Following Mac OS X-based firmware updates for its SuperDrive-equipped 15-inch flat-panel iMacs and some Power Mac G4s, Apple has posted a link to a new iMac SuperDrive Update for Mac OS 9 to its SuperDrive Update Web page.
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Although Mac OS X ships pre-installed on SuperDrive-equipped iMacs, some users prefer to use Mac OS 9 for application support or workflow reasons. As a result, Apple has posted this new firmware update, designed to support those users who choose not to use Mac OS X.
“SuperDrive” is Apple’s nomenclature for DVD-R optical drive mechanisms. The drive can burn DVD-R disks in addition to CD-R media. The SuperDrive Update corrects a problem first identified by the mechanism’s manufacturer, Pioneer, which noted that some of its DVD-R optical drive mechanisms could, under certain circumstance, stop working correctly all together when they are used with new “high-speed” 4x DVD-R and 2x DVD-RW media.
The problem only affects certain Macs equipped with SuperDrives.
Apple’s update also enables users to eject audio CDs that are copy-protected or have mastering errors. This change hopefully resolves an issue first noted earlier this year when some publishers began to ship music discs that prevented Macs and PCs from reading them, in the hope it would curb piracy. Apple noted at the time that under certain circumstances, those discs could get jammed in certain Mac models and might require a technician to disassemble the drive to remove.
This specific update is only required for iMac models with 15-inch flat panel displays equipped with an internal SuperDrive, running Mac OS 9. The 1.5MB file is available for download from Apple’s Web site. If you’re using that system with Mac OS X and have not yet applied the firmware update, visit the SuperDrive Update Web page for a link to the OS X version.
In related news, Apple indicates that a Power Mac G4 SuperDrive Update for Mac OS 9 “will be posted shortly.” Users are encouraged to revisit the SuperDrive Update Web page for further details.