More silly macbook pro problems

Man this is just getting crazy.

I returned my 2010 mbp 15" i7 Dual because it would not connect to my camera with a 30 foot usb extension.

I got the new i7 quad 15" (2011) to replace it. Also got a i5 13"

Both were/are 4gb machines. Purchased Crucial 8 gb 1333 Mac specfic memory kits for both. No problems with the 13". No so much on the 15.

I'm getting random screen freezes on the 15. Tried swapping out the memory form the 13, still the same and the memory work great in the 13.

So I start checking the forums, and the report are everywhere about the same problems with the i7 quads in both 15 and 17. So far I'm seeing the issue with 8 gb machines. I'm not seeing any reports of 4 gb machines doing it. There does not seem to be a fix yet and replacement machines have the same issue.

Besides the fact that my mac experience has been less than satisfactory so far, I'm having a hard time deciding what to do. I can still return the 15", but my question really concerns Apples track record in sorting out these kinds of issues. Is is likely, based on past experience that Apple will find a fi to these problems and correct machines already in the field or will users of these flawed machines just have to "eat" them and live with the problems?

I have a pretty substantial investment now in Apple hardware and related software/accessories. I'm not unhappy 'in general" with the actual computing experience. However the hardware issues are simply more extensive than I've ever encountered. And I've purchased a boatload of computers over the last 20 years.

Anyways, rant off. Looking for Apple experience in these sort of matters for guidance.

Thanks

So I start checking the forums, and the report are everywhere about the same problems with the i7 quads in both 15 and 17. So far I'm seeing the issue with 8 gb machines. I'm not seeing any reports of 4 gb machines doing it. There does not seem to be a fix yet and replacement machines have the same issue.

Click to expand...

All I can tell you that in the past Apple has addressed any similar issue speedily. You may remember that there was a problem with the 27" iMac machines with regard to its display. (Flickering and yellow coloring of the screen) They replaced everyone of the defective units; some twice.

If in fact there is a problem with the MBP machines you mention above, Apple will make it good. Keep in touch with them and make sure that you open a case file with the genius bar or on line support.

Of course the decision is yours whether or not to return it.

While I'm sorry you're having this problem, it helps to remember in this situation that Apple has THE most stellar service track record (and lowest incidence of defect) in the entire industry and has done for years now. This isn't marketing hype: Consumer Reports, PC World, PC Magazine, JD Power -- every source agrees on this.

I'd take chscag's advice, but I'd also remember that seeing a number of reports in forums basically means nothing. People don't write in forums about how perfect everything's been, yet that is exactly what millions (literally) of people are experiencing. The tiny numbers that complain about something -- even here -- represent maybe 0.001% of sales.

Obviously that's not much consolation if you're in that group, but as he said -- Apple tends to make good.

I'm running a 2011 i7 MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM and so far, no issues at all.

It's funny you should mention it as I've seen a few blog posts alluding to freezing/beachballs with this machine, but I missed that the common thread seems to be 8GB of RAM.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd just pull the memory upgrade and stick with 4GB of RAM for now. You'll probably take a performance hit on some of your high-end apps that can actually use that kind of memory, but I think I'd prefer that to general instability until Apple gets a fix out the door.

You can bet that if enough people are reporting this, it will be corrected in pretty short order. My guess is that a firmware update is forthcoming.

cwa107 said:

I'm running a 2011 i7 MacBook Pro with 4GB of RAM and so far, no issues at all.

It's funny you should mention it as I've seen a few blog posts alluding to freezing/beachballs with this machine, but I missed that the common thread seems to be 8GB of RAM.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd just pull the memory upgrade and stick with 4GB of RAM for now. You'll probably take a performance hit on some of your high-end apps that can actually use that kind of memory, but I think I'd prefer that to general instability until Apple gets a fix out the door.

You can bet that if enough people are reporting this, it will be corrected in pretty short order. My guess is that a firmware update is forthcoming.

Click to expand...

I've pulled it back to 4gb and it is indeed working ok. I have 45 day return rights and still have 30 days left. I'll hang out for awhile to see if a fix is found.

There is a 21 page thread at the Apple support forum on this issue...

I've made a major commitment in both time and money to go Mac and I would like it to pay off. I'm really quite amazed with the amount of time and energy it has taken to try and get these macbooks sorted. I've simply have not experienced this kind of trouble since the early 90's and trying to get an SCSI Kodak digital camera to work on a pc.. I've taken a bunch of good natured flack from my clients over the years as they all used Macs and I ran PC's. I simply did not expect this kind of trouble when I bought the Macs...

