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Apple issues updates to fix MacBook glitches

Tom Krazit CNET News

Published: 12 Dec 2008 10:40 GMT

Apple has released several new firmware updates aimed at solving problems with its latest batch of notebooks.

Updates are available for all three Mac notebooks released in October: the new MacBook Pro, MacBook, and MacBook Air. As usual, Apple did not provide much detail about the issues that are corrected by the EFI firmware updates, other than to note that they "improve the stability" of those new systems.

The company also released firmware updates for the SMC (system management controller) chip inside Mac notebooks. Among other things, the chip helps regulate power consumption. These updates "improve the sensing and accuracy of the MagSafe Power Adapter indicator light, and the battery-charge indicator lights" on the new MacBook Pro and MacBook. The SMC update for the MacBook Air tackles just the MagSafe issues.

Several problems have been reported with the new notebooks recently.

A firmware update was also issued earlier this year to correct a problem with the new glass trackpad design introduced with those systems.

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Photos: Apple shows off updated MacBooks

At the company's headquarters, chief executive Steve Jobs announced a range of updates to the MacBook lineup

The SMC is the same part that would require a firmware update to fix the sleep/wake problems noted by some users, even though Apple doesn't mention that problem in the release notes for the firmware.

The updates should appear in Software Update as you read this. Owners of laptops purchased before the major redesign in October need not worry about Wednesday's firmware releases.

The notes accompanying the Software Update notification explain that "this update improves the stability of MacBook computers and addresses issues with sleep-wake, USB, and device compatibility," adding a little more information and suggesting that this batch of updates should fix some of the problems we noted yesterday.

Credit: Apple stabilizes new Mac notebooks from CNET News