WiFi Finder
Locate wireless services by a specific address, city, state, country, airport, or zip code.
I love my MacBook Air, but a few months back I discovered a problem that made me seriously consider giving it up. The issue: Turns out that Intel's Santa Rosa chip architecture, used by the MacBook Air, shuts down a core when it gets too hot. The result? At random times, generally on warm days and generally in the afternoon after I'd been using my MacBook Air for a while, the computer would become crazily unresponsive. Turns out I was running on a single processor core!
Running two cores at lower speeds is much preferable to running a single core at a higher speed. The sad thing is, the MacBook's built-in software currently just isn't up to the task. So I reluctantly tried CoolBook, a $10 utility that lets you reduce the speed and voltage of the MacBook's processor.
I was skeptical, but two months later I haven't noticed a single instance of a core shutdown. While recording this video, I disabled CoolBook, pulled up a couple of Flash-based Web videos and, sure enough, within 10 minutes I was once again experiencing full core shutdowns.
Here's hoping Apple fixes this extremely annoying problem in a future software update. But in the meantime, this $10 utility has managed to keep me from abandoning the MacBook Air out of sheer frustration.
Anyway, if you'd like to hear me yammer on about CoolBook and core shutdowns, check out the video.
DownloadMacworld Video #60
Format: MPEG-4/H.264
Resolution: 320 x 240 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
Size: 16.4MB
Length: 5:30
Show Notes
CoolBook is pretty inscrutable when it comes to settings. It could really use a "simple mode." But I used the settings suggested by Rob Randtoul on his blog and they worked quite well, though your mileage may vary.
You might also want to check out Apple's discussion forums about the issue.
To subscribe to the Macworld Video Podcast using iTunes 5 or later, click here.
You can also see a complete archive of all our videos on Macworld's YouTube channel. Subscribe to that channels and you will be notified whenever we post a new video.
Or just point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: http://rss.macworld.com/macworld/weblogs/mwvodcast
For more Macintosh computing news, visit Macworld. Story copyright © 2007 Mac Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.
With HP wireless printers, you could have printed this from any room in the house. Live wirelessly. Print wirelessly.
HP Ink Center
8 Useful Mobile Tools
Tags at a Glance
Related Laptops Articles
- Samsung Battles Apple's Air, Asus's Eee After a long hiatus, one computer maker reenters the U.S. laptop scene swinging.
- Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Mini-Notebook Faster than its mini-notebook brethren, the Lenovo S10 offers enough perks to make it a top pick for serious mobility.
- Acer Aspire One Mini-notebook (Windows XP) With its bargain-basement price, the Aspire One looks like a steal--until you realize you need the six-cell battery.
- Review: Tom Bihn Zephyr This sturdy, waterproof bag has a pre-formed shape that makes it best-suited for business-minded people who have a lot of material to haul.
- Apple Offers MacBook Pro Nvidia Graphics Repair Apple has posted details of a new service program for MacBook Pro laptops affected by a flaw involving Nvidia graphics chips...
Best Prices on Laptops
Aspire One AOA110-1295 NotebookPrice: $309.00
Eee PC 1000H NotebookPrice: $475.99
Aspire One Mini A150-1006 NotebookPrice: $399.00
Pavilion Dv2910us NotebookPrice: $699.96
VAIO VGN-NR430E/S NotebookPrice: $549.99
15" MacBook Pro NotebookPrice: $1700.00
- Web Demo: Discover the Benefits of VoIP Is your company looking for a world class VoIP communications solution that will meet all of your business requirements? If so, join us for our Live Online Demo where you will receive a "guided tour" to the AltiGen Solution.
- PC World Webcast: Going Green Wondering how to make your business greener? These tips will help your business save money, and save the environment.
- A Windows Vista FAQ Corporate customers are deploying Windows Vista now, and Dell Services wants to help you understand the features of the new OS and how to plan your Windows Vista deployment.
PC World's Marketplace
PC World's Free Whitepapers
"Stay Cool With the MacBook Air" Comments