“Apple Computer issued a software update Thursday to fix a problem that caused hundreds of newer MacBook laptops to shut down suddenly — but one longtime industry analyst suspects Apple’s solution might force the computers to run more slowly,” Jon Fortt blogs for Business 2.0.
Fortt reports, “Rob Enderle, principal analyst with Enderle Group, said that based on user comments in Apple’s online support forums he suspects the laptops have been shutting down because of overheating problems with the main logic board and ‘heat sink,’ a device that’s meant to cool the machine. ‘What they appear to be doing is doing a firmware update to step down the processor,’ Enderle said. ‘If you can step down the processor, say, 5 or 10 percent, you can lower heat dramatically.'”
Fortt reports, “But if indeed Apple is doing that, another result is decreased laptop performance. Enderle likened it to throttling back a V8 engine to make it behave like a V6. It won’t get as hot, but it won’t go as fast either. ‘It would be really good to see if we can find someone who’s gotten the problem and measure the performance before and after the firmware update,’ Enderle said. Unless support forum users are misinformed about the logic board and heat sink being the issue, ‘the only way you can fix a problem like this without physically taking the machine apart is to step down the processor.'”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Darkness” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Anyone who uses Rob Enderle, principal analyst (and only analyst, unless, for some reason, you count his wife Mary) with Enderle Group, as an expert in basically anything except the act of talking out of one’s ass is seriously unwise. You’d get sounder advice asking Rob Glaser how to finish a marathon than you would asking Rob Enderle what a specific Mac firmware update accomplishes. Our sources tell us that the firmware update issued by Apple yesterday does not step down the MacBook processor, it corrects an issue with the MacBook’s temperature sensor that caused some MacBooks to shut down too early when protecting against thermal damage.
If Rob Enderle isn’t on a mission to spoof the term “tech analyst” in an effort to expose the total lack of qualifications necessary to become one, he should be.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple releases MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.1, addresses issues with random shutdowns – October 26, 2006
What is Apple doing about MacBooks suffering from ‘Random Shutdown Syndrome?’ – October 21, 2006
Apple to repair ‘random shutdown MacBooks’ free of charge – September 08, 2006
Enderle: ‘4th quarter will be Apple’s hardest since the first iPod Christmas’ – September 18, 2006
Enderle spouts some incredible nonsense about Apple iPod+iTunes – July 07, 2006
Enderle: If Apple can’t double market share it will abandon Macs – May 02, 2006
Big surprise: Enderle was wrong about Apple’s holiday quarter Mac sales – January 19, 2006
Tech pundit Enderle: ‘Microsoft wrote the first Mac OS’ – September 28, 2005
Tech Pundit Enderle: ‘fourth quarter should be ugly for Apple’ – August 09, 2005
Enderle: ‘Surveys indicate demand for Apple’s products is dropping like a rock’ due to Intel switch – August 01, 2005
Tech Pundit Enderle: ‘This year will be more difficult for Apple Computer’ and iMacs in earthquakes – January 24, 2005
someone should update his firmware.
Are you sure that “principal analyst” (pa) doesn’t stand for primary ahole?
How about that vaunted “SpeedStep” technology sported by Wintels in years past. In order to extend battery life the CPU slowed down when you unplugged your laptop. And it was touted as a desireable feature!
Well fanboys aside, if Apple IS stepping down the CPU’s in order for them to function properly then there is a problem BIG TIME for Apple. People are paying for the CPU speed advertised, if it cannot run at that speed then we are dealing with false advertisement. You fanboys need to pay attention to this one, if Apple isn’t doing this then fine, but if they are then you didn’t get what you paid for.
Pay attention to this one gents.
Alienware,
IF is a big word. There is not one shred of evidence that Apple did anything related to the clock speed of these machines. Nothing, nada, nill, zip, zero, zilch! There are lots of IF’s you can think of: IF the world ended tonight, IF I became a billionaire, IF aliens are living in your colon, but I am not going to give any credibility to them unless there is some evidence they are actually true. This is typical “journalism” these days: find something people are interested in, make up a crisis about it and shout it from the roof tops. Never mind that it has nothing to do with reality.
I tested with that coolook app before and after I installed the new firmware. I couldn’t see any difference at all!
http://www.coolbook.se/
MDN: But… What do you REALLY THINK of Enderle?
What do you REALLY THINK of Enderle?
I couldn’t answer that on the web, it’s to volger.
I will say he knows nothing about Macs or Apple and shouldn’t even bother talking about either.
I sent my MacBook in for repairs and got it back with a new heat sink and was told to upgrade to the latest firmware and software. After doing that the machine actually DID throttle down speed as soon as I reached 2*100% load – it went from 2 GHz to 1 GHz :/
It still shut down, so I sent it in again and got a new logic board and cooling kit and now it runs full speed. I was told that the logic board solution was only intended for some MacBook serial ranges and mine wasn’t in it – for those the fix was heat sink and software. It didn’t fix my problems though.
