Upgrading and Replacing Mac Hardware: There is no "Mac RAM"

Mac & PC: So different yet so alike...

     It's long been assumed that Apple PC's use a sort of magical hardware, excluding them from the realm of other PC manufacturers. While it may have been the case that in the past Macs used different interfaces (ADB, ADC), in recent years Apple's hardware has paralleled and preceded that of other OEM's. Let's look at the compatibility of Apple computers with standard hardware.

The Source of Legends

     The misconceptions of Apple hardware stem from a time when Apple used less common interfaces. When the Macintosh was released, it didn't use IBM's memory or expansion card standards. At a time when IBM reigned as king of the techno-industry, releasing computer systems that didn't support these standards was a risky venture. However, in time, Apple adopted more common standards and even headed the advancement of some widespread technologies today.
     Transitioning from SCSI to PATA then SATA, eliminating classic interfaces such as Serial ports in favor of USB and FireWire, and most recently, being the first with intel's Thunderbolt technology, Apple has formed and conformed to the PC norm. Let's bust some myths.

Hard Drives

     Apple first used SCSI to interface their hard drives. While SCSI was not as popular as ATA, it was a widely supported standard. Apple did, however, eventually begin to use ATA/ATAPI interfaces, starting with the Macintosh TV in 1993. SCSI was still an interface option for Apple's machines until the release of the Blue & White Power Macintosh G3 in 1999.
 Most recently, Apple adopted the SATA standard with the PowerMac G5 in 2003.
     Finally, every intel-based Mac uses SATA as the drive interface. Even the MacBook Air with the proprietary SSD uses a SATA interface, though without the standard i-SATA connector. It should be noted that all 2011-model-year Macs and later support 6.0gbps SATA.

RAM

     Take a look at the image of the memory above. One of these sticks is from a Mac, one was purchased on Amazon.com, and one was pulled from a Dell notebook.

     Since the Macintosh Plus in 1986, Apple has used standard RAM in its machines. The image above shows three sticks of DDR2, all of which are fully compatible in a MacBook, provided they are a compatible speed. All current Macs (at the time of writing) support DDR3, which can be purchased at any computer-hardware outlet.
    RAM is not forward or backward compatible. DDR2 is not compatible with DDR3, etc. However, RAM speeds are fully backward compatible. The original MacBook, for instance, uses DDR2-5300. Any module of DDR2-6400, DDR2-8500 or theoretically greater would work fine. The memory bus would simply limit the higher-speed RAM to the speeds of the DDR2-5300. It's also ok to mix RAM of different speeds.
    To get the most performance out of your memory, it's commonly advised that you purchase modules of the same capacity and install them only in even numbers (except some Mac Pros, which support triple-channel memory).

     The optical drives and LCD panels used in Macs are also typically off-the-shelf parts or available to other OEM's. So replacing that cracked MacBook LCD doesn't require finding a screen specifically for Apple notebooks. Along those same lines, don't let vendors scam you by stating that their RAM is something special by being labeled "Mac compatible".

     I hope this post was informative and helpful! Write me if you have any similar topics in mind!

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A1181 MacBook Displays: Determining Common Issues

     It seems like a bad week for the original A1181 MacBook. I’ve received four MacBooks for display issues all within a course of seven days. At least I could use this to help explain what some symptoms may mean, considering they all have different causes.

Symptom: Backlight is on for a short time but immediately cuts out when moved.
Cause: Bad Inverter Power Cable
Fix: Inverter Power Cable (~$10 part)

This BlackBook was, at first, displaying light at some times, depending on the angle of the display. Shortly, though, I was not able to get any light what-so-ever.
I tested it with a new inverter and it worked great... for a short time. Then the light was kaput. I replaced the screen and we were back in business...until I installed it with the original cables. As it had turned out, another common problem was responsible. This model of Mac is prone to breaking the inverter power cable. The broken wire was clearly evident.

I finally replaced the wire as well, and it no longer had any problems.

Symptom: Screen has horizontal lines that move and change when the display is squeezed, wiggled, or thumped.
Cause: Bad Display Controller
Fix: Replaced LCD Panel with used part (~$50 part)

This Mac appeared to have a bad data cable, at first. However, a data cable would effect the horizontal lines if the display is tilted or wiggled. Instead, they only changed when the LCD panel itself was agitated.
As it turned out, the controller inside the LCD had gone. I replaced this with a used part at the owner’s request to save on cost. No more problems.

Symptom: Backlight is only on when display is at a certain angle
Cause: Bad Inverter Power Cable
Fix: Replaced Inverter Power Cable (~$10 part)

When I received this Mac, it was immediately apparent what had happened. The backlight would come on when the display was at a very particular angle. Otherwise, there was no light.
This is common when the inverter power cable (which powers the backlight) has a broken or shorted wire. One $10 part saved this one from being a parts machine for this client.

