Apple Karma: MacBook Cannot Connect to Internet

BrianB — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:23:43 +0000

I apologize for not posting as much as I wanted in the past couple of days. You see, I’ve just been hit back Karmic-style because of this new site I lovingly titled “Mac Complainer.” I’ve been a totally satisfied Apple customer since I purchased my white Macbook back in September of 2007. There’s not one problem. It boots up fast and non-native Windows applications like Microsoft Office and WMV, which I needed, work fine with minor Finder delays. Then I put up this site and a week later I am having an intermittent connection problem. I cannot figure it out, my provider cannot figure it out.

Is this an instance of Mac Karma? I’ll be glad if you can lend any help. First I’ll describe my problem with as much detail as I can.

1. Boot up MacBook. Airport is on. I plug in LAN cable. Internet works fine. Then suddenly pages stop downloading. I ping. No response. I unplug LAN. Airport signal is full bars. Nothing. I reboot MacBook. Internet comes back but stops after a minute or so. Sometimes select pages load but not others.

2. I notice that when Magsafe isn’t plugged in my Internet works fine for long periods. But this is not a sure thing.

3. I also noticed than when I’m not connected via LAN cable, it works fine for long periods again. But, again, this is not a sure thing.

4. Hardware seems fine. I tried using a weak WiFi signal from a router nearby. It works, even when there is only one bar.

5. Must be a router problem, then. But I tried connecting my PC laptop (I’m using it now to post this) but no problem whatsoever.

6. I’ve already tried reinstalling Tiger. It’s not a fresh install, though. Same problem.

MacBook Glossy Screen is a Washout

BrianB — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:05:52 +0000

I own a MacBook White that boasts a glossy wide screen. When I booted it up for the first time, I realized what the Apple store lighting did to my eyesight. It tricked me into believing the MacBook glossy screen is just as good as the TrueBrite screen of my Dell. I really wanted a glossy screen because I rarely use a lamp when I work. I also prefer to bring DVD movies along when I’m traveling and watch them on my notebook. I pretty much live on my Dell Inspiron 700m, spending 12 hours minimum staring at the screen. The 700m has one of the best glossy screens of its time. It’s almost plasma quality and it’s not a “wash out” – meaning when you look at the screen at an angle, there are no shades and the colors do not change.Sure, all laptop screens washes out, but the MacBook glossy screen washes out more than either XBrite displays like what you’d find in Sony laptops or TrueBrite like the one on my 700m. The MacBook glossy screen washes out even when you look at it on an angle slightly off center. With my MacBook, I cannot watch a movie properly unless my eyes are directly staring at the screen in a perfect perpendicular.

The OS X software (Tiger) runs fine. I’ve found it is more reliable than Windows XP. It experiences a few hiccups, like when you’ve just downloaded new software, for example, it doesn’t quite boot in the same perky manner that a Core 2 Duo computer should. Well, OS X works as advertised, more or less.

But the MacBook screen is one of the real heartaches I’ve experienced after buying a Mac. I know the MacBook is cheaper now at $1099 being the base price for a white MacBook, but does Apple really have to cut corners in such a meaningful way?

I made this short video to get my message across to Apple, consumers who are thinking of buying an Apple product and the Apple fans who I believe are in denial about their MacBook. I’m afraid I don’t have topnotch video equipment, I just used my phone camera.

- Aries C. G.

Mac Complainer » macbook complaint

Apple Karma: MacBook Cannot Connect to Internet

MacBook Glossy Screen is a Washout