MacBook Pro Video Issues

July 31, 2015 in Apple, Computer, Equipment, Gear, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Technical

Video Issues and Logic Board Failure

The Problem

Owners of 2011 to early 2013, 15 and 17 inch MacBook Pros need to be aware of any issues that causes video problems like freezes, distorted screen, black or gray screens and restarts. My 17 inch MBP would show green strips and restart on its own and boot to a black, blue or gray screen! This issue is solved with a new logic board replaced under warranty. This repair would cost $600+ if you have to cover the cost of the repair.

Apple Repair Extension Program

This program was set up earlier this year after consumers discovered that the problem was widespread. The page on Apple's support site on this issue has 5 million views: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4766577. My 17 MBP failed a Apple diagnostic test at the service center so they offered to replace the logic board at no charge and under warranty. I decided to order a new top case or unibody case which includes a new keyboard and touchpad since the laptop was being serviced anyway. My shop had my MBP back in my hands in less than two full days for a grand total of $319 ($219 for the top case alone). This shop is an independent Apple repair center called AMS and is located in Torrance California http://www.amsus.com/ The program covers affected MacBook Pro models until February 27, 2016 or three years from its original date of sale, my computer thankfully failed in the last couple of months of the coverage and thankfully there were no issues with OWC aftermarket SSD drives (two) and RAM effecting the warranty process. Need more info, see Apple's support page: https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

Any questions or comments? Leave a question below or send me an email.

Move Your CS5 Plug-ins to CS6

September 03, 2012 in Computer, How to, Photoshop, Photoshop CS6

This is a quick and easy way to transfer your plug-ins like Nik without re-installation or re-entering any product keys. Although I use Nik plug-ins in this example you should be able to move any plug-in using the same method. Update Sept 18, I have only used this with Nik Plug-ins so you should use caution if you try this with another plug-in type. Also I should mention that I made sure my Nik plug-ins were up to date before I used the technique below.

1. First you need to make sure Photoshop is closed.

2. Now go to the Photoshop CS5 plugin folder. For a Mac running OS X you can find it here:

Applications > Adobe Photoshop CS5 >Plug-ins > Nik Software

Windows:

Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Photoshop CS5 (64 bit) > Plug-ins > Nik Software

If you are running Windows OS be aware that there is a 32 bit and a 64 bit version of photoshop plug-ins so pay special attention to make sure you keep the plug-ins separate and to see that each type goes into the proper place in Photoshop CS6. Mac OS only comes in 64 bits, so there is only one version.

3. Click or select the Nik Software plugin folder and press Cmd + C with a Mac or Ctrl + C with a PC.

4. Once you have copied the Nik plugin folder go to the CS6 plug-in folder.

Mac OS X:

Applications > Adobe Photoshop CS6 >Plug-ins > Nik Software

Windows:

Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Photoshop CS6 (64 bit) > Plug-ins > Nik Software

5. Now paste the Nik plugin folder from CS5 into the CS6 folder and you are done,

Cmd + V

with Mac OS or

Ctrl + V

with Windows computers.

For this example my Nik Plugins worked perfectly the first time without any product key issues.

It is easy to check to if the plug-ins load into CS6 properly. Open CS6 then open an image and go to Menu > Filter > Nik Software. Everything should be there ready to use.

What about Lightroom?

In LR Plug-ins are added and maintained via Lightroom's Plugin Manager, which is accessible from Lightroom's File menu. I am told you can copy and paste a plug-in folder then register that new location with the plug-in manager but I will have to leave that for a future post.

MacBook Pro Retina Display Issues

June 17, 2012 in Apple, Computer, Equipment, Gear, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro

There are some issues with the MacBook Pro Retina that you should be aware of and what you need to know

Yesterday a friend asked me about my thoughts on the new the new MacBook Pro with Retina display. My thoughts about some issues might be useful for other photographers out there that are considering buying one. For the record I have not seen the MacBook Pro with Retina display in real life but I hope to get out this weekend to check one out.

Here's the important thing to understand about the MacBook Pro Retina, there is no way to see the full retina resolution of 2880 x 1800 so there is no way to see 1:1 or actual pixels, unless maybe you use Aperture which is the only editing program that is written to work with it so far. This is a huge problem for photographers until Adobe updates Photoshop and Lightroom.