Symptom: Backlight is on for a short time but cuts out after several minutes.
Cause: Bad Inverter Board
Fix: Replaced the Inverter Board (~$10 part)

A common prognosis for this issue on any notebook is a dying/dead inverter board. When the issue first arrises, the light will cut out during normal use at frequencies that may increase over time, or the light may cut out and never come back on.
I replaced the inverter board and have had no further problems.

Repair Experiences

     I’ve opened no less than one-hundred A1181 MacBooks and repaired more than half of the displays. It’s a very quick process for somebody with so much experience and each of these were fixed within one hour of having the parts on-hand.

     Have a problem similar to the ones listed above or any other Mac issues? Visit Mac Service & Repair for an estimate and to set up a repair now!

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Just Use It: Extending the Life of Your Mac Battery

Use it or lose it... well sooner than later, rather 

     It’s a sad fact of life, but batteries die. The OEM giveth, and the OEM...taketh? Any how, whether your device has a NiMh, NiCad, Li-ion or LiPo, your battery’s capacity will degrade over time until it will hold no charge. But what can we do to extend the life of our precious providers of power? Here I’m going to explain the do’s and don’t’s of notebook batteries.

Discharge Now or Dispose Sooner

     Today’s Apple portables sport super-efficient Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) batteries. As with most battery chemistries, these will require a bit of upkeep by you, the user.

     Many people leave their MacBooks constantly plugged in at a desk and rarely venture away from a power socket. I’ve personally encountered some users that seemed almost paranoid of the battery falling below 90%. This is anything but beneficial to your battery. Apple advertises that the new notebook batteries should last five years or more, depending on usage. Does that guarantee they will last so long? Not at all, but there are ways you can get the most out of your battery.

     LiPo batteries must be used! Used as in charged and discharged, keeping the electrons flowing, and allowing your Mac to calibrate it’s capacity rating of your battery, which is important as you’ll read.

     Your Mac calculates how it should charge your battery and how it can expect the battery to perform due to past performance. To keep these calculations accurate, and thus give your battery the best possible treatment, you must simply use it.
     Every month or so, you should unplug the Mac and allow the battery to drain. You don’t have to drain it entirely, but using it for more than an hour will allow your Mac to better estimate the “juice” and what it can expect as far as longevity.

Your Mac's Workout Routine

     2011 and later Mac portables are pre-calibrated, so the often-mentioned initial calibration is not necessary. However a calibration should be performed monthly or bi-monthly. Here's how!

First, charge the battery to full capacity.

Once the battery stops charging and the light on the magsafe turns green, you should unplug the cable. We have to discharge the battery completely, so now is the time to see how many HD YouTube videos you can open at the same time and take Photo Booth pictures to post on your FaceBook wall.
[Notice it says “once the battery stops charging” and not when it is full. If your light on your magsafe is green and your battery is under 100% but above 93%, this is completely normal and in-fact conducive of your battery’s performance]

Allow the battery to deplete until the Mac forcibly shuts down, then allow it to sit for at least six hours to deplete the charge entirely. It’s a good idea to plan this immediately before bed-time.

After the six-hour period, you can plug the magsafe into the Mac again and allow it to charge for about ten minutes before starting it up.

Again, allow the battery to charge until the light turns green, and your Mac is now calibrated to charge and use your battery efficiently.

     Good job! Cookies in the lobby and your choice of Disney® Princess or Hot Wheels® stickers. Please only take one!

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Standard ATX Power Supply in PowerMac G4 MDD

 My PowerMac G4 gets a heart transplant... That's just me... saving lives, day by day...

 The PowerMac G4 Mirror Door Drive was quite an abrupt departure from the computer towers of the day. As well, the power was something that challenged intel, often beating their CPU’s with only half the clock speeds. But what’s a PowerMac with a dead power supply? Well, for a few months, it was a nice decoration. I’ll show you how you can restore that floor decor into a respectable power house!

No give-sie back-sie!

 One day, I got an email from somebody that was asking for computer repair. I was the only person in the area that specialized in Macs, so the person was happy to stop by and let me take a look. I immediately concluded that the power supply was gone, which is an inherent flaw in the Mirror Door Drive.
 On a whim, I asked the owner if he’d consider trading it for a PC I had just picked up the same day. He said, “a working one for a non-working one? Might as well.” So we swapped the hard drives and he left satisfied with his new Pentium 4.
[It was intel’s Pentium 4 that the PowerMac used to stomp]

 Without thinking too much of it, I simply left the PowerMac sitting at the foot of my bed for three months.
 Finally, work was slim one week and I was getting restless. I looked over at the beautiful G4 and decided that it deserved to be humming along playing iTunes and Quake rather than collecting dust.

