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Thursday, March 01, 2012, 02:50 am
Apple issues iMac Graphic, MacBook Pro EFI firmware updates
Apple this week issued a pair of firmware updates, resolving a flickering graphics issue in late 2008 15-inch MacBook Pro models and addressing a hanging graphics issue on iMacs.iMac Graphic FW Update 3.0
The iMac Graphic FW update fixes a graphics issue that could cause Apple's all-in-one Mac desktop to hang "under certain conditions." The 481KB download requires OS X Lion.
MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.8
The MacBook Pro firmware update is recommended for 15-inch, late 2008 models. The fix resolves a graphics issue that may cause the internal display to flicker. The file is a 1.79MB download and requires OS X 10.5.8, OS X 10.6.8 or OS X 10.7.3.
Apple has released a slew of EFI updates in recent weeks. Last month, the company issued several updates for 2010 Mac models that added support for Lion Recovery over an Internet Connection.
Other recent updates include a Wi-Fi update for the iMac and EFI firmware stability fixes for 2011 Mac models, including the MacBook Air, iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac mini.
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Previous Comments View All
Quote:
Originally Posted by ascii 
It's great that they're fixing all these long-standing firmware bugs. Maybe they have a new guy, made himself the EFI guru.
It's great that they're fixing all these long-standing firmware bugs. Maybe they have a new guy, made himself the EFI guru.
I haven't experienced these issues, but then I haven't upgraded to Lion. So were these issues always there, or did they come along with Lion? I'd really like to know.
that was fast... 
)
5 years to fix an issue! Why even bother.
I have a 2008 MacBook Pro and just completed the firmware update. Went very smoothly. My OS is Lion and I have never experienced any flicker problems, just wanted to keep my machine up to date. I am wondering if this update in some ways prepares the machines for Mountain Lion, but Apple is not saying so?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mykyde
I have a 2008 MacBook Pro and just completed the firmware update. Went very smoothly. My OS is Lion and I have never experienced any flicker problems, just wanted to keep my machine up to date. I am wondering if this update in some ways prepares the machines for Mountain Lion, but Apple is not saying so?
I have a 2008 MacBook Pro and just completed the firmware update. Went very smoothly. My OS is Lion and I have never experienced any flicker problems, just wanted to keep my machine up to date. I am wondering if this update in some ways prepares the machines for Mountain Lion, but Apple is not saying so?
I don't think so. Do you ever run your screen brightness between minimum and half? On some settings in that range my MacBook Pro screen would flicker. Now it looks like that flicker is gone, but I haven't done any extensive tests.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macky the Macky
I haven't experienced these issues, but then I haven't upgraded to Lion. So were these issues always there, or did they come along with Lion? I'd really like to know.
I haven't experienced these issues, but then I haven't upgraded to Lion. So were these issues always there, or did they come along with Lion? I'd really like to know.
I have the late 2008 MBP and experienced the flickering issue. It was purely hardware related, not related to the OS. When on the slower ("better battery life") GPU, the exact number I forget at the moment, it would flicker intermittently, at least once every minute or two.
I tried fixing it a few times but I always left mine on the faster one anyway, since I need the extra power for almost everything I do. The faster GPU always worked perfectly but meant when my laptop wasn't plugged in, it would run hotter and have crappier battery life, but that only bothers me when I was fly (a couple times a year).
The fix worked! Not a flicker since. (Of course after a few hours, I went back to the other GPU.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by gmcalpin
I have the late 2008 MBP and experienced the flickering issue. It was purely hardware related, not related to the OS. When on the slower ("better battery life") GPU, the exact number I forget at the moment, it would flicker intermittently, at least once every minute or two.
I tried fixing it a few times but I always left mine on the faster one anyway, since I need the extra power for almost everything I do. The faster GPU always worked perfectly but meant when my laptop wasn't plugged in, it would run hotter and have crappier battery life, but that only bothers me when I was fly (a couple times a year).
The fix worked! Not a flicker since. (Of course after a few hours, I went back to the other GPU.)
I have the late 2008 MBP and experienced the flickering issue. It was purely hardware related, not related to the OS. When on the slower ("better battery life") GPU, the exact number I forget at the moment, it would flicker intermittently, at least once every minute or two.
I tried fixing it a few times but I always left mine on the faster one anyway, since I need the extra power for almost everything I do. The faster GPU always worked perfectly but meant when my laptop wasn't plugged in, it would run hotter and have crappier battery life, but that only bothers me when I was fly (a couple times a year).
The fix worked! Not a flicker since. (Of course after a few hours, I went back to the other GPU.)
Same here, but it is no longer my primary machine or under warranty. That MBP went through three logic boards and all of them had the flicker problem. I had to keep it on the discrete chip to avoid the problems. I wonder what took so long?
Sound like you guys had a different "flickering" problem to me I did have an issue where the top half of the screen would go completely blank for a split second at random intervals. That problem was solved by a replacement of the screen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Macky the Macky
I haven't experienced these issues, but then I haven't upgraded to Lion. So were these issues always there, or did they come along with Lion? I'd really like to know.
I haven't experienced these issues, but then I haven't upgraded to Lion. So were these issues always there, or did they come along with Lion? I'd really like to know.
For along time, I thought I had a part about to fail in the LCD panel. It just flickers (as in turns off and then on in about 1/20 or so of a second) every now and then. It has done this for 3.5 years.
Thank god they have a fix for it.
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It's great that they're fixing all these long-standing firmware bugs. Maybe they have a new guy, made himself the EFI guru.