Nontrivial Exercises

More MacBook Shutdowns…

After having gone through the Macbook Random Shutdown Syndrome once already, and having my MacBook apparently repaired, I thought I was past the hardware issues. My MacBook even ran cooler once I got it back from repair, and there was a nice new trackpad and nice new - stain free - top case.

All has been going well with the fixed MacBook, or mostly. The top case, which is the housing that goes around the keyboard and includes the platform on which your wrists rest when typing, has begun to develop new wear marks, or stains, from my hands. It’s noticeably discolored where my wrists go, and that’s in just about 6 weeks of use since I got it back.

Then, 5 days ago, right in the middle of me doing something especially amazing and cool (hey, it’s a Mac, remember), the system suddenly shut down. Just like the random shutdowns of long ago (August), it happened again. Then yesterday, while doing more amazing and cool stuff it happened again.

There’s not much I can do about it now, but if this happens a couple of more times then I will have to take it back in.

Another Mac user named Matthew has started a website focused on capturing people’s experiences with RSS (Random Shutdown Syndrome). If you have the unfortunate experience of RSS, then head over and log your experience on the site.

As some of you know, Apple has publicly acknowledged the issue by creating Knowledge Base article 304308, which states in its entirety:

If your MacBook is shutting down intermittently, please contact AppleCare for service.

Hmm. Better than nothing, I suppose. Some have even reported that Apple now has specific instructions to retailers on what to do to resolve the issue, which is supposedly related to the heat sink.

Regardless, the fixing Apple did in late August to my MacBook is now in question, and I hope I don’t have to send it back in again.