We can rebuild him. We have the technology.

 I realized that the molex connector on the motherboard was a standard 24-pin ATX! I also realized that a standard ATX power supply with 24 pins had all but one of the right leads! But was that one lead the crucial factor that would bury my plans? Considering you’re reading this post now, you can probably guess that no...no it wasn’t.
 That one pin is the 25v supply for the Apple Display Connector. If you don’t use an Apple Display with an ADC connector, then this is a non-issue and we can continue!

 Because this was simply experimental, I wanted to keep a tight budget. I spent $45 on a standard 350w ATX power supply at Best Buy. The first MDD G4 used a 400w power supply and the later models used 360w. I am not certain if the 400w power supply was simply a redundancy or if it’s necessary, but I know that using two hard drives, one DVD drive, and an ATI Radeon 9000 Pro graphics card, I never had an issue with the power draw.

 I didn’t want to ruin the power supply if the experiment was unsuccessful, so rather than snipping any wires, I simply pulled the pins from the Molex connector to rearrange them. This is the guide I used:

[Keep in mind that this is how the pins should look if viewing from the back of the connector, not the end with the pins.]

 After arranging the pins, I connected the PSU to the motherboard and tested it open. Bingo! I was exhilarated to see the power button light up and to hear the gong... Of course it didn’t boot because the drive still had a Windows installation on it, but that was taken care of with a Tiger install disc.

 It was running excellently with no hang ups, so I figured it was time to make it work while closed. After fumbling around enough, I was able to squeeze the beast into the PowerMac ever so.

I simply strung some hanging-wire through the holes in the top of the metal frame and suspended the PSU in such a way that the graphics card, which occupied the lowest [AGP] slot, would slip under it with a bit of wiggling.

 The downsides to this specific setup are that I can’t place any 64-bit or full-sized PCI cards into the slots and the power supply would just heat them with its exhaust.

 So there we have a perfectly functional (minus ADC port) PowerMac G4!

 Now that I’ve done all of the experimenting for you, we can feel more confident in using a standard ATX PSU. Ideally, you could use a Mini ITX power supply that would fit in the original power supply’s slot! This would  allow you to fit any PCI card into the slots!
 Finally, the most straight-forward process would be to simply cut the cable from the original MDD power supply and splice the wires to the new PSU, matching the voltages of course. Simply remove the brown 25v cable from the molex connector and the cable would fit and connect just as intended!

 I’d like to give this another try with a Mini ITX power supply some day.

Oh this would be simply beautiful...

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My MacBook Air Screen Replacement Experience

 Soez, I've gotten my hands on a MacBook Air that needs a new display. The client fell asleep on it and surprisingly did no damage to the lid or bezel, just the panel.

 I ordered a new one from Buy.com for about $100, shipped. When I opened it, it turned out to be the exact model number and was even manufactured around the same date as the MacBook Air itself!

 I got to prodding and prying, careful not to sneeze for fear that half of the components would dissolve into the air like dust.

 Look at the size of this thing! I can say with complete confidence: this is the smallest screw I've ever handled.

Also, I must say, Apple seems to have been a bit more considerate in the application of thermal paste during manufacturing [something that had caused thermal anomalies in their other Intel notebooks. It wasn't necessarily an issue, but it certainly did not reflect Apple's renowned attentiveness]

Perhaps they were just being that considerate about the weight of the MacBook Air 0.o

 At any rate, the notebook came apart like LEGO's™. Honestly, it was by far the most pleasant teardown I've experienced. On behalf of all technicians that have battered fingers and balding heads, thank you, Johnny Ive, thank you. *single tear*

 Taking the notebook down almost to the bare parts, I finally reached all of the cables and screws necessary to remove the display housing. Afterward, I began to remove the bezel, something that intimidates any person whom attempts it. I must say, it was less-than-dramatic. It only takes patience and sense. Even the rubber gasket was spared.

[Why, Apple, would you design something like this to be un-dissasemble-able…new word. It just seems irrational that one would have to pay $600 for a $100 part because your designers choose form over practicality in such cases. Props on making the iPhone 4 easy to access. But really, such ignorance mitigates the advantages of the unibody structure. Don't be so paranoid about visible screws, okey dokey?]

OK, swapped the displays, perfect. It couldn't have been easier, actually. [To be honest, it's less stressful than the original White MacBooks: not having to concern yourself with those tiny plastic fastening ********, damn those things! I am tired of super glue on my fingers >< ]

Tested…bingo! Working like new and boots just as well.

Let's get that bezel back on. Turning to the super-glue [dang], I attached the rubber gasket to the back of the bezel. After allowing it to cure, I applied more CA to the magnesium(?) frame inside the lid. Sliding the bottom of the bezel into place, first, I slowly squared the gasket with the sides of the lid and pressed it into place, being sure the pin near the iSight finds its way into the corresponding hole.

