SOUND ON SOUND

[BobTheDog]

Until the next one :)

It does seem a crack in the secure walled garden of the Apple infrastructure that all the baddies have to do is get an apple developer account and notarise their software with the correct exclusions.

[ConcertinaChap]

Another issue fixed by the latest Big Sur update, though Apple look good in this one because the issue they're fixing isn't really their fault:

https://www.theregister.com/2021/02/26/ ... ur_update/

CC

[Sam Spoons]

Not sure how they are fixing anything, the issue is the old one of sub standard chargers frying laptop computers, not something I can see is fixable in software. I'm guessing that it's a beefing up of the "this device is not recognised" setup refusing to let non Apple kit work, forgive me being cynical, but is it more geared to forcing users to buy only Apple branded kit? That said I don't think the Apple chargers are "stomach-churningly expensive", a bit on the rich side sure but £70-80 is not a huge price to pay after you have paid, in my case £1249 for a MBP (and you do get one included).

What is slightly more concerning is the suggestion that USBC hubs can cause damage, I suspect if they are not supplying power to the MacBook they'll be ok. Either way I won't be risking one that does channel the power from the PSU to the MBP.

[CS70]

That "non compliant" thing always puzzled me on the iphone.

Must be a very dodgy specification if it's even possible to create something that doesn't comply with a freaking port spec. How hard can it be? Or maybe they don't publish the specs at all..

[Sam Spoons]

The mooted theory is that the cables/chargers have a unique identifier chip and the device rejects a cable or device that doesn't have an appropriate identifier. The purpose being to force the user to buy only high priced Apple products.

[BobTheDog]

The purpose being to force the user to buy only high priced Apple products.

Or alternatively to stop them blowing their devices up by using shoddy power supplies and cables.

I managed to blow up a DSI P12 and P2 by mistakingly powering the cheapo usb hub they were attached to with a 10V psu, the hub seemed quite happy to run at 10V and thought everything attached to it via usb would be as well!

[desmond]

The purpose being to force the user to buy only high priced Apple products.

Or alternatively to stop them blowing their devices up by using shoddy power supplies and cables.

Likely a little of column A, and a little of column B, with varying weightings depending on which part of Apple you talk to...

[Sam Spoons]

^ This sums it up nicely. Apple definitely want you to buy Apple products, that's the whole point of being Apple but shoddy power supplies can be damaging so I accept that they may want to discourage people from using them.

Now, I said above that I would not be buying or using a none standard charger for my new MBP*. I'm less worried about using a third party adapter to connect USB A/HDMI or SD cards to my MBP, anybody think that is a bad idea?

* USBC can carry up to 20VDC at 5A so it's easy to see how a dodgy charger can do damage, but what about a 3rd party cable from a reasonably reputable manufacturer (Anker or similar)?

[s_e_a_n]

Perhaps Apple could be taken to task for not putting the circuitry in place that checks for over or under voltage issues and power surges. It used to pride itself on making devices that could withstand anything, nowadays they make snowflake devices. There are far too many Apple apologists around. They are a huge and wealthy corporation. They can make better stuff but won't as long as people point the finger somewhere else.

[desmond]

Perhaps Apple could be taken to task for not putting the circuitry in place that checks for over or under voltage issues and power surges.

How do you know they haven't?

[Sam Spoons]

Perhaps Apple could be taken to task for not putting the circuitry in place that checks for over or under voltage issues and power surges. It used to pride itself on making devices that could withstand anything, nowadays they make snowflake devices. There are far too many Apple apologists around. They are a huge and wealthy corporation. They can make better stuff but won't as long as people point the finger somewhere else.

TBF all that applies to any big corporation where the sole reason for existing is profit (i.e. all of them). Apple do many things very well and others less well (and occasionally some things very badly). For me, despite the whinging, the things they do well outweigh the things they do badly so I buy Apple kit. My studio machine is a 2008 Mac Pro which still gets the job done, I consider that pretty good value for money.

[desmond]

TBF all that applies to any big corporation where the sole reason for existing is profit (i.e. all of them). Apple do many things very well and others less well (and occasionally some things very badly). For me, despite the whinging, the things they do well outweigh the things they do badly so I buy Apple kit.

+1

[BobTheDog]

Perhaps Apple could be taken to task for not putting the circuitry in place that checks for over or under voltage issues and power surges. It used to pride itself on making devices that could withstand anything, nowadays they make snowflake devices. There are far too many Apple apologists around. They are a huge and wealthy corporation. They can make better stuff but won't as long as people point the finger somewhere else.

Every Apple device I have ever purchased is still going, all the way from an Apple II.

Some were limping a bit: replaced broken screens, replaced hard disks, replaced PSUs and batteries.

But all still going, what about your other manufacturers devices over that period you have, how many are still running?

[CS70]

Perhaps Apple could be taken to task for not putting the circuitry in place that checks for over or under voltage issues and power surges.

...

TBF all that applies to any big corporation where the sole reason for existing is profit (i.e. all of them).

Well to a point. I have probably around 50 power supplies at home, from shoddy to super-spec and so far they have fried absolutely nothing. Billions of computers and trillions of all sorts of electronic devices are powered by stuff made in Ghuangzu and costing 2p a dozen and - so long the voltage is correct - nothing blows up. What the heck makes these Apple phones and laptops and whatever so sensitive, I still cannot understand. :)

[BobTheDog]

The weird thing is that a software update can stop it getting fried.

Makes me think that the issue is really in the laptops, I guess the software update maybe just be disabling certain devices.

I just had a look on the internet and real info on this seems hard to come by!