Assuming you’re lucky enough to own a new Apple MacBook, you may want to check the fan exhaust openings to ensure they are not blocked. Apple just released a press report admitting that some of its new MacBooks have left the factory with a piece of protective plastic (which would normally be removed during the assembly process) still inside the notebooks. This plastic can obstruct the airflow from the MacBook fans, preventing the machine from cooling itself. Erratic behavior after heavy or prolonged use is one of the symptoms. Wisps of smoke curling elegantly over the top of the case from the direction of the CPU housing is usually a bad sign.

The solution? “Remove and discard it”, advises Apple. The plastic apparently serves no function in a fully operational MacBook, other than to annoy and/or frustrate its users.

Original story here.