Apple sneaks new logic board into whining MacBook Pros

They sort of skipped the first step: admitting they have a problem, but Apple is at least starting to patch stuff up with their customers who have been complaining about whining MacBook Pros since the release of the product. MacBook Pro user Rickard Almqvist sent in his MBP for some repairs and got it back with a new logic board and a friendly letter from Apple letting him know what was up. The new version of the logic board requires OS X 10.4.6, as opposed to the machine's original 10.4.5, so they included some new install DVDs in case he needs to reinstall. After the upgrade he hasn't had any whining problems, and he, along with other users with similar reports, is attributing it to the new board. No word yet if Apple will offer this upgrade to users who merely complain of the whine, or if you'll need a more serious problem to crop up before they'll do the swap-a-roo, but it does look like there's hope on the horizon beyond just buying a new revision of the troublesome laptop.

[Via TUAW]

[Brendan @ Jul 8th 2006 1:30PM]

They fixed the noise. Very sneaky of them?

[Phil Dokas @ Jul 8th 2006 1:52PM]

I work in an Apple authorized repair center and this is fairly routine. Apple updates and revises old boards and components all the time. This is hardly some underhanded way of addressing the issue due to the fact that it happens very frequently. And honestly, if it fixes the issue then it's a good thing any way you slice it.

[toad @ Jul 8th 2006 2:58PM]

This is why you never buy a "revision A" product from Apple.

[James @ Jul 8th 2006 3:30PM]

Actually this is why I have no problem buying first release products from Apple. With AppleCare you should have no problem getting stuff like this fixed.

Every tech product has bugs/flaws -- the good companies deal with you fairly in resolving them. And Apple definitely qualifies on that front.

[Ian @ Sep 25th 2006 5:34PM]

.....I'm not too sure anymore..... I have bought about 12 Apple Macs over the years, so I reckon you could call me a 'hardened Mac user'! However, in the last three years I have had more trouble with my one iMac and one (three-year old) iBook than I've had with all the others put together....

Sure Apple did change the first two failed logic boards in my iBook, but it was a 6 week process in each case... and it has just gone again and of course they won't replace it a third time... and the quote is �420+ this time. So it is now effectively junk in a nice white casing!

Isn't that pretty much like selling you a car with an inherently faulty wheel... then be prepared to replace it twice only, with two other (knowingly) faulty wheels???

Three years for the life of an iBook I don't think is a particularly great deal!

[Wayne @ Jul 8th 2006 3:50PM]

I thought all Mac users whined, not just MacBook Pro users.

Oh, you mean the laptop...

[CLemon @ Jan 4th 2009 5:09PM]

Oooh, zing!

¬_¬

[Nate @ Jul 8th 2006 4:31PM]

i just got a mbp it has a whine hopefully i can get this replaced with just that asa problem

[Motorola 3G Victim @ Jul 8th 2006 4:43PM]

I picked up my first MBP 15 this past Sunday from my local Apple Retail store and it came with 10.4.6 install media and (so far) no whine... I guess I waited long enough. :-)

[Scott @ Jul 8th 2006 6:44PM]

No! It isn't a "Laptop," Its a "Notebook." Because you can't have children if you put it on your lap.

[The TruthBearer @ Jul 8th 2006 10:00PM]

I called up Applecare and they agreed to put a new logic board in mine. I am curious because people say the new one runs a lot cooler than the old one as well. I hope this is the case....Hey, I have a 1.83 - perhaps the new logic board will bump mine up to 2 Ghz? Wishful thinking....

[TonyG @ Jul 9th 2006 6:42AM]

This practice is extremely common for apple. They tend to love pulling out the logic board in the laptops and iMacs and switching in new ones. The message they include is pretty standard however, I always wonder though are the drivers for the logic board so tied to the OS that they must upgrade the OS? I personally have not sent a laptop in for this, maybe someone can enlighten me on whether they actually got a different OSX revision.

