512 Pixels

Kbase Article of the Week: MacBook Pro Software Update 1.1⇢

⌘ Permalink

This Apple service document opens with some marketing copy about the MacBook Pro:

MacBook Pro is built on the revolutionary Intel Core 2 Duo — which packs the power of two processor cores (up to 2.4GHz) inside a single chip. It provides 4MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared between the cores as needed. It delivers higher performance in 2D and 3D graphics, video editing, and music encoding. But the faster engine is only part of the story. MacBook Pro delivers up to 4GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory with a faster, 800MHz frontside bus and support for hard drives up to 250GB. Ultimate speed, performance, and connectivity. To go. That’s MacBook Pro.

After all that, the article gets around to describing the update:

This update provides important bug fixes and improves stability with Motion 2 and Motion 3. It is recommended for all 2.2/2.4GHz MacBook Pro models.

This update requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later.

iFixit Tests Butterfly Keyboard Membranes⇢

⌘ Permalink

Speaking of the new butterfly keyboard, iFixit has put it through some testing:

We pumped this keyboard full of particulates to test our ingress-proofing theory. We started with a fine, powdered paint additive to add a bit of color and enable finer tracking. Lo and behold, the dust is safely sequestered at the edges of the membrane, leaving the mechanism fairly sheltered. The holes in the membrane allow the keycap clips to pass through, but are covered by the cap itself, blocking dust ingress. The previous-gen butterfly keys are far less protected, and are almost immediately flooded with our glowing granules. On the 2018 keyboard, with the addition of more particulate and some aggressive typing, the dust eventually penetrates under the sheltered clips, and gets on top of the switch—so the ingress-proofing isn’t foolproof just yet. Time will tell how long the barrier will hold up. Following the Mythbusters method of testing, we pushed the keyboard to failure with the higher-grit particulate we used last time: sand. And just like last time, a few poorly placed particles bring the mighty butterfly down to earth, never to click again.

I’m hopeful that this means in everyday life, these things will be as robust as the 2015 and earlier keyboards.

Apple Service Document: 2018 MacBook Pro Keyboard Membrane to Prevent Debris From Entering Butterfly Mechanism

⌘ Permalink

A new Apple service document outlines changes to the new MacBook Pro keyboard. Text from the document was provided to MacRumors:

The keyboard has a membrane under the keycaps to prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism. Be careful not to tear the membrane. A torn membrane will result in a top case replacement.

This is good news; I hope that it works as intended.

The document also states that it is now much easier to replace individual key caps, and that full top case replacements should be less common now. If a key is stuck, feels uneven or soft, a technician should be able to safely remove and even replace it in store now. That wasn’t the case before, which blows my mind.

John Gruber:

This is what I thought all along: the new third-generation keyboard was designed to better in every way, quieter and more durable, but Apple, for legal and/or marketing reasons, has decided only to tout that the new design is quieter.

Connected #201: An Internal Fortnite⇢

⌘ Permalink

This week’s Connected was full of mini-topics, but was a lot of fun:

Federico bought an iPod touch, Nest and Instapaper both have new bosses and the world is finally getting the leg emoji it deserves.

My thanks to our sponsors:

  • Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CONNECTED to get 30% off.
  • Simple Contacts: Contact lens prescriptions from home: Use offer code CONNECTED20 for $20 off your contact lenses
  • Timing: The automatic time tracking app for macOS. Use this link to save 10% on your purchase.