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MacBook, MacBook Pro update 1.1 effective for most users
For several months we've covered an issue with some MacBooks and MacBook Pros where the first typed letter in a new text field is sometimes missing. For instance, when filling out a Web-based form, typing the word "dog" in an address field may result in only "og" being typed. A description from one poster to Apple's Discussion Boards is in a thread amusingly titled "ELP! - first letter always missing!".
Apple later stated that this was a "known issue, which is currently being investigated by engineering." At the time we reported that some users were able to mitigate this issue by adjusting their key repeat rate settings in the Keyboard and Mouse pane of System Preferences. In particular, setting the "Delay Until Repeat" to very short or off has resolved the issue for some.
We also reported several times on suddenly unresponsive trackpads.
Now Apple has released MacBook/Pro Software Update 1.1 for the MacBook and MacBook Pro, which purportedly fixes an issue where users "occasionally experience a temporary suspension of keyboard input which can last a minute or longer."
Unfortunaely, this update is only available for systems running Mac OS X 10.5.1, meaning Tiger users with this problem are out of luck.
Early indications are that the update is, indeed, effective.
One VersionTracker poster writes:
"Nearly since getting my MacBook, it has been often very hard to click on the pad. It was not responsive. Apple replaced it once. But it was still bad. I had a repair number but never sent it in because I needed it and was functioning with a wireless Mighty Mouse (except when it would lose recognition.) I don't know about forgetting the mouse, but this update appears to have completely fixed the trackpad issue. I am very happy about it."
The update replaces the following system extensions:
- AppleUSBTopCase.kext
- IOBluetoothFamily.kext
- IOUSBFamily.kext
Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.
Resources
if fixes only the suspension of the keyboard input.
Indeed, this doesn't fix anything on the missing letters bug that is also described in depth in the ELP First letter missing thread on the Apple discussion forums.
It remains a mystery why some letters are not registered by the MacBook Pro.
For me MBP 10.5.1. I still have an unresponsive keyboard and trackpad at times. I also have the problem with the first letter not showing up. It is all very obnoxious.
This fix is for a different problem, and it is one which I have been experiencing:
At rare intervals (in the order of once every few weeks), my keyboard has gone into a state where it completely stops functioning for up to a minute at a time. While in this state, no keys do anything (including Caps Lock). It comes right again all by itself, but then the keyboard stops working again a little while later. The problem persists until the computer is restarted (sleep doesn't help). The trackpad continues to function normally the whole time, and external keyboards are not affected.
This was a new problem that started the day I installed Leopard. It has happened four times since then. I now have the new keyboard update installed but I'll need to wait a month or so to be confident that the problem has gone away.
Kind of a sloppy article that doesn't follow any known rules of evidence.
It's also important to point out that when "Apple later stated that this was a 'known issue, which is currently being investigated by engineering'", that "later" in this instance means months and months after users knew it was an issue. Until Apple admitted what was obvious, they directly stated that it WASN'T a known issue. That's Apple's standard Orwellian NewSpeak before they've decided to admit a problem.
Totally agree with the above.
This fix has nothing to do with the ELP! - first letter always missing! problem!
According to appleinsider:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/12/18/apple_releases_update_for_freezing_macbook_keyboards.html
"Apple releases update for freezing MacBook keyboards
Apple has released a software update for its MacBook and MacBook Pro systems that addresses chronic freezing issues with the systems' keyboards.
The fix acknowledges an issue previously reported by AppleInsider which causes intermittent unresponsiveness on multiple generations of the Intel-based portables running Mac OS X Leopard.
When affected, some MacBook and MacBook Pro models are temporarily unable to provide keyboard input, in some cases lasting a minute or more. Users are sometimes compelled to relaunch Finder or the system itself to regain control of the system beyond the trackpad or external peripherals."
This fix may have resolved another issue (as described above) but not the missing letter issue.
Please, let's try to get it correct.
thanks,
frank
-the missing first letter problem on the MacBok Pro (see ELP thread on Apple Discussion forums)
-the randomly missing letters problem on the MacBook Pro.
Please help the enormous user base with this problem keep their problems in the spotlight!
We ned a fix, too!!!
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6143765
It may have been locked when Apple read the thread's last couple pointed complaints from people annoyed by the problem, or maybe the link to the Macfixit article above containing our further complaints.
Be careful what you say on Apple Discussions--there are some very tender people at Apple who can't take even constructive criticism. Luckily they don't control Macfixit, etc.
Speaking of this Macfixit article, I just re-read its title--"MacBook, MacBook Pro update 1.1 effective for most users". How did Macfixit determine this when the update had been out for a day or two? Did they take a trip into the future, and do a poll of all people who will install the update?
- by analogicperformer December 21, 2007 12:07 PM PST
- <class="merchant"><span>></span><div class="datestamp"><i>This is a reply to a previous comment by John Sawyer</i></div></class><br />
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(11 Comments)I can confirm this update DOESN'T solve the first letter missing issue.
I hope apple will do something about it