Mac Mini’s Get Firmware Update for Quieter Superdrives

Mac Mini owners, take heed. This week, Apple released an update that will help the Mac Mini quiet down. Mac Mini, which is Apple’s little version of the desktop computer, is “faster,” “greener,” and the “world’s most energy-efficient desktop computer.” Unfortunately, while it may have been green in most ways, it had a slight problem with noise pollution. The problem derived from a slight incompatibility between the memory kit and the SuperDrive, which is the Mac’s slot-loading CD/DVD reader/burner. The practical ramification of the incompatibility was growling and excessive humming—annoying noises to be sure.

Mac computers, which for readers of this blog are the Cadillac of computing, aren’t supposed to make noises like that. Users were concerned: “I wasn’t expecting this loud of a noise, and I’m worrying that the superdrive may be bad.” On most machines, the noise occurred when the optical drive would crank back up when the system restarted or when the machine awoke from sleep mode. Thankfully, Apple now has the update to fix the problem, silence the noise, and quell the anger of the masses.

Now Mac Mini users should download the EFI update (Mac Mini EFI Firmware Update 1.2), which will fix the problem by updating their SuperDrive firmware. The update is a measly 2.4MB, so it won’t take long. Games included Super Mario Galaxy 2. Other Mac desktops with a different firmware need should download the older upgrade, the iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.4, which “fixes intermittent system freeze issues for iMac computers with ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics and fixes wake-from-sleep issues in Boot Camp.”

The simplest way to update is to select “software update” from the Apple menu and let ‘er rip.

Also available this week is a brand new update for the brand new Snow Leopard Server. Apple released the update on Monday. It is the first update for the new server, and Apple recommends that you update as soon as possible. Like most new operating systems (be not alarmed) even the new OS X Snow Leopard Server had a few glitches. The massive 1GB download will require a bit of patience and a fast Internet connection, but according to Apple, it should give you peace of mind for the Time Machine backups, flawless propagation of file system permissions, better access to password history for multiple users, a consistent VPN throughput, spotlight indexing and memory consumption, and resolution of duplicate serial number alert for services with multiple network interfaces.

Posted in Hardware |