Apple Aches

Apple has yet to officially recognize the problem. Surprising, given that hundreds of people have reported these issues on internet forums (including Apple's own), and one might conservatively assume that perhaps ten times as many have experienced problems — I'd reckon that maybe as many as several percent of new Mac Pros sold are faulty. Widespread speculation suggests that the problem has to do with the ATI 2600XT video card in the stock machine, considering that reported freezing symptoms have all the hallmarks of video card issues and that not so long ago a precursor in the ATI 2600 family had had serious freezing problems in iMacs, until Apple released a firmware update. One would think Apple would have been careful then to double-check the compatibility of the 2600XT with the new Mac Pro model, but it may well be that the company is excessively (obsessively) focused on iPods, iPhones, and other consumer devices.

Whatever, it is a real impediment to work when one's machine freezes up: doing audio editing, for example, work gets lost unless it's saved every few minutes. An unreasonable protocol. At other times the machine can run for hours and hours without a hiccup. More than a little frustrating. So far no live EP interviews have been lost, but even that wouldn't be catastrophic because I take a belt and suspenders approach and record both to the computer and simultaneously to a stand-alone digital recorder...

Apple Care agreed to send me a replacement stock video card, which I'll install. Others who have received replacement cards, however, have not all had the freezing issues resolved. But some have. We'll see. Otherwise it's a pain to lug the machine, at some 50 lbs., back to the Apple Store where I bought it for a complete replacement. Not to mention removing drives and ram to return it to stock condition.

Trying to get this sorted out is chewing up too much time!

On the bright side, when it's working, the machine is lightening fast.