After I got the machine back with a new logic board I haven’t had any problems though – with or without the new firmware. On the other hand it could be too early to judge it for certain yet. I’m happy for now though.
Some hard evidence can quickly put this one to bed.
Report your processor speed before and after the update. Nuf said.
This is quite an allegation to make when he doesn’t really know what is going on
Well his claim should be easy enough to test – run benchmarks before and after the firmware update.
If after the update the benchmarks are lower, then he was right. If not, then he’s talking out of his arse…. again!
If my grandmother had wheels, she would have been a bus.
The quote from Enderle’s web site says it all…
“For over 20 years Rob has worked for and with companies like Microsoft, HP, IBM, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, Sony, USAA, Texas Instruments, AMD, Intel, Credit Suisse First Boston, GM, Ford, ROLM, and Siemens.”
I wonder if he says anything about Toyota or Chrysler.
OK folks… lets do the math to show how much a moron Rob E. is…
If this new firmware update slowed down your processor speed 5 – 10%, then you wouldn’t liken it to changing from a V8 down to a V6. A step down from a V8 to V6 is a 25% change. That is fairly significant, whereas enderle states earlier that the firmware upgrade steps down the processor 5 – 10% .
Sorry, but 5% to 10% delta is nowhere near 25%. Now that’s truly speaking out of you ass without a paddle…..
sorry – that last phrase made no sense at all.
Enderle, putting the “anal” back in analyst!
Looks like the new MacBook Pro DOES do this.
Go to http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/intel.html and see footnote 1.
“MacBook Pro continuously monitors system thermal and power conditions, and may adjust processor speed as needed to maintain optimal system operation.”
Maybe he is right?
the only bigger ass than Enderle is macdailynews for feeding him.
Hey Mr. Mr.
You are right, the CPU will continuously monitor and regulate frequency and voltage. But it has always been like this, even on Dell laptops with CoreDuo.
It’s called Enhanced Speed Step. You have to do this on the powerhungry X86 CPU, otherwise the battery would run out in no time.
Mr Mr:
Up until a few years ago, computers would run flat out, always at their maximum (or set) speed, and using fan also set to run full speed.
Then, to reduce noise, fans had temperature sensors so they weren’t noisy all of the time.
Now, computers run slower and cooler when the processor speed isn’t necessary, and utilize thermal sensors so the CPU can actually run exceptionally fast in limited spurts. These spurts cause damaging heat, so they are monitored by sensors. “Optimal performance” is exactly that, all the speed it can possibly deliver when you need it, and it slows down and cools when you don’t, or if they are pressed too extreme for too long and may cause damage. Cars have been doing this since day-one. Imagine if your car’s engine was set to its maximum speed, where the idle was set equal to its top end RPM. The performance of the car would improve greatly. Your acceleration from every green traffic light would be at it’s max and you could travel around town at the car’s maximum speed (albeit to the detriment to your clutch, transmission and traffic citations). 100%, all of the time, and glowing a brilliant red under the hood/bonnet.
Electronics engineers couldn’t hear their screaming processors running at full tilt like Chevy V8, but they did see them get very hot. Originally, CPUs were clocked below their true maximum because such constant heat would greatly shorten their life span.
“Optimum” means giving you all the power you need when you need it. It does NOT mean emulating an 8-bit 6502 (Apple II) if it gets above room temperature.
I really love this site. All of these luke-warm IQs second guessing Apple’s PhD electronics engineers, and doing so from the wrong side of the keyboard. You guys aren’t any better than Enderle. Y’all make my side ache from laughter; a room full of fools claiming everyone else is an idiot. Too funny!
Simon,
YOU said it, my man! Luke-warm IQ’S one and all, with a**holes and bellybuttons galore, making the cynics on this site qualified to second-guess Steve, Apple engineers, God, the universe, and everything.
Yes, 9 X 6 DOES equal 54 in their pathetic, overheated little minds (“Hitchhiker” allusion), so jump back and just watch them tout their expertise in all things computer-related.
Again, THANKS, Simon. You’ve made my weekend!
I like this site very much, and I have done alot of posting in the last few months, but I also have to agree with Simon and Damacles. No other site I’ve ever been to second guess not only the engineers, but the marketing people and the CEO of Apple like the posters on this site.
We’re talking, objectively, about one of the world’s largest and most successful corporations, run by some of the best and brightest minds in world industry, and the idiots on this board think they know better. Maybe it’s because I’m in my late 50s, but I know my limits and where to draw the line on idiotic commentary about Apple and its motives, goals and expertise.
What a vision – Enderle forever going ’round and ’round in his car on Infinite Loop looking for Apple.
Too bad Enderle doesn’t have that sudden shutdown problem…
after actually testing my macbook after this firmware came out, it actually runs cooler, and as it did before also clocked it self lower when doing less work and higher when doing more work so yeah it’s true until you give it more work to do but it’s not just this firmware and as far as i’m concerned it’s what it’s supposed to do