Even though the Apple site tells you otherwise as I understand the MacBook Pro Retina ships with the display set to 1440x900 (which is what my 13 inch MBA runs) and not 2880x1800. What you get is the effective desktop resolution of the standard 15.4 MacBook Pro with a 1440 x 900 panel, but with four pixels behind every single pixel on the screen. This configuration should offer amazing detail but you don't actually get any more desktop space. There is no way to actually see this actual 2880 x 1800 unless you run Windows 8 (see the anandtech link below).

The MBP Retina is really running insane resolution then scaling down to display 4 pixels for every 1 pixel on a normal display. To help you understand the issue think of this like a the resolution of a print, lets say the normal MPB 15.4 display looks like a 72 ppi 8 x 12 print for example, the MBPR display is similar to a the same 8x 12 inch size but at at 220 ppi. This is based on what I have read I can't actually say what it really looks like since I have not seen on in person.

There's one other thing that shouldn't be overlooked, images shown on a normal MBP will look exactly half the size on a MBPR since the display is showing them scaled down. You would have to resize an image to twice the size for a MBPR to show at the same size as a normal MBP.

Conclusions and recommendations?

I am keeping my 17 inch MBP and 13 MBA for awhile, although a 13 MBA with USB 3 looks interesting!

If you've have anything interesting to share can know something that isn't mentioned here, be sure to share 'em in the comments below.

Links for more info:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6008/windows-8-on-the-retina-display-macbook-pro

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5996/how-the-retina-display-macbook-pro-handles-scaling

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5998/macbook-pro-retina-display-analysis

This CNET tech blogger gets did get some of his facts wrong but his post makes for interesting reading:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-33620_3-57454551-278/forget-retina-look-how-much-the-new-macbook-pro-displays/?tag=mncol;cnetRiver

MacBook Air 480 GB SSD Upgrade

May 08, 2012 in Apple, Articles, Computer, Mac, MacBook Air, Technical

What you need to know about Apple's MBA SSDs

The Apple MacBook Air is a seriously good laptop and is almost the perfect back up or travel computer for a photographer. In 2011 Apple finally refreshed their MacBook Air lineup with new SSDs using new form factor Called mSATA SSDs (also known as blade SSDs). Although Apple does offer two choices on the 13 inch MacBook Air, 128 and 256 GB (on the 11 inch you can choose 64 or 128 GB), this is one area where the MBA disappoints.

The OWC 480 GB 6G SSD upgrade installed on my 13 inch Macbook air with 1.8GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7.

Apple uses both Toshiba SSDs and Samsung SSDs on the current 2011 MBA. This doesn't sound like anything to worry and really its not but you should know that the Samsung SSDs are much faster than the Toshiba units and there is no way of knowing which one you get before booting up the machine for the first time. This just takes a second. Go to the Apple menu > About this mac > more info > System Report.. > Serial - ATA.

You can tell what SSD type you have by looking at the model string in a System Report from your machine. The SM prefix indicates a Samsung drive while the TS indicates Toshiba. A Samsung 256 GB drive will show up as - Apple SSD SM256C.

The problem is that the performance difference between the two Apple 3G drives is pretty significant, the Samsung is about 2X or more faster than the Toshiba SSD, see the Anantech's MBA review -

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4528/the-2011-macbook-air-11-13inch-review

Upgrading the MBA with the 480 GB SSD

The OWC 480 GB 6G SSD upgrade and 256 GB Apple Samsung 3G SSD side by side. The pink square is a foam thermal pad.

The OWC 6G SSDs are about 3x faster than the Apple Samsung factory SSDs. The 480 GB SSD upgrade costs right around $1000. The Apple 256 GB upgrade for the 13 inch MBA is $300 or $2.34 per GB, the OWC upgrade is $2.14 per GB and 3X faster and you get to keep the factory SSD for back up or other tasks. This is a great value for someone like me that needs the additional HDD space.

OWC's Mercury Aura Pro Express 6G SSD should guarantee a significant boost in speed and with the 480 GB model, almost twice the disk space as Apple's largest SSD. There are no other SSDs suitable for 2010-2011 MBAs, unless you find an original Apple unit on the used parts market.

