06-03-2006, 12:41 AM

So I got my first Mac on Tuesday. I figured that all the problems people have been reporting must not be the norm. Boy was I wrong.

MacBook Pro #1(W8617)
Got this one at about 4:00 pm Tuesday at the Las Vegas Apple Store. I got it there, because here in Fresno, we don't have an Apple Store. After I returned to the hotel I immediately noticed the heat and whine issues. I figured it didn't seem so bad, so give it some time. At about 1:00 am(after we went out for a while) as I was installing the updates a gray line formed horizontally across my screen and would not go away.
Returned Wednesday about 11:00am with no problems.

MacBook Pro #2 (W8617)
Didn't mess with this one too much before I actually got home. I did use it in the airport and this was the first time it shut itself off. Like it was a desktop and somebody pulled the plug. I thought nothing of it. That was until last night when it turned itself off at least 5 more times. The worst part? It is completely random. As far as I can tell there is no pattern to it. Happens plugged or unplugged, low load to heavy load. The heat on this one is worse than my first right until the fans come on. The fans will come on full blast and cool it very well. The problem is they don't always come on. Why don't Apple run them at a low rpm more often instead of very high rpm rarely? Another problem is 3d performance. The only game I play is World of Warcraft. Not a demanding game. I figured I could turn up some settings. In fact, I have to turn the DOWN!!! And even then my fps jump all over the place. With settings at default, I will go from 45fps, to 24, 19, up to 30, then 19, the 40. These are all in about 5-10 seconds. If I turn some settings up I get 10-15 frames.
Did I get 2 DOA's?????

The problem is, I don't want anything else. The OS is amazing and when this thing works it is more than I ever wanted. But the problems are really frustrating me. Anyone have any constructive ideas? I would rather not drive 2 and half hours to the nearest Apple Store, especially just to get a 3rd dud. Please any help would be appreciated!

06-03-2006, 01:39 AM

I take it you are running WOW in OSX and Not Windows with Boot-camp? If so I am almost sure that WOW is not a Universal application and is running under Rosetta which is an Emulator that emulator the Power PC CPUs used in the G4 and G5 Macs. That would explain the slowness of that game. The other problems you are having sound like you got two dud machines. Strange. I messed with both the 15" and 17" MBP tonight and did not feel it was running all that HOT. The 15" was not that hot at all, with the hottest part over by the Mag Safe connector. To me it was Warm and this machine had been running all day in Comp-USA. The 17" was a bit hotter but it was working playing videos for who knows how long. Neither seemed that hot. Very warm at best.

Good luck. Again the Slowness of WOW will get taken care of when they release a universal version that runs on the Intel CPU natively.

06-03-2006, 01:46 AM

I'm pretty sure WoW is universal already...

06-03-2006, 01:50 AM

Actually, as of patch 1.9.2 WoW is a universal binary. I am running the current version which is 1.10.1 or 1.10.2 can't remember. I am going to try it with more RAM and see if that helps.

Funny thing is I am sitting at the kitchen table with a ceiling fan on and the Macbook is actually cool to the touch.

06-03-2006, 02:09 AM

Then WOW should run decently. This IS a MacBook PRO and not a Mac Book correct?

06-03-2006, 02:14 AM

Well I upped my RAM to a gig, turned off the ceiling fan to make sure the computer wasn't being cooled by it, and as I expected WoW ran much better. Still not what I had hoped for, but very well. I had hoped to be able to turn up the settings alot, but at default setting I was getting 50-60 fps(very good) inside the Undercity. I went outside where it happened to be raining(weather in WoW really taxes the system) and it dropped to 25-35 fps(still really good for weather). I was going to go to Orgrimmar (a much more demanding city) but as I was on the way there the computer killed itself again. When I tried to restart it didn't make it to the OS X startup before killing itself. I think it is obviously a heat issue. I have turned my ceiling fan on again and it is running well.

06-03-2006, 02:15 AM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

Then WOW should run decently. This IS a MacBook PRO and not a Mac Book correct?

Yes MacBook Pro 2.0.

06-03-2006, 10:13 AM

odd... well my guess is that you got two duds. apple is probably still adapting to intel chips and will soon fix these problems. but definately if you can return your second one.

06-04-2006, 12:55 AM

Thanks for your guys' help. I have one more question. Seeing as how this will be my third MBP in less than a week and I will have to travel 2 and half hours each way to replace it, should i ask for some sort of upgrade? I usually don't expect more than I pay for, but this is a little ridiculous. Do Apple Stores usually do such things? Or should I just pray I get a good one and be happy if I do?

06-04-2006, 01:22 AM

This is just my opinion and not based on any fact.

If that 2nd machine is really messed up, I would hope they would do something extra after 2 bad machines. Again, my opinion.

06-05-2006, 12:27 PM

Well for any who are interested, I did get another one yesterday with little hassle. The genius ran a bunch of tests and of course found nothing and the thing wouldn't shutdown. After about 45 minutes of screwing with it he said they would exchange it for a new one. Got my new one. It seems to run the hottest of the three, but that might be my imagination. Other than that it is great! Made my first slideshow dvd last night and was very impressed with how easy it was.