Apple has confirmed that a number of MacBook Pro laptops manufactured last month may contain faulty Nvidia graphics processors.
HP and Dell have also extended warranty periods for the laptops with the bad chips, and in some cases have offered free repair.
Apple essentially announced the same yesterday. "If the Nvidia graphics processor in your MacBook Pro has failed, or fails within two years of the original date of purchase, a repair will be done free of charge, even if your MacBook Pro is out of warranty," the company said.
The company's hardware warranty is normally one year from the date of purchase, although customers can purchase extended support plans.
Perez said that the $196m charge Nvidia took two months ago would cover the additional cost of any reimbursement to Apple. "Yes, Apple falls under that amount," he said.
Both 15in and 17in MacBook Pro models are included in the potential free repair. The symptoms, said Apple, include no video, or distorted or scrambled video. Only MacBook Pros with the GeForce 8600M GT processor manufactured between May 2007 and September 2008 are affected, the company said.
However, all MacBook Pro models now for sale on Apple's online store still contain the GeForce 8600M GT processor.
Customers can take their laptops to an Apple retail store or authorised dealer for evaluation and repair, or call one of the company's support lines . Users who have already paid to have their MacBook Pro's video fixed will be issued refunds.
Last month, Nvidia was hit with a lawsuit that accused the company of violating US securities laws by concealing the existence of the chip defect.
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