[Mike @ Jul 9th 2006 11:18AM]

I've never heard any whining or mooing from my 15" MBP (2.0 GHz, serial number W8610xxxx). It gets hotter than my old PBG4 but it makes less noise, although I do hear the fan running under heavy CPU load.

[will @ Jul 9th 2006 1:06PM]

What makes anyone think that the MLB was replaced because of the whine, and not something else? The MLB has its fingers in practically every function of a computer, it tends to be one of the more common parts to get replaced.

[matt_s @ Jul 9th 2006 7:26PM]

Can we please have the build to order option of NO CAMERA in MacBooks & MB Pros? Most OEM accounts do not allow cameras in their buildings! That Keynote presentation sure rocks when the laptop has to stay in the lobby. This isn't just customers, either - who wants dozens or hundreds of cameras floating around at headquarters? Or in the engineering lab? One would think that a company that keeps IP and designs as close to the vest as possible... oh, I don't know... maybe a company like Apple? ... would understand these things a hell of a lot better.

[Nick @ Jul 9th 2006 11:26PM]

toad wrote:
"This is why you never buy a "revision A" product from Apple."

Wow, I bet you thought that up all yourself, 'cuz I have never, ever heard that anywhere, ever before.

[Jason @ Jul 10th 2006 12:49AM]

I gotta wonder how much or if AsusTek's star has fallen within Apple over all the problems with this design.

Has Apple used them for earlier designs?

[CJ @ Jul 10th 2006 8:37AM]

Sneaky? How did they skip the admission of a problem? Isn't it sort of implied that they had a problem, when they replace the entire logic board. This spin was put on the story at Digg, and it's sad to see Engadget blindly accept this idiocy.

[James Cunningham @ Jul 13th 2006 10:02PM]

"No! It isn't a "Laptop," Its a "Notebook." Because you can't have children if you put it on your lap."

Wow. Um. That's actually pretty good news - I may finally have the right leverage to get my girlfriend to let me buy one of those.

[Henrik @ Jul 25th 2006 9:46AM]

Just got my MBP back today. They changed the logicboard and the battery and everything is up and running.

The thing I also hoped would get fixed, was the 'brightness-related' noise, but thats still there... oh well, life goes on

[Gregg @ Jul 27th 2006 9:30PM]

Well the MacBooks are dying like crazy right now and Apple is ignoring it like usual. It must be a huge issue because several thousand people are going crazy on the Apple support forums complaing about the MacBooks randomly shutting down. Mine has been in the shop since last week and the logic board is on back order!! I am going to have to buy another laptop since I have a business trip to leave on this Sunday. It's going to take a lawyer but I want my money back. This is rediculous. I have been a rev a Apple buyer since the TiBook. Over $25K in Apple products the past 4 years I expected better customer service.

[viramor @ Aug 2nd 2006 12:20PM]

I finally decided to have my Rev A MBP sent in. I had the whine and the power inverter buzz but the thing that made me take it to the local apple store was a battery failure. 2 days after I noticed my battery problems Apple issues a voluntary battery exchange/recall.

[Contrid @ Feb 13th 2008 4:16AM]

My logic board literally caught fire when I plugged in a USB hub. Apparently there was some type of power surge. I just received an email from the iStore saying that the main logic board has been replaced and that I can pick my macbook pro up today. Whether or not I should plug a USB hub in again, I'm not sure, but it was the worst experience ever.

[erick @ Aug 14th 2008 10:07PM]

so yea my computer does not want to charge
can it be the logic board or something like that
i just replaced it with a new hardrive

[jackflash @ Sep 22nd 2008 8:39AM]

I like the comment about the macbook being a 'notebook' and not a 'laptop' - not sure if I will have children after using it as a laptop! It used to be very hot!

My macbook died on me after 14 months of use - 2 months after the warranty ran out. Now the local Mac Store wants £500 to replace the faulty Logic board.

No way! I would rather keep it as 'junk in a nice white casing'

And that shall be the end of my experiment with Apple. Never again!

What I have realised is that Apple have high priced products to start with and they will certainly take their pound of flesh if something does go wrong. So there will be no more macs, ipod or iphone for me! (was considering both)