In context: Many people like to be the first to own the latest technology, but riding the bleeding edge can have its hazards. Whether it's hardware or software, being an early adopter is not always the wisest move. Users of older MacBook Pros are learning this the hard way with Big Sur.

Apple released macOS 11, better known as Big Sur, last Thursday, and some users are already reporting a severe flaw that has bricked their laptop. The issue seems to be isolated to MacBook Pros manufactured between late-2013 and mid-2014, but judging from incidents reported on Twitter, Reddit, and Apple's support forum, the problem looks to be fairly widespread.

The bug occurs during the install process. Before Big Sur completes installation, the laptop becomes frozen on a blank screen or alternatively, a black screen showing a stalled progress bar. Various startup options, such as resetting the system management controller or NVRAM, fail to resolve the problem. Attempting to reboot the MacBook Pro into internet recovery or safe mode does not work either, with the laptop just returning to the black screen of death.

According to one user, Support's only solution is to schedule a repair. Apple's engineers are aware of the glitch and are investigating how to fix it, but there is no telling how long that might take. In the meantime, if you happen to own a 2013 or 2014 MacBook Pro, you might want to put off installing Big Sur until Apple has a solution.

Lately, it seems software and hardware developers have been giving us ample reason to avoid early adoption. Sony's day-one PlayStation 5 consoles have become stuck while downloading some games requiring users to factory reset their PS5s. There were also reports of Xbox Series X|S billowing smoke, but it appears that most of these incidents were hoaxes.