I wonder what the deal is with 8GB of RAM? I'm running 8G in mine (Apple installed) with no issues since I got the machine a few weeks ago (knock on wood). Would you post a link to the 21 page thread? I'd like to skim through it.

BrianLachoreVPI said:

I wonder what the deal is with 8GB of RAM? I'm running 8G in mine (Apple installed) with no issues since I got the machine a few weeks ago (knock on wood). Would you post a link to the 21 page thread? I'd like to skim through it.

Click to expand...

Apple - Support - Discussions - MacBook Pro 2011 17" hard freeze ...

infocusinc said:

Apple - Support - Discussions - MacBook Pro 2011 17" hard freeze ...

Click to expand...

Only through 8 pages so far but an interesting read... Thanks

infocusinc said:

I've pulled it back to 4gb and it is indeed working ok. I have 45 day return rights and still have 30 days left. I'll hang out for awhile to see if a fix is found.

There is a 21 page thread at the Apple support forum on this issue...

I've made a major commitment in both time and money to go Mac and I would like it to pay off. I'm really quite amazed with the amount of time and energy it has taken to try and get these macbooks sorted. I've simply have not experienced this kind of trouble since the early 90's and trying to get an SCSI Kodak digital camera to work on a pc.. I've taken a bunch of good natured flack from my clients over the years as they all used Macs and I ran PC's. I simply did not expect this kind of trouble when I bought the Macs...

Click to expand...

Yeah, that is weird. I wish I could advise you better, but just know that they're not all like this. I "switched" in late-2006 and bought one of the first Intel MacBook Pros. I liked it so much, that two years later, I ended up buying an early 2008 model. That one served me quite well until last month when Apple finally released a new model with a high-speed external bus (what I was waiting for to make the jump to a uni-body model). In all that time, I've never had a major issue. Pretty much just open the lid when I need to use it and close it when I'm done. And that's why I like Macs for a laptop.

I run a Windows 7 desktop for gaming. But I like the Mac pretty much for everything else. I'm a Windows Network Admin by trade, and that is really the driving force behind the switch. I've met so many others that work in IT that made the switch - and for most of us - it's because we're so tired of troubleshooting PCs, we just want it to work when we get home. And for the most part it does.

So, I know that doesn't really help your plight - but I've seen a couple of models come out that had some kind of acknowledged defect. It usually takes a few weeks and Apple will release some kind of a patch and it's a non-issue going forward. I hope that's the case for you as well, because it really is a rewarding experience when everything is correct.

I'm typing on a 2.2 i7 Quad right now. Installed 8GB OWC. running perfectly. I'm very sympathetic to those having problems, though, as I can imagine the frustration.

indychris said:

I'm typing on a 2.2 i7 Quad right now. Installed 8GB OWC. running perfectly. I'm very sympathetic to those having problems, though, as I can imagine the frustration.

Click to expand...

I'm thinking it might be a memory problem. I have had both sets of memory in both computers and today my 13 locked up in the same fashion as the 15. I had swapped out the memory from the 15 when it crashed and put them in the 13 to test. Took awhile but they crashed, so I think they are the problem. Good 8mb set is back in the 13 and the bad set goes back tomorrow.

BTW these are Crucial sets.

When the new memory arrives I'll install it in the 15 and then stress test the machine. Wish me luck!

I never finished reading through the thread in entirety - but there seems to be a school of thought that thinks that the prevailing problem is related to interaction involving the new GPU. Apparently, at least according to some related threads, Apple has acknowledged the issue and is exploring it.

2011 MacBook Pros Crashing Under Load?

Someone also set up a Wiki site in the last week to track status. http://mbp-freeze.wikispaces.com/

Admittedly, I don't do anything more processor intensive than Aperture - yet - so I haven't pushed mine to the extent many of these users appear to be. Hopefully this and other little issues will be remedied by Apple's next firmware release.

Running a 2011 17" Quad with an 8GB Crucial upgrade kit and an OWC / Samsung 7200 RPM 750GB hard drive in it. Haven't noticed any lockup issues yet, but I haven't intentionally tried to bog down the computer. Worst I've loaded it was with Aperture 3 importing 1.2 GB of raw 3 MB photos in a batch and it handled that fine.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any issues though.