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FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

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Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#191
post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, someone would have to leave a Raspberry Pi zero sized chunk of explosive out to put up a boot screen and something close enough to a windows boot logo to pass a cursory visual inspection. In reality, the X-Ray should already make it pretty clear if there is something weird about the laptop's build. Turning on the machine is entirely unnecessary. Also, I have not been asked to turn on a laptop in many years, so…

The metal casing of many laptops reflects the xrays, hence you can't see anything inside them.

At many airports you can see the x-ray images of the bags and devices as they are scanned/checked.

In my experience there is always a detailed image of the inside of laptops. Color-coded according to material type/density and clearly showing the location of batteries, etc.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#192
post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also worth nothing that the XPS has a 52Whr battery and the 2018 Air had a 50.3Whr battery. Although you probably get worse battery life with the XPS (config dependent maybe), you've stil got to hand it to Dell here.

In fact, Dell XPS 13 is twice as powerful as Macbook Air, but lasts only a little shorter on battery[1]. [1] https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-macbook-air-vs-dell-xps-13-i...

It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount. You can presumably get that back with the i5 model, but then you're not twice as powerful. Makes me want to get the latest XPS even though my 2015 model is still going strong.

Also note the 2019 Air they've got has a smaller battery again (49.9Whr).

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#193
post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also worth nothing that the XPS has a 52Whr battery and the 2018 Air had a 50.3Whr battery. Although you probably get worse battery life with the XPS (config dependent maybe), you've stil got to hand it to Dell here.

In fact, Dell XPS 13 is twice as powerful as Macbook Air, but lasts only a little shorter on battery[1]. [1] https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-macbook-air-vs-dell-xps-13-i...

If you were to compare it to the new Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 which uses a 10th gen Intel chip and is marketed to have 17 hours of battery life, I think it'd be more than twice as powerful and that one would last just as long if not longer. But again, that might be an apples to oranges comparison with the different chip generations. But Apple always is a bit behind on adopting those new chips.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#194
post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fact, Dell XPS 13 is twice as powerful as Macbook Air, but lasts only a little shorter on battery[1]. [1] https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-macbook-air-vs-dell-xps-13-i...

It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount. You can presumably get that back with the i5 model, but then you're not twice as powerful. Makes me want to get the latest XPS even though my 2015 model is still going strong. Also note the 2019 Air they've got has a smaller battery again (49.9Whr).

> It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount.

The battery life gains in Macbook Air might come from the different series of processors used, rather than from the battery itself:

> The MacBook Air has Core i5 and i7 processor options, but they're part of Intel's "Y" series of CPUs, intended for thin laptops. They generate less heat and use less power, so you get longer battery life. The flip side is they're not as fast as a standard laptop with a "U" series processor.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#195
post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount. You can presumably get that back with the i5 model, but then you're not twice as powerful. Makes me want to get the latest XPS even though my 2015 model is still going strong. Also note the 2019 Air they've got has a smaller battery again (49.9Whr).

> It's 20% shorter with the i7 + 4K XPS they've used for their comparisons, that's a fair amount. The battery life gains in Macbook Air might come from the different series of processors used, rather than from the battery itself: > The MacBook Air has Core i5 and i7 processor options, but they're part of Intel's "Y" series of CPUs, intended for thin laptops. They generate less heat and use less power, so you get long…

Sure, it's certainly mostly due to the Y-series CPU. I'm just pointing out that difference in the 2019 model compared to the 2018 model that was mentioned in the parent comments.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#197
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along with the hassle of opening the laptop, powering it on, and clicking About This Mac; you would have the security issue of entering your password while surrounded by other people and cameras. None of the verification options seem very appealing.

Touchbar fingerprint reader to the rescue!

When you boot up, you need to enter your password once to enable touch ID.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats a bit unfair though. Do you think most people will know if their laptop if affected? This is the first I've heard of it and honestly can't remember what year my MBP is.

I know affected people they got emails from Apple about the recall.

A coworker got the battery replaced but was not notified by Apple.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#199
post #13
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They'll just scan the serial number when it passes through the x-ray machine, then use some OCR script to process the image and upload it to https://support.apple.com/15-inch-macbook-pro-battery-recall /s

More likely they'd require Apple to dump that dataset out to them and use it locally, but otherwise yeah.

As laptops are repaired, this database would need to be continually updated. I would imagine getting an internet connection and just using the Apple site (or a dedicated API endpoint) would be much easier.

Re: FAA Bans Recalled Apple Laptops from Flights

#200
post #87

I am wondering how long this non-removable battery fiasco is gonna last, instead of an expensive recall it would been a simple battery recall and swap that doesn't involve leaving the laptop in service for any amount of time and doable on short notice so the travelers would not be inconvenienced. On top of that, when non-removable batteries fail, they usually take down the whole device with them beyond repair, while…

Indefinitely, because most people do not consider it a "fiasco." Have you seen what the batteries look like for, say, the new 13" Macbook Pro or the 12" Macbook? They're not bricks you could just feed into a slot. They're multi-part systems that distribute the battery through the gaps in the case. Fixing them in place means they don't need extra casing support, don't need to be near a specific edge and are flexible e…

I agree that having a battery which can be changed without opening the laptop case might require to make the laptop much thicker. However, Apple could do a lot to make battery service easier, so that anyone who has the correct screwdrivers can do it in 5 minutes. This would also cause more batteries to be exchanged for old age and thus further reduce the risk of fires.

And, as this recall was about the MacBook pro, there is much more space for battery placement than in the smaller devices.

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