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Doctor Air

Q: Why can't my Late-2010 MacBook Air 13" utilize Power Nap?

Why can't my Late-2010 MacBook Air, 13", 256GB SSD, utilize Power Nap?

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion, Power Nap question

Posted on Jul 26, 2012 1:46 AM

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Q: Why can't my Late-2010 MacBook Air 13" utilize Power Nap?

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  • by Antrikshy,

    Antrikshy Antrikshy Jul 26, 2012 1:53 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 1:53 AM in response to Doctor Air

    Not all MacBooks can utilize the Power Nap feature, unfortunately. Only the ones with flash storage can use it. Apple has been a little misleading there, mentioning this fact only in the footnotes.

     

    The models that can currently utilize this feature are:

    • - MacBook Air (mid-2011)
    • - MacBook Air (mid-2012)
    • - MacBook Pro (Retina, mid-2012)

     

    Details on the support site.

  • by Jonathan UK,Helpful

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Jul 26, 2012 1:53 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 8 (37,918 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jul 26, 2012 1:53 AM in response to Doctor Air

    I believe this is because your computer needs a Sandy Bridge processor or better, regardless of whether or not you already have Flash / SSD storage.

     

    See:

     

    http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1411104&highlight=power+nap

     

    Jonathan

  • by Antrikshy,

    Antrikshy Antrikshy Jul 26, 2012 1:54 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 1:54 AM in response to Jonathan UK

    No. My mid-2012 13-inch Pro will not be able to use it either. Only the models listed here can do Power Nap.

  • by Jonathan UK,Helpful

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Jul 26, 2012 1:58 AM in response to Antrikshy
    Level 8 (37,918 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jul 26, 2012 1:58 AM in response to Antrikshy

    I understand that, but the OP is asking because they have an Air with SSD. Which doesn't seem, at first glance, to be so different from the Airs that DO support Power Nap.

     

    The MBP question is a different one. If yours is a Retina, it will be able to soon (after the update becomes available). If not, it won't - as you rightly say from the support article.

     

     

  • by Doctor Air,

    Doctor Air Doctor Air Jul 26, 2012 2:00 AM in response to Antrikshy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 2:00 AM in response to Antrikshy

    Did you look at the link from Jonathan, the link with attached screenshot? It gives pretty convincing evidence that Power Nap is available to be used by a Late-2010 MacBook Air... i await further clarifications... thanks to Jonathan and Antrikshy so far, but i take it that this question is still up in the Air... pun intended...

  • by Doctor Air,

    Doctor Air Doctor Air Jul 26, 2012 2:03 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 2:03 AM in response to Jonathan UK

    I follow what Jonathan is saying here, and with the backup evidence from the screenshot of a Late-2010 MacBook Air currently running Mountain Lion, i would say that Power Nap seems to be working with the Late-2010 MacBook Air. Any rebuttal to that? I'm still open to learn what is actually going on for us Late-2010 MacBook Air 13, 256GB SSD owners...

  • by Doctor Air,

    Doctor Air Doctor Air Jul 26, 2012 2:08 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 2:08 AM in response to Doctor Air

    OOPS... i just read a later post from that MacRumors discussion that Jonathan pointed to, in which "John25" says this:

    "Hate to break it to you, but it won't work. You need a Sandy Bridge processor or better. I just got the firmware update for my 2011, but even before then I had the firmware update I had the power nap option there, but it didn't do anything. So just cause it says you have it, you really don't."

    So, it looks like the answer may be that it will NOT work in the Late-2010 Airs, even though the option appears in the list within the Energy Saver preferences.

  • by kallekenkel,

    kallekenkel kallekenkel Jul 26, 2012 2:46 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 2:46 AM in response to Doctor Air

    Then why is Apple listing the Late 2010 MBA as compatible on some of their sites?

    http://www.apple.com/osx/specs/

  • by Doctor Air,

    Doctor Air Doctor Air Jul 26, 2012 2:54 AM in response to kallekenkel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 2:54 AM in response to kallekenkel

    If you read into the details on that page pertaining to Mountain Lion, you will find that NOT ALL FEATURES of Mountain Lion are claimed to be functional for the Late 2010 MB Air, in the details on the page you linked to, it also reads:

    "Power Nap - Supports MacBook Air (Mid 2011 or newer), MacBook Pro with Retina display."

     

    Whether this is a temporary situation of software/firmware tweaking, or is indeed hardware-limited, perhaps somebody will clarify eventually.

  • by kallekenkel,

    kallekenkel kallekenkel Jul 26, 2012 2:57 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 2:57 AM in response to Doctor Air

    They must have just corrected it.

    Check http://www.apple.com/uk/osx/specs/ where it still says

    Power Nap

    Supports MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer), MacBook Pro with Retina display.

  • by Doctor Air,Solvedanswer

    Doctor Air Doctor Air Jul 26, 2012 3:01 AM in response to kallekenkel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 3:01 AM in response to kallekenkel

    Yes, kallekenkel, they must have changed it on the USA site, and not on the UK site yet, i think the evidence so far is pointing to the necessity of Sandy Bridge processor to have the functionality of Power Nap... so Jonathan wins the "correct answer" prize from me... until further notice! thanks everyone!

  • by Doctor Air,

    Doctor Air Doctor Air Jul 26, 2012 3:03 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 3:03 AM in response to Doctor Air

    JonathanUK's links actually were the main solution to this question, thanks JonathanUK

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Jul 26, 2012 3:09 AM in response to Doctor Air
    Level 8 (37,918 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jul 26, 2012 3:09 AM in response to Doctor Air

    You're most welcome

  • by kallekenkel,

    kallekenkel kallekenkel Jul 26, 2012 8:33 AM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 26, 2012 8:33 AM in response to Jonathan UK

    This is really disappointing. Sure, not the first time Apple has artificially kept features from some users.. but why do they lock features that would clearly work on older machines? Is it just greed?

     

    Powernap apparently has worked on 2010 MBAs in dev builds... Also Airplay mirroring works even on the iPad, so there should be no physical reason it does not work on a C2D MBA.

     

    I understand that Apple keeps iPhone 4 users from using Siri to manage bandwidth... But Power Nap and Mirroring on <2011 Macbooks would be NO COST to Apple. I'm a big Apple fan, but this stuff is just BS!

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