Reports of 17-inch Apple MacBook Pro visual artifacts and display glitches continue, with the latest suspicion being that the notebook’s heat management system, not the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GPU, could be at fault. After the cut, NVIDIA’s statement to SlashGear on the issue, and the fan test results that suggest it’s poor cooling not the chipset that’s undermining the MacBook Pro.
Apple don’t seem to be able to catch a break with their displays recently, perhaps as a result of being on the cutting edge of NVIDIA’s latest GPU technology. Latest to cause Cupertino headaches is the 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro, which according to some owners will demonstrate green and purple banding and visual artifacts when using the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M.
iFixIt disassembled the new 17-inch MacBook Pro and found out that the battery is actually removable. While it requires bottom chassis access, the battery was not difficult to replace or remove. Apple secured the battery with three tri-wing battery inside the case. Users can definitely replace the battery by themselves but it might break Apple’s warranty. iFixIt plans to sell replacement battery for the 17-inch Unibody MacBook Pro, which usually is cheaper than Apple’s $180 battery replacement program.
Apple’s new 17-inch MacBook Pro promises a lot: unibody style, the “world’s thinnest and lightest” notebook of its screen-size, not to mention eight hours of battery life from the non-user-replaceable battery. In fact it looks like even Apple are having trouble delivering on their promises, at least not according to their original schedule; the SlashGear inbox this morning has a couple of disappointed 17-inch Pro buyers who have just been informed they’ll have to wait until at least February 19th for their new toy to be shipped.
Apple have removed the NVIDIA driver update posted to their support site at the start of the week, and are yet to explain its disappearance. The software was intended to fix ongoing performance issues with the new Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter required by its latest unibody MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops if they are to work with large-scale monitors. It also promised improvements in HD video performance. However early feedback from some Apple users suggests that the update actually made things worse rather than better.
Apple have released an update for its latest MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models that use the Mini DisplayPort, which claims to “improve cursor movement” when the notebooks are used with the company’s Dual-Link DVI adapter. The new software also addresses high-definition video playback on Mac systems that use NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT or GeForce 9600M graphics.
Apple have added battery replacement details for their recently-announced 17-inch MacBook Pro to their support database. The new page not only confirms the $179 (pre tax) US replacement price revealed last week but details costs in other locations – for instance CA$219 pre-tax in Canada, or £139 including VAT in the UK – as well as turnaround time.
We kicked off the week with our yearly visit to Macworld, finding a slightly subdued show floor but plenty of excitement about Apple’s final keynote address at the conference. Anticipation was high, with several new products expected to launch; instead, however, the only hardware news was a 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro. No Mac mini update, no iPhone nano, no new iMac, and certainly no new iTouch tablet. Phil Schiller attempted to channel some Jobsian enthusiasm over iLife ‘09 and iWork ‘09, which are certainly adept pieces of software, and the price changes for iTunes could shake up the download world a little, but it wasn’t the “going out with a bang” for Macworld that many expected.
After that, it was CES 2009, and the SlashGear team decamped to Las Vegas to cover the best-known consumer electronics show on the calendar. The impact of the recession has certainly made its mark on CES, with what looked to be a lower attendee turnout and several booth cancellations. Headline gadgets were also fewer and further between, though there were still a few notable announcements.
The much-welcomed announcement of the 17-inch MacBook Pro did not come without a little bit of bad news, mainly about the battery. The new MBP’s battery will boast an impressive 8 hours of use, but will unfortunately be non-removable. Apple’s hope is that you’ll never need a battery replacement, but if you do, plan on dropping $179 to get it.
Last year was a big year for MacBooks, but Apple did not decide to stop there as they announced a new 17-inch MacBook Pro which is named the “world’s thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook” at just 0.98-inches thick. We are happy to announce that the resolution is 1920 x with a 700:1 contrast ratio that is 60-percent greater color gamut.
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