MacBook Pro owners are apparently having trouble supplying power to their computers both from the battery and from the wall.
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is getting ready to introduce new 85-watt MagSafe adapters for MacBook Pros following a litany of complaints about fraying cables on the adapters.
When they were first introduced, most customers liked the idea of flexible cables that would detach from the computer if subjected to excessive stress, preventing your nice laptop from flying across the floor of the coffee shop when somebody trips over the cord.
However, the flexibility of the power cable has caused some cables to fray at the connection point after repeated use. Reports have surfaced over the past few months of MagSafe adapters that have started to smoke or even spark in certain cases. Some of those affected have reported receiving adapters with heftier cords, which might be what Apple is getting ready to ship to all MacBook Pro customers.
A ZDNet Australia sister site CNET News.com reader reported having trouble finding 85-watt MagSafe adapters at Apple retail stores late last week, and the online Apple Store is currently quoting a two- to three-week delay in shipments of the 85-watt adapters, designed just for use with the MacBook Pro.
Apple representatives did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.
In other MacBook Pro news, last week's battery update -- coming six months after a similar one in April -- doesn't appear to have satisfied owners posting on Apple's support discussions forum. Numerous threads have been started complaining about automatic shutdowns and batteries that have less capacity after the update was installed.
I've had two macbook's die within a month of the warranty expiring. Kernal errors and faulty batteries. My Macbook now only runs with a powersupply.