MacBook Pro magsafe issue

Jason emailed me this morning about these pictures posted on flickr from a user who had his magsafe power connector burn up. so much the metal melted. I claimed it a fake from the start but it seems some people think that Apple asking the user to take down the pictures is proof that it’s real. I think the opposite. It’s a smart move on Apple’s part to ask him to take them becaue they have no idea if this guy is for real. Then there’s the case he is just blowing more smoke.

The reasons I think they are fake:

  • The story is sort of rediculous
  • The metal is melted on the connector but the plastic isn’t the MacBook itself isn’t that bad at all
  • Where would all that power come from?
  • Nothing saying a lightning strike causing a surge. (most reasonable reason for that much heat)

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a real issue and there is an actual problem because power adapter shiz hapens all the time (xbox, ps2…).

[update] Here are the originals.

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March 16

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About the Author, Dan Cameron:

I'm the owner and solution engineer , a web solutions company that specializes in web development including WordPress.

I started my first blog in 2003 and transitioned to WordPress in 2004. Since moving to WordPress I've written a few plugins and themes for public consumption. Lately I'm busy engineering/building/coding and have only been able to share a few code snippets.

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  • http://www.jadedfashionista.com tilda

    Hi there, I saw the user pictures and I think it’s fake too, and u are absolutely right about apple wanting hi to take it down… he shouldnt be allowed to give them bad publicity when he’s lying.

    I have an unrelated question though…

    I’m using the Sca4ered theme on my blog, its amazing thanks. But I have three issues, my flikr isn’t comming up, my ‘about’ section is wierd, as if some of it is cut off… and I have an about page, which is not actually showing the ‘sub pages’, how do I fix these.

    I will be so gratefull if you can help at all, as I am completely useless at writing code.

    Thanks.

    http://www.jadedfashionista.com

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    I totally agree but I rather not see them censor the flickr guy lier or not.

    The flick issue should be directed to the plugins author, I’m not sure but it’s a conditional so it should show up if installed (correctly). It looks like you didn’t close the title class, this probably is the issue for the sidebar as well since the sidebar is showing on the bottom. Also check to make sure you’re using the right template for the about page. your pages should look like your archives page with the sidebar to the right.

  • http://freepressblog.org JaredB

    I’m with you; looks bogus to me. If it really got hot enough to cause that kind of charring at the connector, it seems that the wires themselves would have gotten hot enough to cause at least some partial melting of the much thinner soft plastic wrapping around the wire behind the connector plug, but by the looks of that top picture that part of the cable appears to be perfectly fine.

    Even if I’m wrong on that part, it just doesn’t seem right.

    For the conspiracy theorists out there, I would also suggest that Apple didn’t even contact the guy. My guess is that he first tried to get his 15 minutes of fame by posting the bogus story, then after that died down he decided to get some more by claiming that Apple was trying to shut him up and keep him quiet about it.

    For the last part, I’m not too sure on though. Apple definitely seems like the kind of company that would go after a guy like this and try to shut him down, whether he’s telling the truth or not….

  • http://www.idealistfuture.com JasonB

    The truth will be revealed. Why would this guy make it up?

  • JaredB

    Anoth glaring hole:

    If he connected it at 8am, and returned home at 8pm to find a frozen screen indicating 33% bootup (and assuming he is correct in saying that this means it was plugged in for less than an hour), how the heck did the battery last for 11 hours with the display frozen / turned on?

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    I didn’t even see that part. Everyone knows the battery only last 2-3 hours max. And 33% bootup you can’t tell that. I’ll have to read all the posts from that guy.

    I do remember the part about him saying that cats pulled the cord out and he was glad because it could have been worse.

    Jared: I’ll forget that last part of the first comment, it’s sounds flamerish to me.

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    Before Jason says it, the screen could have been burnt in, showing the half boot. But then why no pictures of the “fried” computer. just seems too wierd to be true, especially how it is being handled by the guy.

  • -

    quit speculating, he has no reason to fuck around with the rest of us, he’s getting a new macbook, everyone’s happy except you idiots who spent the time wondering if he was being “rediculous”.

  • http://natealderson.org Nate

    yeah, why waste your time haveing a good time speculating when you can use your time anonymously calling people idiots.

  • http://freepressblog.org JaredB

    Exactly. Let’s switch the focus to speculating on why this person feels the need to go around to the other sites that are talking about this and tell them not too. My bet is he’s a top-secret Apple spy, trying to further the cover-up even more…. Either that or just a loser.

  • http://www.jadedfashionista.com tilda

    Hi there, I saw the user pictures and I think it’s fake too, and u are absolutely right about apple wanting hi to take it down… he shouldnt be allowed to give them bad publicity when he’s lying.

    I have an unrelated question though…

    I’m using the Sca4ered theme on my blog, its amazing thanks. But I have three issues, my flikr isn’t comming up, my ‘about’ section is wierd, as if some of it is cut off… and I have an about page, which is not actually showing the ‘sub pages’, how do I fix these.

    I will be so gratefull if you can help at all, as I am completely useless at writing code.

    Thanks.

    http://www.jadedfashionista.com

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    I totally agree but I rather not see them censor the flickr guy lier or not.

    The flick issue should be directed to the plugins author, I’m not sure but it’s a conditional so it should show up if installed (correctly). It looks like you didn’t close the title class, this probably is the issue for the sidebar as well since the sidebar is showing on the bottom. Also check to make sure you’re using the right template for the about page. your pages should look like your archives page with the sidebar to the right.

