Mid-2013 Macbook Air screen goes black?

Yes Apple is censoring this thread if it goes off topic. Therefore to keep on topic I will say that I've been able to recreate the black screen of death on my MBA. In four unfortunately easy steps that are hard to avoid. It appears the problem has to do with sleep. However, that doesn't explain how my computer can go to sleep WHILE I AM USING IT. The problem doesn't occur when I'm not using the MacBook Air. The fact that it does this while I'm using the MacBook Air means that during sleep to NEVER isn't going to help. However, I suggest everyone try it just in case.

I heard somewhere that Apple was using the ambient light censor to determine what users are doing and therefore help with power savings, etc.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/11/os-x-mavericks-taps-macbook-pros-ambient-light- sensor-to-detect-movement/

and

http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/11/01/mavericks-uses-ambient-light-sensor-da ta-to-detect-movement-delay-sleep-mode

I wonder if this is part of the issues we are having. I don't know where this sensor would be on the new computers expecially the MacBook Air since the bezel is grey solid not glass like other models used to be.

I can clarify that the ambient light sensor is next to the webcam.. If you look closely you'll see there's a more transparent bit.. Similar to the webcam light..

The Pro's hide it in the black bezel. I'll have to grab a magnifying glass and look closely at the location you are talking about on my MBA. I think I can see it, but it turns out that was the web cam light. Where is it positioned? It is controlled in the Display panel in Sys Prefs, but I've yet to see it actually do anything since it is turned on and nothing. Maybe that's the problem?

It's exactly the same distance from the webcam on the opposite side, (left side of webcam as you look at it) what model MBA do you have??

Mid-2013 MacBook Air 13-inch i7, etc.

Right, I personally have not got the black screen problem on my 11inch MBA and it seems to be affecting only 13inch models looking at this thread..

I spoke at length to Apple Care this afternoon. I cross-referenced @Yoganinja's case # (for the record - #524999600), got bumped up into the highest tech support echelon, and have an appointment for a follow up call next Thursday. The problem is being taken to the engineers, so with luck, there will be a fix to this coming soon.

I also had to go to the genius bar for an unrelated issue tonight - and for fun, I showed them the problem. They were able to recreate it using their diagnostic in Mavericks. This was also added to the case. My sense is they are aware of the issue and working on it. They certainly are aware of this forum, the CNET article, etc.

Fingers crossed!

That sounds great, jamesfromnashville! I have not heard back from Apple on my bug report I submitted on the developer portal, so I will call my case manager and see what, if anything, they are doing.

Jamalarr94, the problem is with all mid-2013 MBA's, 11" and 13".

Apart from mine apparently..

Seriously? Have you tried the steps outlined here (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5475679?answerId=23922761022#23922761022)? I'd be curious to see one mid-2013 MBA that cannot reproduce...

I have tried to reproduce the bug three times, (both plugged in and on battery). Instead of getting this "black" screen the mac simply comes back to whatever I was doing (watching netflix on chrome).. I have tried twice again whilst writing this on my iPhone...

Look like I'm a lucky sob..

Hi jhewitt86

I tried a few times to upload some very important messages, but Apple deleted both of them. There were NOT off the topic. They referred to (1) your rights as a consumer in Australia; and (2) what I have done with my MBA that has 'to date' prevented a repeat of the problem. Should Apple permit this post to be uploaded then I can again endeavour to inform you of (1) and (2) above.

I"ll keep you apprised...

I haven't read all 45 pages of this thread, but what I did read made me think there are some questions concerning how many computers this is happening to, and which ones. Otherwise I wouldn't have posted -- and wonder how many are like me.

My new MacBook Air (purchased in November) is having this blackout problem from time to time -- maybe 2-3 times a week only. It's an 11" MBA and I have not installed Chrome. I do not know if the problem would have happened prior to Mavericks as I updated the day I received the laptop. I almost always am using my MBA without the power cord attached.*

Possibly related, occasionally (less often than the 2-5 second black screen) when my MBA has gone to sleep, I can't get it to wake up. It's completely unresponsive until I force a shutdown by holding the power key for several seconds.

Also, I'm having lots of problems with Wi-fi and Bluetooth once the computer wakes from sleep. If both are set to on when the computer goes to sleep, the computer won't find my wireless signal for a while -- and even then, I have to manually tell it to connect. If Bluetooth was off, Wi-fi works fine. But then sometimes Bluetooth won't come on again once the computer wakes -- until I restart the computer. This problem is way more frustrating to me than the black screen stuff, as it affects me all the time (and for more than 3 or 4 seconds each time).

[*I live in Tanzania, Africa, and our electricity is very irregular. So much of the time I can't plug the computer in. This is one of the primary reasons I bought a Macbook Air -- for the battery life. It will really frustrate me if the MBA only works well while plugged in.]

I'd like to ask for advice. As I said, I live in Africa; getting to an Apple Store is quite a task. I don't think we have an official Apple store in Tanzania, but if we do it's in Dar es Salaam, which is an 18+ hour drive. Should I be concerned and trying to find a way to exchange my MBA for a new one? Or should I trust this will be fixed in a later update? What I don't want to happen is that I miss my opportunity to exchange the computer while under warranty because I live far away. [So I'd have to start asking other people traveling to the US if they could take my computer back for me or something?] Can someone advise me?