MacBook Air Support Site Reveals Ad Hoc Solutions

Apple has published a new section to its support site dedicated to the MacBook Air.

The support reveals the methods users will need to use when troubleshooting their brand new MacBook Airs.

Due to the battery being sealed in Apple has had to come up with a solution to reset the SMC; simply by holding the power button.

The support site all reinforces disappointments about the capabilities of the Remote Disc function, the feature cannot be used to play DVDs or CDs; a support document confirms that a USB CD or DVD drive is absolutely essential for Boot Camp: though the Air can boot or install Mac OS X over a network, neither Windows XP nor Vista can recognize anything but a USB drive.

Apple also cautions those wishing to install Mac OS X over a wireless connection that the process won’t work with WEP encryption. Owners must either use WPA or switch off security altogether to install the software.

Other discoveries made in support articles are:

• Some audio devices may not fit the headphone jack due to the small space of the swivel out hatch.
• Using the ethernet adapter is recommended when using the Migration Assistant.
• In hot conditions the MacBook Air throttles or stops one CPU core to reduce heat, possibly causing 3D performance issues.
• Apple has published a user guide (PDF) noting that the systems mono speaker is under the keyboard and the display should not be opened past 125-degrees.