Advise on a used "new" MacBook pro

Started by Brak(E)man, December 17, 2016, 03:17:30 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Brak(E)man

I'm thinking of adding to my Mac collection.
Is this model a good addition?
https://support.apple.com/kb/sp645?locale=en_US
It has an SSD hd put in already.

I'm using a 2010 MacBook since way back and it works just fine
but I feel I need a backup and also to update osx from 10.6 to 10.10
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

gumbo

#1
Quote from: Brak(E)man on December 17, 2016, 03:17:30 AM
I'm thinking of adding to my Mac collection.
Is this model a good addition?
https://support.apple.com/kb/sp645?locale=en_US
It has an SSD hd put in already.

I'm using a 2010 MacBook since way back and it works just fine
but I feel I need a backup and also to update osx from 10.6 to 10.10

...be careful what you wish for..
I know that I am a dinosaur, but it's still amazing what you can do with 10.6.8 without (some of) the hassles of the later incarnations..

Peter
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

Brak(E)man

I will still have 10.6.9 and I have an external drive with 10.10 that works, I want to move that system onto a laptop and keep the old one

I still run 10.3 on a few macs a G4 and a G 3
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Brak(E)man

swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Kevin M

If you could get the i7 processor, then maybe. I don't like the 8G max memory, though.

Elantric

#5
If you are a music content creator ,  look for a machine that allows 16Gb of RAM

8GB becomes an obstacle ,and since all new MacBooks have soldered down RAM and not user upgradable. I only recommend older models that allow RAM upgrades  - like the 2011 MacBook Pro you listed

The 15" and 17" are better - the late 2011 17" MacBook Pro with quad core i7 at 3.4GHz is worth locating


All tech specs here
http://lowendmac.com/profiles.htm

Brak(E)man

So an earlier mackbook pro model than 2011 ?

I'm using a MacBook with 4gb ram and I mix lots of tracks with many heavy plugs on each track and 5-7 fx tracks also with several plugs on each
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

admin

#7
I'm saying find a 2011 mac - not older 2010 mac

If you use modern apps - is where you run into hurdles

I had a 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, lots of money but I assumed 8GB would be enough - but the Protools 11 demo tracks that load a few plugins would not play without reporting errors

By contrast my Late 2011 17" MacBook Pro i7 Quadcore, 16GB RAM 2TB SSD runs rings around the 2013 model  - and  Late 2011 has Expresscard34 slot for my Matrox Video gear, and USB 3.0 Exprescard34 adapter  - for latest external drives and fast transfer
deeper details on computers here
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6104.0

Brak(E)man

Thanx , got it now , the late 2011 was what I was looking for.
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch




admin

#12
https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/22/macbook-pro-stage-light/



Some MacBook Pro owners have complained of a 'stage light' effect, where they see uneven backlighting at the bottom of the display. For some, the symptom is only the first stage, with the backlight failing altogether.

iFixit says that it has identified the cause – and the way in which Apple changed the design of the Touch Bar generation for the MacBook Pro turns what would otherwise be a $6 fix into a $600 nightmare ...

The problem, says the company, is caused by Apple using much thinner ribbon cables instead of the thicker wires used in previous generation MacBook Pro models.

The issue is fairly simple: the current generation of MacBook Pro laptops (2016–present) uses flexible ribbon cables to connect the display to a display controller board beneath the Touch Bar. These cables wrap over the board, where they're secured by a pair of spring-loaded covers—and they're subjected to the stress of bending with every opening and closure of the laptop. Within a seemingly short time, those cables are starting to fatigue and tear. The backlight cable is generally the first to go, producing the infamous "stage light" symptoms, and eventually giving out entirely when the laptop is opened more than about 40°.

When it first debuted, the design seemed fine. But as always, the devil is in the details. Apple opted for thin, fragile flex cables as opposed to the beefier wire cables used in previous designs that could be routed through the hinge instead of wrapped around it, helping mitigate the stress of repeated openings and closings.

In theory, you should be able to replace the cables for $6. But Apple's design makes that impossible, says iFixit.

In an apparent effort to make the display as thin as possible, Apple designed the cables as part of the display, so they cannot be replaced. This means that when (not if) those cables start to fail, the entire display unit needs to be replaced, as opposed to one or two little cables—effectively turning a $6 problem into a $600 disaster.

The problem so far doesn't appear to be affecting too many people, but a petition started by Apple DIY repair guru Louis Rossmann, calling for an extended warranty program, has so far gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
https://www.change.org/p/apple-fix-all-macbook-pro-2016-and-later-with-stage-light-effect-or-backlight-shutdown-flexgate?lang=en-GB
Apple already has a free repair program for certain MacBook and MacBook Pro models with sticky or unresponsive keys.
https://9to5mac.com/2018/06/22/apple-macbook-pro-keyboard-sticky-repair-refund/


admin

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. airline safety regulators banned select MacBook Pro laptops on flights after Apple Inc. recently said that some units had batteries that posed a fire risk.

In a statement, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was "aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops" and stated that it alerted major U.S. airlines about the recall.

