AppleInsider StaffThe update, entitled 27-inch iMac Display Firmware Update 1.0, is a 294KB download available direct from Apple. The accompanying description states the update will "address issues that may cause intermittent display flickering.
The update requires Mac OS X 10.6.2 or later, and applies to all 27-inch models. It comes more than a month after Apple issued the 27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 in late December.
Monday's update confirms reports from last week, when various posters on the Apple Discussions forums said they were told by AppleCare representatives that a new update to address flickering issues was forthcoming. A week later, it arrived.
Earlier Monday, a new rumor suggested Apple has halted production of new big-screen iMacs as the company looks to address screen flickering issues that have persisted since the new desktop launched last October. Last month, shipments of the 27-inch iMac were pushed back three weeks. Current orders also face a three-week delay.
Publicly, Apple has insisted that the delays are not due to hardware issues. Rather, they say the company has had trouble keeping up with demand for the new system, which was the best-selling desktop in the U.S. in the month of October. In December, the company formally apologized for shipment delays, stating that the hardware has been a "huge hit," and they have struggled to fill orders.
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37 Comments
Who in their right mind would buy one at this point? Wait for the next iteration and remember - never, ever buy a first gen Apple product- ever. Hear me iPad salivators?
Who in their right mind would buy one at this point? Wait for the next iteration and remember - never, ever buy a first gen Apple product- ever. Hear me iPad salivators?
I couldn't agree more. Your first question was exactly what I was thinking. Only a gluten would buy one of these at this point.
Who in their right mind would buy one at this point? Wait for the next iteration and remember - never, ever buy a first gen Apple product- ever. Hear me iPad salivators?
I have always bought first gen and NEVER had a problem, nor has anyone I know. The 27" iMacs in the studio all arrived as ordered and all work beautifully, no issues at all.
If a few million units are made, it is the nature of the beast that a few will be damaged in a transit and a few will be faulty - these things don't like being thrown around warehouses and delivery depots. Let's try and keep things in perspective.
Problems are bad, and I sympathise with everyone who has had an issue.
However, it's a few units, not every unit shipped, not even a significant minority.
So let's keep it in perspective. I imagine that Apple were hard pushed to find one in-house experiencing the same issue(s) and it's taken them a while to discover if there is a common cause, and a common fix. Cracked glass is obviously a delivery issue, the packaging is so minimal now that these things are not getting the protection they need in transit. The flicker issue, they've not isolated and found a fix, the yellowing issue is a seperate issue. I believe the first firmware sent out was meant to help the yellowing, this second fix the flicker. We shall wait and see.
If the number of units affected were only a few, Apple would NOT be considering halting production.
If the number of units affected were only a few, Apple would NOT be considering halting production.
Depends on the cause and the long-term prognosis. If failure rates are trending higher, you want to be careful. Re-tooling to make a change can require a production halt if it is in the wrong spot.