Installation notes

Because OS X Lion is preinstalled on the removable Apple factory SSD, you cannot simply remove that drive and replace it with a new SSD. There are two methods to prepare using a new SSD, I used two USB HDDs to back up and restore the OS. Remember to format the new SSD with the disk utility before you restore the OS. For more details -

OWC Mercury Aura OS X Lion installation instructionshttp://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/format_2011_air/

Installing the OWC SSD

The installation is quick and easy only taking about 15 minutes or so. All the necessary tools for the job such as Torx and Pentalobe drivers are supplied by OWC with the SSD purchase. Make sure you use a proper container or at least a strip of tape sticky side up to hold onto the tiny Pentalobe screws that secure the MBA bottom cover.

OWC Mercury Aura Pro Express installation videoshttp://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbook_air_2011_ssd/

Important links

Information on OWC MacBook Air SSD upgrades -

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Express

OWC SSD review at Anandtech.com -

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5076/owc-mercury-aura-pro-express-6g-review-a-fast-macbook-air-ssd-upgrade

MacBook Pro Dual SSD Upgrade

April 06, 2012 in Apple, Computer, Equipment, Gear, How to, Mac, MacBook Pro

OWC 480GB Mercury 3G SSD and 120GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD drives. The 120GB is used as my main drive for the OS and applications and the 480GB drive is used for storage.

Upgrading the MacBook Pro

I love my 17 inch MacBook Pro, it is the best laptop that I have ever had the pleasure to own, but there is one issue that I really holds it back. The hard drive system is really limited in terms of speed, capacity, and by the lack of a second hard drive. This is one area where Windows PCs really have an advantage. Apple does offer a solid state drive upgrade but no second hard disk option but thankfully there are aftermarket solutions out there.

120GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD drive and Mac 5400RPM 750GB drive.

Upgrading the 5400 RPM drive to a solid-state drive

My first target was to replace the factory 5400 RPM drive with an solid-state drive since I have had nothing but good experiences with SSDs in previous laptops. I upgraded the factory 750GB 5400 rpm drive with a 120GB OWC Mercury Electra Pro 6G SSD. Solid-state drives are faster and more reliable since unlike traditional hard drives SSDs have no moving parts so they are quieter, run cooler, and are much more rugged with much faster system responsiveness. A OWC 6G SSD drive is about 67% faster in Photoshop CS5 tests that I have seen and they offer 100X greater data protection than the highest rated enterprise class conventional hard disk drive.

120GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G installed in a 17 inch MacBook Pro.

How much faster is the 6G solid-state drive?

There is a major performance gain with the SSD over a 5400RPM drive. OWC Photoshop action tests show the 5400RPM drive take 20 minutes vs only 8 minutes with the SSD. Peak data rates are 75/77 MBps (read/write) for the 5400RPM to 559/527MBps for the SSD.

The latest 2011 Core i7 MacBook Pro models are fast, up to 30% faster than prior generation models but with a 6G SSD, the current model is up to 2.2x faster in Photoshop CS5 action tests.

Follow the link to see more tests and benchmarks. http://eshop.macsales.com/Reviews/Framework.cfm?page=/Benchmarks/CS5BenchmarkPage-MacBookPro17.html

Why OWC and not apple?

Apple does offer 128/256/512GB solid state drives but these are the 3G type and not the 6G drives that OWC offers. SATA revision 3.0 6 Gbit/s drives are about 30% faster than the SATA revision 2.0 SATA 3 Gbit/s drives that Apple uses.

More info on test results - http://macperformanceguide.com/SSD-RealWorld-Conclusions.html

Looking at cost the Apple 512GB 3G upgrade drive costs $1,100.00, the OWC Pro 6G 480GB SSD is $1079.99, down to $699 for the OWC 6G non pro version. If you go with an Apple SSD you lose the 5400RPM drive since the SSD is only an upgrade. If you go with the 5400RPM drive and upgrade to the OWC you get the 5400RPM drive to use later. Also note that Apple is famous for optimistically labeling SSD capacities, the advertised 512GB drive is only 500GB in the real word.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Mercury_6G/

Replacing the SuperDrive with a second solid-state drive

OWC Data Doubler with 480GB 3G SSD installed next to the factory SuperDrive.

