Requesting a New Mac
One of Ground Control’s priorities is to ensure all end users have well functioning hardware, with minimal friction or pain points as a result of issued hardware. All endpoints have a set refresh schedule or estimated refresh time period, and Ground Control has several tools at their disposal to ensure timely intervention if an endpoint starts showing signs of failure. However, if you believe your endpoint is starting to fail, or you have broken/lost/had your endpoint stolen, report it as soon as possible to us via Ground Control Jira ticket (Type: Computer Support)
NOTE: If you are in need of an international loaner mac, please go to Service Now and request it via IT > Hardware > Loaner Laptop. This form must be filled out at minimum prior to 15 days before departure.
Requesting Mobile Devices
Phones and iPads can be issued to engineering teams for testing purposes, however, Ground Control does not manage or distribute these endpoints. To request a mobile device without cellular capabilities, navigate to ServiceNow and open a request under “Generic Request,” then “Hardware,” then “Other,” and put the details in the “Additional Information” section.
To request a mobile device with cellular capabilities, opem a request in ServiceNow under “Generic Request,” then “Phone.”
General Care and Handling
Accidents happen, here are a few do’s and don’t’s to help you avoid one! If you suspect you are having hardware issues, please open a Jira ticket or ping us in #org-ground-control if you do not have Jira access and we’d be happy to help you take a look.
Don’t carry your laptop by the screen, or with one hand.
Do carry your laptop with two hands. Save the cup of coffee for a second trip!
Don’t leave your laptop on and running for days on end.
Do (at minimum) shut it down Friday afternoon before starting your weekend. (Brownie points if you shut it down after work every day!)
Don’t leave your macbook on the charger 24/7. This contributes to battery performance issues.
Do plug it in when you’re doing updates, compiling builds, or when it actually needs to charge.
Don’t leave it unattended in a spot where small children or pets can reach it.
Do put it away in a spot that is secure and dry.
Don’t eat snacks over your macbook.
Do use a lysol wipe followed by a dry cloth on the keyboard and touchpad components to clean them.
Don’t leave your laptop sitting on blankets, or next to a pet’s bed for a long time.
Do put it in a spot with space on either side for ventilation.
This is a non-exhaustive list, but we hope it gives you a good starting point! If you have questions about caring for your macbook, please email groundcontrol@banno.com or reach out in Slack at #org-ground-control!
Battery Care
There has been an uptick in macbooks that needed to be refreshed due to battery performance issues. Ground Control has now built Jamf reporting to alert us when a user may be experiencing performance issues due to a failing battery, but most cases can be avoided with proper care.
Do not leave your laptop plugged into the charger 24/7. This is unhealthy, the battery needs to ‘cycle.’ One cycle is completed when the battery goes from 100% to 0% and is then charged back up to 100% again. Macbook batteries are generally built to withstand one thousand cycles. (That’s not a typo, it really is 1000!) If you suspect you are experiencing battery performance issues, try cycling it repeatedly for a day or so to see if this solves the problem!
Are your curious about your battery’s cycle count? To check it, click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen, then “About this Mac,” then “System Report,” then “Power.” (“Power” is eight options above the “Network” section.) This will show you how many cycle counts your mac has, along with the battery condition!
Apple macbook batteries are made of lithium-ion. If you’d like to see some battery related setting or modes you can use on your mac, you can read more about it here!
Use the charger that came with your mac. Mac charging adapters have had different voltage ratings throughout the years/models. Using voltage above or below what you should be charging can cause damage over time. Curious about what voltage you should have? Check your mac model (Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen, then “About this Mac.”) and then head to this page to look for your model’s recommended voltage!