Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/12/macbook_firmware_updates/
Apple updates MacBooks
Bug-squishing continues apace
Posted in PCs & Chips, 12th December 2008 00:56 GMT
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If you - like many other owners of Apple's new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air - have experienced random flakiness from your pricey new toy, Apple is offering some help.
You can now download SMC (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2368) and EFI (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3260) firmware patches for the three offending 'Books from Apple's support center (http://support.apple.com/downloads). Apple claims that the SMC updates improve "the sensing and accuracy of the MagSafe Power Adapter indicator light, and the battery charge indicator lights." The company is a wee bit more vague about the EFI updates, stating only that they fix "several issues" and "improve the stability" of the sometimes-cranky laptops.
Exactly which issues those might be, Apple doesn't say. There are a few to choose from, since the unibody 'Books have had a bit of a rocky ride since their roll-out (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/10/14macbook.html) on October 14th.
First there were the glass-trackpad problems (http://cultofmac.com/glass-trackpad-issues-arising-for-new-macbook-users/4469), which were addressed by Apple in a firmware update (http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacBook__MacBook_Pro_Trackpad_Firmware_Update_1_0) published on November 17th. There have also been complaints about third-party RAM (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122905&intsrc=hm_list) incompatibilities, annoying fan noise (http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20081102233216449&query=macbook+2008), and freezing upon awakening (http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20081110232049635&query=macbook+2008).
And now MacFixIt reports (http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20081211130353219) that some users who have installed the most recent updates have also reported problems - but, thankfully, they also report that "the updates are, generally, working as they should."
If so, that's good news for early-adopting 'Bookers. If you're one of them, drop us a Comment and let us know what your upgrade experience has been.