News

Apple Computer Reports Problems With Power Mac G4s

November 29, 2000 by Jeff Shepard

Apple Computer Inc.'s (Cupertino, CA) Power Macintosh G4 systems have been reported to have some problems. An Apple spokeswoman confirmed that overheating and failing power switches have put some recent G4s on ice. No fix has been officially announced, but moderators of Apple's online discussion boards have suggested that customers swap their new Apple Pro Keyboard for the older universal serial bus keyboards which feature a power switch.

Customer postings on the company website indicate that, in some cases, the circuitry overheats and fails completely, and that pushing the power button has no effect. In other cases, the light inside the power-on button comes on when pressed but does not begin start-up. The failure is usually accompanied by the smells of burning circuitry and possibly small amounts of smoke.

Nathalie Welch, a spokeswoman for Apple, is reported to have said of the problem, "We believe it is extremely isolated and extremely rare. We have taken steps to address it in our manufacturing."