Monday, October 28, 2013

Apple : New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame?

Apple : New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame?

New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame?

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New MacBook Pro Retina models reportedly freezing, Mavericks to blame?

Owners of Apple's recently released 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina laptops are experiencing a whole heap of issues with their new devices, judging by reports on the company's support forum.

According to one 17-page thread, users are having trouble with the Haswell-toting models randomly locking up and freezing - with anything from the trackpad to the keyboard or whole system refusing to respond.

"Luckier" users are managing to get their MacBooks working again by closing the lid for anything up to a minute before reopening, while others are having to resort to turning the device off and on again to resolve the issue.

Bad Mavericks?

In a bid to get to the root of the problem, some users in the thread are reporting that rolling Mavericks back to OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion puts an end to the lockups, suggesting that the issue may be software related.

Others have had mixed results when attempting to install Windows 8.1, with some finding success and others running into problems when installing the OS through a USB pen or Apple's SuperDrive.

We've quizzed Apple on the issue and will provide an update if and when the company responds.

Apple has had a tough time of it recently where faulty products are concerned. It moved to recall a batch of MacBook Air models purchased between June 2012 and June 2013 last month after discovering that they were plagued by faulty SSDs.

Buying Guide: Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013

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Buying Guide: Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013

Apple has five types (SKUs) of 13-inch laptops, split between the MacBook Air (MBA) and the MacBook Pro (MBP), more than other notebook types in its portfolio. They range from £949 (US$ 1,535, AU$ 1,600) for the 13-inch MBA to £1,499 (US$ 2,425, AU$ 2,527) for the 13-inch MBP. Today, we're comparing the £1,129 (US$ 1,827, AU$ 1,903) MBA to the £1,099 (US$ 1,778, AU$ 1,852) MBP, the two closest models in terms of pricing and the most likely to be pitched one against the other.

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Design

Let's start with the size. The MacBook Air is up to 17mm thick, just 1mm thinner than the MacBook Pro. In reality, the former's tapered shape means that it feels significantly thinner. Surprisingly, the MacBook Pro is smaller than the MacBook Air (314 x 219mm vs 325 x 227mm) even if it is still marginally heavier at 1.57Kg, a sixth more than its lighter counterpart. Overall though, the MacBook Air will feel more portable with the MBP not far behind.

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Processor

Both laptops are powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core 'Haswell' processor. The MacBook Pro comes with a dual-core Core-i5 clocked at 2.4GHz with a Turbo Boost of up to 2.9GHz and 3MB L3 cache as well as an Iris subsystem. In comparison, the MacBook Air adopts a much slower dual-core Core i5 model clocked at 1.3GHz with a Turbo Boost of up to 2.6GHz with 3MB L3 cache plus an Intel HD Graphics 5000 GPU.

Apple MacBook Air

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Battery

Having a much more powerful processor and more advanced graphics capabilities means that compromises had been done. The processor on the MacBook Air for example is likely to be an ultra low-voltage model which would explain its 100% Turbo Boost capabilities. Hence, while the 95Whr battery that equips the MacBook Pro may well offer nearly twice the capacity of the one in the MacBook Air, the latter trumps its big brother when it comes to battery life with up to 12 hours worth of wireless web browsing, 50% more.

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Display

Perhaps one of the reasons behind the relatively low battery life of the MacBook Pro has to do with its 'Retina' display. With a monstrous 4.1MP (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) spread over 13.3in, the MBP offers more than three times the pixel density and the absolute number of pixels compared to the MacBook Air. The MBP can drive two displays at 2,560 x 1,600 pixels compared to only one for the MBA and also boosts support for 4K displays albeit at 30Hz.

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Hardware

Both laptops come with 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory and the MacBook Air offers 256GB SSD compared to 128GB for the MacBook Pro. As expected they both are devoid of optical drives and have a SDXC card reader.

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Connectivity

When it comes to connectivity, the MBP wins hands down. It offers one extra Thunderbolt 2 port and an additional HDMI one. Both have two USB 3.0 connectors, a headphone jack, a card reader, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac.

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Others

The rest of the specification is remarkably similar on both devices with a Facetime HD camera, two speakers, two microphones, a full-size backlit keyboard, a multi-touch trackpad and OS Mavericks (that comes with an assortment of apps).

Apple MacBook Pro 2013 vs Apple MacBook Air 2013: Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing either will depend on your priorities. The MacBook Air wins when it comes to battery life, overall portability and storage capacity while the MacBook Pro will appeal to those looking for a cheaper and more powerful solution with a much sharper, higher resolution screen.

One-off Product (RED) Mac Pro, designed by Jony Ive, set for charity auction

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One-off Product (RED) Mac Pro, designed by Jony Ive, set for charity auction

The new, redesigned Mac Pro wowed the world with its cylindrical form factor and chic, glossy black coat, but we must say we like the look of this specially-commissioned red model.

Unfortunately, anyone interested in obtaining this lovely bit of objet d'art is going to have to fork out much more than Apple's $2,999 starting price for the desktop powerhouse.

The one-of-a-kind model has been designed exclusively for Product (RED) by Sir Jony Ive and will go under the hammer in a charity auction at Sotherby's on November 23.

It is expected to fetch somewhere between $40,000 (£24,724, AU$41,723) and $60,000 (£37,062, AU$62,584), adding to the $65 million (£40.1m, AU$67.7m) Apple has already raised for the AIDS charity.

December for the rest of us

The configuration isn't listed on the auction site, but that's unlikely to matter to the affluent so-and-so who's going to be handing over a small fortune for the professionally-specced desktop.

The device will go on sale to us Regular, albeit still quite wealthy, Joes in December. Check out our hands-on review of Apple's latest tower of power.
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