous version (which gets very hot).

Read the rest of this entry »

Rejoice! Apple have finally updated the 17-inch MacBook Pro to the new aluminum unibody design.

The big advancement that Apple is all excited about is the new long-lasting, non-removable battery. The new battery will apparently last up to 8 hours, which is pretty amazing. By making the battery non-removable they were able to make the battery bigger by using the extra space that was used for the casing etc.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has also received the same upgrades as the 15-inch version that came out a few months ago, like the new style keyboard, the LED-backlit widescreen display and multi-touch trackpad. One extra they have added for the 17-inch version is the upgrade option for a 17-inch Hi-Resolution Antiglare Widescreen Display (for an extra AU$90.00). I will have to see what the reviews are of this option, but I would probably get it. I use my MacBook Pro for work, and while glossy screens do look pretty, the non-glossy screen that I have on my current 17-inch MacBook Pro is so nice and crisp and clean to work on.

Read the rest of this entry »

After about 2 months out of action, I finally have my MacBook Pro back and working. Got a whole new logic board in order to fix the Distorted or No Display problem with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics cards (see my previous post: Update to my Macbook Pro blank screen problems for details). Was told that the logic board cost $1800.26 AUD, but thanks to Apple I got it replaced for free (which the tech guy made a big deal out of).

So far it has been working fine, which is so good. I really missed my setup, my 1920 resolution and TextMate. Hopefully there won’t be anymore problems, but at least I know now that Apple is honouring their word on the NVIDIA issue here in Australia and that I still have about another 10 months warranty on the graphics card to cover that problem if it strikes again.

After posting about how my 17″ MacBook Pro has become a paperweight Apple now has a support article about MacBook Pro: Distorted video or no video issues in relation to the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors. This sounds exactly like the problems I am having and luckily even though I am out of my 1 year warranty, the cover for this issue on the NVIDIA chip has been extended to 2 years.

So my Macbook Pro is now in the shop and I will hopefully find out in the next couple of days if the NVIDIA problem is actually what is wrong with it. And if it is the problem, then they will replace it with another NVIDIA chip for free (which could have the same issues as it will also be a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT).

But I am hopeful that I can get a few more months work out of it seeing as Apple saw fit to not upgrade (much) the 17″ Macbook Pros at the recent launch of the new Macbooks and Macbook Pros. Yes there technically is a “new” 17 Macbook Pro, but they have not upgraded it enough for me to fork out that much money when it still has the same NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics card and the rumours are for new new 17″ Macbook Pros sometime early next year.

If you have experienced this problem share your story and leave a comment below, you might be able to help out another frustrated Mac user.

UPDATE: My MacBook Pro is back and working

My 17” MacBook Pro is a paperweight

I turned my laptop off after a day’s work and brought it home, went out for a few hours, and when I turned my macbook on later there was no screen. The hard drive was running and the keyboard was active. I had experienced a few funky things with the macbook, where it wouldn’t wake up from sleep and stayed on a blank screen before, so I held down the power button to turn it off, and tried it again. Still just a blank screen. I eventually gave up and left it for the night. The next day the same thing, no screen.

So I did some research and came across a surprising number of fellow macbook users with the same or similar symptoms, such as a thread on the apple forum: MacBook Pro Blank Screen.

I tried all of the suggestions in the thread and actually got it to work again by using another mac to delete my sleep image (see my comment here for instructions: how to delete my sleep image). But alas, the joy was short lived. The next day, blank screen again and this time the same fix did not work again because there was no sleep image to delete.

Now of course I was 1 month out of the 12 month warranty and the only “official” fix left was to replace the most expensive part, the logic board (i.e. the motherboard). I was quoted $1200 AUD for the logic board, not including installation. But after doing more reading it seems that some people had the same problem again even after getting a brand new logic board. Now it seems that this could all be the fault of a dodgy nvidia chip.

Luckily I can still get to my files, by connecting another mac via firewire and using target disc mode (hold down T while your mac is booting and the other connected mac will be able to see it as an external drive).

So I’ve been working on my trusty Asus F3 which is about 2 years old now. It’s been handling things quite well, but I miss my 1920 resolution and 4gb of ram. I’m not a rabid mac fan, but I did like my MacBook Pro and it suited me and my work well. So now I am waiting to see if/when there are new Macbook Pros coming (the rumour is for October 14) and that hopefully they will have improved nvidia chips in them.

UPDATE: Update to my MacBook Pro blank screen problems

UPDATE 2: My MacBook Pro is back and working