Et voila! A wholly unblemished MacBook Air!

 Oh joy! I was sad to see it leave.

 Well, there she is! A re-screened MacBook Air with intact bezel and gasket. I've also learned this could be done without removing the display assembly at all. I can't wait for next time!

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Methods to Installing OS X Lion

Naaaaaaaaants ingonyamaaaaaaa bagithi baba sithi uhm ingonyama....

  With the release of Lion comes more than just a revolution in desktop OS', but a revolution of the method in which it's distributed. But is it necessarily suitable for everybody? In this post, I'll describe how Apple wants to distribute their latest Mac OS and your alternatives, such as creating a bootable disc.

  Apple has long been a headstrong pioneer in technological development, including popularizing new ideas and rebuffing older ones.

 With the iMac, Apple said goodbye to archaic interfaces such as SCSI and Serial Ports, while ushering in the era of hot-plugable intelligent connectors such as USB and FireWire. Also, noticeably and sometimes critically absent was a floppy drive! Most recently, the MacBook Air has been dodging flack for its lack of an optical drive.

 What would compel Apple to boldly and abruptly leap into the post-disc-media era? There are several factors, most due in part to Apple.

  Firstly, media is now easily accessed through high-speed internet. With iTunes and Netflix, one can rent and watch movies almost instantly, without driving to drop the film off before late fees are incurred. As well, there are plenty of options to buy and store music on non-removable media. Finally, the big push in Apple's metamorphosis, the App Store has allowed Mac users to download quality, reliable programs without the need for any physical media.

  With that leap comes an even greater leap: The distribution of a mainstream OS strictly by non-disc media.

OS X Lion: The most advanced OS, the most advanced methods

 OS X Lion is officially distributed in three methods.

 Most prominently, OS X Lion is distributed in the new Mac App Store, introduced in Snow Leopard version 10.6.6. It follows the basic philosophies of Apple's iOS App Store. The $19.99 purchase allows you to download and install Lion on any Mac that you own (with Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed). But what about those without internet connections or high-speed downloads?

 To facilitate those users, Apple offers convenient Personal Setup areas in Apple Stores to download the OS using their high-tier business internet services. This mostly eliminates the painful wait-times, but making a trip to the nearest Apple store isn't exactly practical for some.

 Finally, Apple offers a USB stick (a very minimalist stick) with Lion on it. Simply place the non-rewritable thumb drive into the USB port, and carry on with the installation just as you would with the App Store download. The catch is that it costs $69.99, quite a premium over the Mac App Store's cost.

 So what are your alternatives?

How to Cheat with Lion: Unsupported Installation Methods

 The following methods require that you download Lion at some point. Basically, there's no getting around downloading it or buying it on a USB drive. This method is not a means to steal, but to make installing on all of your personal systems, after purchasing Lion, less time-consuming. As well it can be used to perform a clean install.

 [Before beginning, note that if you allow Lion to install after downloading it from the App store, it will delete the file from the Applications folder, so you'll want to do this before installing Lion to avoid re-downloading.]

To create a bootable drive;

First, download Lion from the Mac App Store.

Once Lion has completed downloading, it will appear in your Applications folder. Navigate to it in the Finder.

Right click (control+click) the icon labeled Install Mac OS X Lion.

In the Contextual Menu that appears, click Show Package Contents.

In the folder that appears, open Contents, then Shared Support. There is the disk image we need, InstallESD.dmg.

Drag the .dmg to your Desktop while holding Option and it will copy it there.

Now, open Disk Utility and drag the .dmg file directly to the white field on the left of the Disk Utility window.

Highlight the .dmg file in the list and click Restore. It will have a field for a destination. You must have a thumb-drive or external hard-drive partition that is at least 5GB and formatted in the GUID partition map.

From the list on the left, drag the drive or partition that you wish to use as a Lion drive to the Destination field.

All of the data on the partition or drive will be erased and replaced.

Click the Restore button below, enter your Admin password if asked, and the process will begin.

Once finished, just mount the drive on a [booted] machine with at least Snow Leopard 10.6.6 (10.6.8 highly recommended) and install Lion as you would any app from a disk image.

To create an install DVD, follow the same instructions except rather than click Restore, select the .dmg in the list and click Burn. Insert a writable DVD and select a compatible speed (depending on your DVD) and continue.

Once finished, again, just mount the disc on a [booted] machine with Snow Leopard and install as you would any disc-mounted software. However, creating a DVD also allows you to boot directly to it in order to perform a clean install!

A new Mac for your Mac

 The only problem I've encountered while installing Lion on my iMac, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro, is that if you're using a disc or drive, you may get the error "Can't download the additional components needed to install Mac OS X"

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