Intel insists Mac Mini HDMI fix inbound Intel says it has addressed the Mac Mini flickering HDMI issue and informed those affected that Apple will configure a firmware fix having now been provided with amended drivers. A growing number of owners have complained of poor colours, snow-like interference and display blackouts when connecting a Mac Mini to an external …
The lack of choice won't stop this sort of thing happening - it's a third party driver issue.
The problem for Apple is how quickly they can test and integrate the fix.
If it takes a week, I'd say well done and minimal harm done.
If it takes a month, I'd say please try to do better in future.
If it takes longer.... Well....
If it's anything like their network driver issues (WLAN or LAN), will they even acknowledge the problem?
No. The problem for Apple is how do they stop this sort of thing from happening again.
This is an Apple QA failure and there's really no way to whitewash it.
If the shoe were on the other foot, you would be screaming bloody murder and declaring how an Apple curated solution would avoid such nonsense.
Some people are so blinded by hatred for Apple they are happy to look completely ignorant by making comments that prove they have not even read the article. Next it could be 'Apple donates $10bn to various charities' and they would still go 'yeah but my Android does this and Apple suck big time'...
Lighten up. It is clearly a nod to antenna gate, where user behaviour was blamed for product flaws.
But in answer to your question, I would blame Toyota for a factory recall on a fuel hose issue even though I know Toyota doesn't personally make every little component in house.
I really wish my customer's were as forgiving to me as you are to Apple.
Intel has already fixed this issue for Windows and Linux users of their HD4000 integrated graphic chipsets.
However, Apple can't or won't use bone stock Intel drivers, no that would be too easy. They have to be "Special" and that leaves their users without a fix until Apple can modify chipset drivers that should not have to be changed.
Intel should just tell Apple the same thing Apple tells anyone who writes software for their equipment.
"If you want to use our stuff, you have to do it our way."
On the other hand, Intel Integrated graphics is and always has been a joke. You can get better graphics performance from NVIDIA integrated graphics for less money, perhaps this is the reason why Intel has no swing with Apple.
Guess what Apple do not use Windows or Linux.
I'm guessing Intel are happy to work with Apple on this since Apple are probably about (if not) their largest customer now considering the popularity of the iMac, Macbooks and Mac Minis which are all Intel powered - unless they would prefer them to look at more Arm processors?
Integrated graphics is fine for (almost certainly) the vast majority of users and the HD4000 is significantly faster than the HD3000. The HD3000 would already drive a 2560x1440 screen - sure it's not a serious gaming card but I have a friend who will happy install 2 x £300+ cards in their gaming rigs to get max FPS but it's quite a niche end of the market.
I am certain intel would love to do that, especially given Apple’s history of kindly forgiving vendors who ship shit to them. If it weren’t for the miserable performance of every other PC manufacturer, I’m sure intel would be using its classic vendor support - you are on your own.
An implied pressure to intel comes from ARM, and that people are whispering about ARM Macs, which have doubtlessly been produced in evaluation samples - that is what product research does, after all. Apple went from 65xx, 680x0, PPCn, to x86; to think that x86 is the last stop is foolish. At least the last two transitions were due to supplier fuck up.
[big brother, for the next set of ads ]
I use a $6 miniDisplayPort to DisplayPort adapter for my ludicrously cheap Dell 24" eIPS display.
It'll be a great fix for the mini users who output via hdmi, but it's probably [speculation] something wrong with the crypto with the hdcp over hdmi handshake - hence at the root of it:
it is DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT FAILURE maybe
Recently built one with an Ivy Bridge i5 with HD4000 graphics. Thought it would be somewhat *less* painful using the Intel gfx. What a mistake. Refusing to boot, bizzare UEFI nonsense going on. Sleep didn't work at all.
Popped in a fairly old Nvidia card and the bloody thing just worked *perfectly* and with obviously more performance.
Bloody Intel. Where can I claim 48 hrs of my life back?
I think we need to look at IP addresses to lower the number of downvotes coming from the same IP but different handles.
4 downvotes for speaking the truth? Sounds like an Apple fanboi to me.
Also,
Beast666, I just built an Ivy Bridge i5 -3570-K system on an Asus P8Z77-V board (with built in Intel graphics) but I already knew that Intel sucks & I got a decent EVGA Geforce 650TI and this thing just screams.
Only problem is that it has issues with starting up again shortly after it has been shutdown. Maybe it's chipset driver problem when the graphics in enabled?
Apple are responsable for the product that gets shipped out of the door regardless of what 3rd party components or services they use to build the final product. As others have said it is a failure of Apple's QA department or the fact that QA were over ruled and the product was shipped. Either way it is an Apple fault.
"One disgruntled owner told Reg Hardware that the company re-"captured" his Mac Mini weeks ago to asses the issue and only recently replaced it, doing so with a model that packs a slower processor and basic-level hard drive. He wasn't too chuffed to say the least."
Your contract with the retailer is for the goods you ordered; a replacement should be of equivalent or greater specification. The goods in this circumstance are effectively undelivered - the retailer has unilaterally varied a term of the contract. Whether that's a lesser or vital term depends on the response of the other party: if you don't protest, you can be deemed to have affirmed the variation in the contract and waived your rights. You can protest through any durable medium, well, any medium actually, although any electronic text e.g. twitter, facebook PM, counts as durable, which is important should it go to small claims.
Remember always to buy these things on a credit card, as if the retailer fails to fulfil their obligations under the Sale of Goods Act, then the credit card provider is liable to you for purchases over £100, under S75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
I realise this is all common sense. Having begun a law degree I feel less able than ever before to make clear assertions about the law :-/
"One disgruntled owner told Reg Hardware that the company re-"captured" his Mac Mini weeks ago to asses the issue and only recently replaced it, doing so with a model that packs a slower processor and basic-level hard drive. He wasn't too chuffed to say the least."
That just sounds like steaming BS - the fact is Apple support is typically about the best and I just cannot imagine them trying to permanently downgrade someone. If they wanted hardware back most likely they would just replace it with the same model. If they gave him an older / different model most likely it was temporary until the newer ones were fixed.
You would have to be amazingly easy going to even accept that from anyone - let alone Apple.
Just updated the firmware on my Mac Mini. I bought it to replace my aging PC which I've used with a HD TV - a very cheap TV with a Samsung panel on a Technika badged set - this is a Tesco own brand (for US readers Tesco is UK No, 1 supermarket chain - ahead of Asda-Walmart - so it's a cheapo).
When I upgraded to Win 7 (about the time I got the TV) I had to upgrade the graphics card - it worked fine but was clearly pushing the old PC to it's limits, and occasionally I'd get a blackout - the screen would flicker, and Pfft ! Crashed PC - very annoying - usually happened about once every two days - but sometimes 3 or 4 times a night.
So - bought me a Mac Mini - same TV - same great pics. Unfortunately same flicker on the screen - Monitor blacks out - but no crash - Mac Mini just keeps going, and display comes back a few seconds later.
After all this time I thought - the problem wasn't the PC - it was the TV !
Wrong again - tonight I get a number one showing up on my App Sore icon, and download the solution - I hope !
It is a bit of a coincidence that it seems SO much like the PC problem thoiugh
Fingers crossed !
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