To replace my SuperDrive with second SSD for storage I chose an OWC Data Doubler that is an optical to SATA drive converter solution that allowed me to replace my MacBook Pro's internal SuperDrive with an SSD.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDAMBS0GB/

OWC 480GB Mercury 3G SSD installed in a 17 inch MacBook Pro in place of the SuperDrive.

I chose to install a 480GB OWC Mercury Electra 3G SSD for my second hard drive. Why the 3G model and not a 6G model? The faster 6G drives are not of any benefit with the 15 or 17 inch MBPs since OWCs testing has demonstrated that Apple factory hardware does not reliably support a 6G (6Gb/s) Solid State Drive or Hard Disk in the optical bay. Strangely the 13 inch MBP will support a second 6G SSD for data rates up to 1000MBps when set up in RAID 0 configuration.

You can install up to a 1TB capacity drive with the Data Doubler if you want more storage space. Check out more HDD options over at OWC's site - http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/

How long does the installation take?

Installing an SSD drive in place of the factory drive is very simple and only takes about 15 minutes. Make sure you have the right tools and most importantly read the installation instructions or watch am installation video. See the video link below.

Installing the Data Doubler and HDD was also simple and smooth and took me about 30 minutes with the OWC provided tools and instructions. OWC also offers installation videos online - http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/macbookpro_17_unibody_early11/

OWC 480GB Mercury 3G SSD, Data Doubler and 120GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD drives installed in a 17 inch MacBook Pro.

How much do the upgrades cost?

The Data Doubler currently runs $64.95, OWC 480GB Mercury 3G SSD is $1079. The 120GB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD drive is $259.

Important OS installation considerations

Mac OS X lion (v10.7) has a hidden recovery partition so simply cloning an existing drive to a new drive will not do the job. The Lion recovery partition lets you repair disks or reinstall OS X Lion without the need for a physical disc but you need to install the OS X Lion first before you install a cloned drive image. The disk image installation will not write over the Lion recovery partition. Remember to back up your system before you do anything.

Follow these links for more information on installing Mac OS X Lion on a new drive.

Hard Drive Upgrades with Lion: Not Just a simple Clone Anymore. http://blog.macsales.com/11552-hard-drive-upgrades-with-lion-not-just-a-simple-clone-anymore

All about Lion Recovery Disk Assistant on the Apple sitehttp://support.apple.com/kb/dl1433

OWC instructions http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/format2011/index.cfm

Apple instructions on OS X Lion and Recovery http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 Apple instructions on using Migration Assistant. This tells you how to transfer all of your pictures, music, and files to the new OS installation. You can also transfer information to a Mac from a disk or a Time Machine backup. http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh27921.html

How to view hidden partitions in Mac OS X This tells you how to tell if you have the Lion hidden recovery partition in place.

http://osxdaily.com/2011/09/23/view-mount-hidden-partitions-in-mac-os-x/

Note: I found that I had to format the new SSD with the Apple Disk Utility, Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and format with Mac OS Extended (Journaled) before my machine would recognize the drive. Also I used the Data Doubler to hold the factory drive while I installed the OS on the new drive. Finally I ran Apple Migration assistant, Applications > Utilities > Migration Assistant, to transfer my applications and data to the new SSD.Don't forget to format the new second drive before you try to use it. Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility > format with Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

OWC 16GB RAM upgrade.

16GB Ram upgrade performance gains

Upgrading to 16GB of RAM really speeds up Photoshop, upgrading from 8GB to 16GB RAM shows 52% jump in speed but with a MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and an SSD shows an increase of 300% over a stock Apple machine with 8GB RAM and a standard 5400 RPM HDD.

Follow the link to see more tests and benchmarks. http://eshop.macsales.com/Reviews/Framework.cfm?page=/Benchmarks/CS5BenchmarkPage-MacBookPro17.html

How much does the 16GB RAM upgrade cost?

The Apple 8GB RAM upgrade is $200 (from the standard 4GB), the OWC 16GB RAM upgrade is only $244. The 16GB RAM upgrade is an astounding value, this same upgrade was $1600 in 2011!

Conclusion

OWC sales and support was great and with the supplied tools and online installation videos the installation went very smoothly. After the OWC upgrades my MacBook Pro is super quick and responsive and now have 120GB for the OS and applications and 480GB of solid state storage. OWC solid-state drives, RAM upgrades and the Data Doubler are highly recommended!