  • http://freepressblog.org JaredB

    I’m with you; looks bogus to me. If it really got hot enough to cause that kind of charring at the connector, it seems that the wires themselves would have gotten hot enough to cause at least some partial melting of the much thinner soft plastic wrapping around the wire behind the connector plug, but by the looks of that top picture that part of the cable appears to be perfectly fine.

    Even if I’m wrong on that part, it just doesn’t seem right.

    For the conspiracy theorists out there, I would also suggest that Apple didn’t even contact the guy. My guess is that he first tried to get his 15 minutes of fame by posting the bogus story, then after that died down he decided to get some more by claiming that Apple was trying to shut him up and keep him quiet about it.

    For the last part, I’m not too sure on though. Apple definitely seems like the kind of company that would go after a guy like this and try to shut him down, whether he’s telling the truth or not….

  • JaredB

    Anoth glaring hole:

    If he connected it at 8am, and returned home at 8pm to find a frozen screen indicating 33% bootup (and assuming he is correct in saying that this means it was plugged in for less than an hour), how the heck did the battery last for 11 hours with the display frozen / turned on?

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    I didn’t even see that part. Everyone knows the battery only last 2-3 hours max. And 33% bootup you can’t tell that. I’ll have to read all the posts from that guy.

    I do remember the part about him saying that cats pulled the cord out and he was glad because it could have been worse.

    Jared: I’ll forget that last part of the first comment, it’s sounds flamerish to me.

  • SpiderMonkey

    Obviously it’s more fun for you guys to sit here speculating than seriously thinking it through, but it’s kinda evident that you don’t really have much understanding of a bit of basic electronics, or experience of power cable faults. Some thoughts for you: where did all that power come from? Ever heard of the concept of resistance? Run a current through a thin piece of wire and the wire heats up? Did you hear that you can even use that concept to make lightbulbs and soldering irons? So, y’know enough “power” to melt a connector doesn’t seem that improbable if there is some flaw in the design. And the story is “sort of ridiculous”? How about I tell you about the guy I knew in college whose (electrician tested) power brick just spontaneously combusted in the middle of the cord one day, and nearly set his room on fire?

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    Let’s also start speculating why spidermonkey is backing up mister -. Unless they are the same person but with different IPs.

    Spider: I don’t doubt it could happen, I just think this incident is too weird and abnormal to be true.

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    Oh, I forgot I posted a comment on the flickr page:

    “This is bullshit:
    dancameron.org/general/1162″

    Maybe that’s why they’re comming here already in defense.

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    Let’s also start speculating why spidermonkey is backing up mister -. Unless they are the same person but with different IPs.

    Spider: I don’t doubt it could happen, I just think this incident is too weird and abnormal to be true.

  • steve jobs

    I am the real Steve Jobs. my mac was burned by the government after they illegally spyed on me.

  • Nate

    I am th real Nate and the government burned my cat because she was cooler than the president’s dog.

  • http://dancameron.org Dan

    Oh, I forgot I posted a comment on the flickr page:

    “This is bullshit:
    dancameron.org/general/1162″

    Maybe that’s why they’re comming here already in defense.

  • http://www.irrision.com Brady

    That is definately a fake. The connector is obviously rusted and appears to have shorted from what looks like pop spilled in it. The side of the laptop is all beat up as well which makes me suspect he doesn’t take very good care of it to begin with. I too call fake! I say if it did short it was his fault. Apple wants him to remove the pics because they don’t want to story to spread and give them a bad rep regardless of what caused it. They replaced the laptop to keep him for doing that, which is ironic since I doubt it was a flaw in the design.

  • http://www.violentbees.com/ Tony Rayo

    I’m not going to comment on if I think the story is false in any regard; there just isn’t enough evidence for me to do anything but make a wild guess (which I only like to do when I feel I’m right =p). However, I’m wondering if anyone knows about Apple’s replacement stance regarding faults by the user. I think most people (including myself) would assume Apple would save money and not cover these claims, but I’m curious to read legal documents that came with this model related to warranty. I don’t understand why everyone is being so critical of the guy though, I guess some people feel a major story is being surpressed but I think the message already got out and I do believe Apple is working to make sure there is no real flaw there.

    P.S. – I’ve learned from my experiences over the years with electronics that objects can burn a lot of different ways and materials themselves don’t always act like you’d expect or even as they should. I know there isn’t a lot to go on so anyone that wants to question the authenticity of the story is limited, but I wouldn’t count out any number of possibly reasons as the cause of the end result.

  • http://www.violentbees.com/ Tony Rayo

    I’m not going to comment on if I think the story is false in any regard; there just isn’t enough evidence for me to do anything but make a wild guess (which I only like to do when I feel I’m right =p). However, I’m wondering if anyone knows about Apple’s replacement stance regarding faults by the user. I think most people (including myself) would assume Apple would save money and not cover these claims, but I’m curious to read legal documents that came with this model related to warranty. I don’t understand why everyone is being so critical of the guy though, I guess some people feel a major story is being surpressed but I think the message already got out and I do believe Apple is working to make sure there is no real flaw there.

    P.S. – I’ve learned from my experiences over the years with electronics that objects can burn a lot of different ways and materials themselves don’t always act like you’d expect or even as they should. I know there isn’t a lot to go on so anyone that wants to question the authenticity of the story is limited, but I wouldn’t count out any number of possibly reasons as the cause of the end result.

  • marthasuzanne

    I was looking for information on possible problems with the magsafe and found this thread. Yesterday I had the same problem with my macbook. The only thing that kept mine from advancing to the stage that this one did is that I was in the room and smelled the smoke. I was able to pull the cord before it got that advanced.

  • Alison