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Apple Posts Slot-Loading Drive Update

Posted by pudge on from the playing-the-slots dept.

K-dog writes "Apple has posted a firmware update for the slot loading combo drives in Xserves and PowerBooks. 'This update installs new firmware on PowerBook and Xserve Combo drives. The update prevents Combo drives from intermittently failing to eject discs. It's recommended that you install this update to ensure that your Combo drive avoids this problem.' It's kind of ironic that I spent an hour on the phone with Apple trying to get one of our new 12" PB to eject!" I have a new-ish PowerBook G4/867, with a Combo drive, and it reports, "This hardware does not require this update." I wish Apple would be more specific about what systems this is actually for. Or maybe what the problem is.

8 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why is this newsworthy? by ip_vjl · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I would guess that it has to do with the fact that Apple is the sole supplier of Apple hardware. So a problem with Powerbook drives is more likely to affect a larger percentage of the total users than would an incompatibility between Windows and a particular brand of 3rd party UPS (as per your example).

  2. Huh? by ZxCv · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Quoteth the post:
    ... in Xserves and PowerBooks. The update prevents Combo drives from intermittently failing to eject discs.
    .....
    I wish Apple would be more specific about what systems this is actually for. Or maybe what the problem is.

    Where's the confusion about what the problem is, or what systems are affected? Sounds like a number of slot-loading combo drives used in Xserves and PowerBooks have a problem with intermittently failing to eject discs. After reading the 3 sentence bit about this issue, I would have asked myself:

    1) Do I have an Xserve or PowerBook?
    2) Does the slot-loading combo drive of said Xserve or PowerBook have a problem with intermittently failing to eject discs?

    It seems to me that answering these two questions would tell me whether or not I need to run this firmware update. Or maybe I'm missing something? :-)

    --

    Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;
    1. Re:Huh? by pudge · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What good would it do you to have those specifics?

      First, in this case, the answer may very well be instructive as to why it does not run on my computer, despite Apple saying it is for my computer.

      Second, if I know more of the symptoms, I can diagnose problems better. If someone comes up to me and says their CD won't eject, and gives me several symptoms, I cannot say if this would fix it, or if it should have fixed it, since the symptoms beyond "won't eject" are a mystery.

      Third, I want to be able to better evaluate how well Apple has a hold on this situation, for my own personal buying choices.

      There are plenty of good reasons.

      They're really only of use to Apple HW engineers

      That is false.

    2. Re:Huh? by pudge · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "If your system does not require this update or if the update is unsuccessful, the update application displays one of the following alert messages"

      Right. Why is it so hard to tell us which systems it applies to before downloading it? Maybe a link to an "advanced" document if they don't want to confuse people who wouldn't understand it.

      As for specifics, how long have you been using Macs?

      I dunno, over 15 years.

      I'm having a hard time remember any time Apple gave a detailed answer to a hardware problem.

      Yes, exactly. And it is annoying.

    3. Re:Huh? by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Part of the problem is that Apple isn't very specific about its different models. The question of which powerbooks are affected would be easier to answer if every different powerbook model had a unique model number that was easy to find. I know it's out of tune with Apple's marketing strategy to advertise different models of computer with obscure number/letter schemes, but having to identify your computer as something like "PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze Keyboard)" or "PowerMac G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)" is just confusing as hell for most users.

  3. Simple by jdhaig · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Think Different [Apple.com]

    --


    Roses are red, Violets are Blue,
    I'm a dyslexic, Yap Slap Dibble.
  4. Give me more firmware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    What I really want to see is Firmware that upgrades my superdrive to a 2x or greater dvd burner. that would make me REAL happy.

  5. Re:Enough! by Helmut+Kool · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Front page? I didn't see this on the front page. Maybe you have configured /. to show Apple stuff there.