Fan Update Fails to Fix Air-Freezing Issues

Not that this wasn't expected, but as it turns out, MacBook Air owners are still complaining about freezing issues. Apple has recently released an update for the Air's internal fan (SMC Update 1.0) which was supposed to cool spirits down. It didn't, as sources on the Internet inform.

This PC Advisor article says that "MacBook Air owners continue to report that their machines overheat and stagger to a stop when watching video or playing games, despite an update from Apple this week designed to fix the laptop's fan." The MacBook Air's fan, of course, isn't broken (by default), nor is its controller. It just needed newer instructions (firmware), which apparently didn't do the job.

Why? It's easy to guess really. One reason is the Air's compact case which doesn't leave much room for the air (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon etc, not the laptop) to travel. Plus, the case being metal and all, it retains heat a bit more than other materials, such as plastic, or wood. Not that they make wooden laptops. Moving on.

SMC Update 1.0 adjusts the use of your laptop’s internal fan, Apple said. As the Cupertino-based company put it in the update’s about-page: "The SMC Update fine tunes the speed and operation of the internal fan. This update is recommended for all MacBook Air systems. The updater application will be installed in the /Applications/Utilities folder. Please follow the instructions in the updater application to complete the process."

Laptop users, not just Air owners, should note that the bottom surface and some areas between the keyboard and the LCD hinge of your laptop can become very warm after extended periods of use. Apple lists this as "normal operating behavior." However, the bottom side of your laptop may become warmer during normal use, especially if you’re holding it on your lap. So says Apple’s support page for the MacBook Pro anyway, and I guess it pretty much goes for the Air too. If this is the case, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that all you have to do is just place it on a stable surface, or just see which are optimum working conditions so it doesn't get too hot.

Also, you shouldn’t place your MB on a soft surface, such as a pillow, or anything else that could get around its edges, or cover the vents. Needless to say, it is advised to not obstruct the air flow coming from the vents while working on the portable computer.

Air users (particularly this time) should also note that the must-do fan update needs to find a freshly updated system software with all current firmware updates installed, in order to take effect.

Needless to say, if MacBook Air owners still experiencing freezing issues have met all the requirements above, that leaves Apple to blame once again. Whether this implies that a new update is in order remains to be seen.

Has the update worked for you, or hasn't it?

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