Did I do that? Apple blushes, recalls MacBook Airs for faulty SSDs

By Nick Mokey October 18, 2013

macbook air recall disassembly — A disassembled MacBook Air. Image used with permission by copyright holder

If the hard drive on your MacBook Air imploded on you recently, if may not have been the Old Fashioned you spilled on the keyboard last month after all. As it turns out, a number of recent MacBook Airs have faulty solid-state drives (SSDs) that have been causing them to fail.

Apple recalled the affected computers on Friday with a bulletin posted on its support pages. It covers MacBook Airs sold between June 2012 and June 2013 with certain 64GB and 128GB flash drives. To see if your drive could be teetering on the brink of oblivion, you can download the MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1 from the Mac App Store, which will flag machines that need the fix.

If you’re one of the lucky losers, Apple will replace the drive at a retail store or authorized service providers – sorry, you’re not getting a whole new MacBook. In the meantime, Apple also recommends you lay off operating system updates and new apps, which could send your drive over the edge. And of course, backup your data while you can.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Managing Editor

As Digital Trends’ Managing Editor, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team delivering definitive reviews, enlightening…

Computing

These 6 tweaks take MacBooks from great to nearly perfect

The MacBook Air on a white table.

I love getting a new MacBook. The slow-opening box, the fresh install of macOS, even the enchanting new Mac smell (which people have been rhapsodizing about for decades) -- it’s all part of the experience.

But you know what? MacBooks don't arrive perfect out of the box. There are a few things that I always have to adjust, regardless of how powerful the laptop is. From changing the default apps to unlocking a few hidden extras, here are the first six things to do with your new MacBook before putting it to work.
Unlock some trackpad tricks

Computing

Best Buy’s deal of the day is $150 off the MacBook Air M2

A woman working on a 2023 MacBook Air with M2 chip.

For Mac lovers, Best Buy has one of the best laptop deals at the moment with $150 off the MacBook Air M2. Usually priced at $999, you can buy it for $849 right now making it great value for anyone who wants to get involved with the Apple ecosystem without breaking the bank. Stylish and speedy, this is a laptop that will suit mostly everyone from students to people working from home or commuters. Here’s what you need to know before you hit the buy button. As always with such good deals, bear in mind that you could miss out if you wait too long.

Why you should buy the MacBook Air M2
One of the best laptop brands for reliability and being high quality, buying a MacBook Air is an investment that will last. While Windows-based laptops can lose their lustre over time, MacBooks tend to keep going for longer. While the MacBook Air M2 doesn’t have the latest Apple silicon -- the M3 -- it still offers fantastic performance. The M2 chip has an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU and this model is still considered to be the best MacBook for everyone. This particular model comes with 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage which is sufficient for all everyday tasks and saving documents easily.

Computing

You can still buy the M1 MacBook Air, and it’s cheaper than ever

Apple MacBook Air M1 open, on a table.

Apple deals are rarely particularly cheap but Walmart is continuing to sell the Apple MacBook Air M1 with 13.3-inch screen for just $699. The lowest price ever, it’s the perfect entry point for anyone considering checking out macOS. It feels like stock must be starting to run low here so if you don’t want to miss out on one of the better laptop deals around, hit the buy button now before you miss out. Otherwise, here’s what the MacBook Air M1 has to offer.

Why you should buy the MacBook Air M1
The MacBook Air M1 isn’t considered one of the best laptops any more but just because its processor is a few years old doesn’t mean you should ignore it. MacBooks are typically built to last with support for macOS continuing for a number of years. With the MacBook Air M1, you get the M1 chip with an 8-core CPU which is sure to outperform Intel chips of the same era. The leap between Intel-based MacBooks to Apple silicon was pretty huge which is why the M1 chip remains highly potent.