The watchdog also reminded airlines to follow 2016 safety instructions for goods with recalled batteries, which means that the affected Apple laptops should not be taken on flights as cargo or in carry-on baggage by passengers.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a warning about these MacBook Pro models earlier this month, telling airlines in the region to follow 2017 rules that require devices with recalled lithium-ion batteries to be switched off and not used during flights.

The Apple laptops in question are some 15-inch MacBook Pros sold between September 2015 and February 2017. Apple issued the recall in June, saying it had "determined that, in a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units, the battery may overheat and pose a fire safety risk."

This week, four airlines with cargo operations managed by Total Cargo Expertise -- TUI Group Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines, Air Italy, and Air Transat -- implemented a ban, barring the laptops from being brought onto the carriers' planes as cargo, according to an internal notice obtained by Bloomberg News.

"Please note that the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro laptop, sold between mid-2015 to February-2017 is prohibited on board any of our mandate carriers," a TCE operations coordinator wrote to employees.

A spokesperson for TUI Group Airlines said airport staff and flight attendants will start making announcements about these MacBook Pros at the gate and before takeoff. Laptops that have replaced batteries won't be impacted, the spokesperson said. The company also posted a notice on its website banning the recalled computers on board, in both cargo and passenger areas of its planes. It's unclear what efforts will, if any, be made at U.S. airports.

"Customer safety is always Apple's top priority, and we have voluntarily decided to replace affected batteries, free of charge," Apple said in a June statement. Once new batteries are installed in the laptops, customers are free to fly with the computers.

According to a Canadian notice from June, about 432,000 MacBook Pros sold in the U.S. were included in the recall. Roughly 26,000 units sold in Canada were impacted, too, while the number sold in Europe hasn't been disclosed.

In a July 10 tweet following an incident involving a MacBook, the FAA said "recalled #batteries do not fly."

The MacBook Pro isn't the first consumer tech device to be barred from airlines. In 2016, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Note 7 was banned from U.S. flights due to a fire hazard after the handset's battery exploded in multiple incidents. Recently recalled laptops like those from HP Inc. may also be banned by the FAA's rules.

While there have been repeated incidents of phones, laptops and other devices overheating and catching fire in passenger compartments of planes, it hasn't ever caused a fire to spread. The flames can be extinguished with water and flight attendants are trained how to address it. There have been at least three accidents, two of them fatal, on cargo airlines since 2006 in which lithium batteries were suspected of helping spread fires. Stricter rules on shipping them have been introduced since then.

U.S. aviation regulations prohibit carrying recalled batteries on flights unless they've been replaced or stored in special packaging that inhibits fires, according to FAA guidelines on hazardous materials.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-13/u-s-regulator-bans-recalled-apple-laptops-from-flights?srnd=premium

Vaultnaemsae

I've just been through an Apple issue with a 15" MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2105) where I noticed the laptop wasn't level on my desk and that the laptop casing was bulging. I opened it to check what was up and the battery was so swollen I couldn't even close it again. I immediately removed it due to safety concerns.

I took it to an Apple Service Center here in Korea and they quoted me equivalent to $700 USD to replace the battery (+trackpad/keyboard -- since they only do the replacement as a set)....  >:(

I ended up doing the repair myself but the first battery I purchased (from an unauthorized seller) was faulty and I broke an IC chip off the trackpad's board in the process of removing the battery which rendered the trackpad useless. They really stick those suckers in firmly -- I couldn't even remove the residual adhesive with acetone once I'd got the battery out and I really had to use a lot of force to get it out.

The first battery seller ended up giving me a refund and I sourced a better quality battery and a replacement trackpad. All up it was $200 USD (equivalent) - I had to buy some tools too. Really quite expensive but certainly better than Apple's outrageous $700 quote.
Vaultnaemsae's SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/vaultnaemsae

vtgearhead

Quote from: Vaultnaemsae on August 14, 2019, 01:18:37 AM
I've just been through an Apple issue with a 15" MacBook Pro Retina (Mid-2105) where I noticed the laptop wasn't level on my desk and that the laptop casing was bulging. I opened it to check what was up and the battery was so swollen I couldn't even close it again. I immediately removed it due to safety concerns.

I took it to an Apple Service Center here in Korea and they quoted me equivalent to $700 USD to replace the battery (+trackpad/keyboard -- since they only do the replacement as a set)....  >:(

I ended up doing the repair myself but the first battery I purchased (from an unauthorized seller) was faulty and I broke an IC chip off the trackpad's board in the process of removing the battery which rendered the trackpad useless. They really stick those suckers in firmly -- I couldn't even remove the residual adhesive with acetone once I'd got the battery out and I really had to use a lot of force to get it out.

The first battery seller ended up giving me a refund and I sourced a better quality battery and a replacement trackpad. All up it was $200 USD (equivalent) - I had to buy some tools too. Really quite expensive but certainly better than Apple's outrageous $700 quote.

It seems like many of the mid-2015 MacBook Pro units had faulty batteries.  The exact same thing happened to my company-issued machine last fall.  Fortunately it was under extended warranty and Apple fixed it at no charge.  Best of all, I got to keep it when I retired :-).  Makes a great DAW platform.