Apple Removes NVidia Update, Maintains Standard Of Mysteriousness

On Monday, Apple was encouraging its users to patch up their Macbooks with a software update intended to fix some graphics related issues. On Wednesday, Apple removed the update, and it can no longer be found on Apple’s website or in their Software Update feature. As per the usual Apple standard, no reason whatsoever was given. Our best guess was that it just didn’t work.

The patch, called the NVidia Graphics Update 2009, is gone forever. It was supposed to improve cursor movement when using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapater with the new wave of Mini DP compatible Macbooks released last fall, as well as improve HD video playback using a number of NVidia chips.

According to a number of frustrated users, the problems extended far beyond the cursor issues. Many on the Apple Discussions forums complained of “blinking and flickering” as well as “snow corruption” in a variety of situations. Some users wrote that downloading the update just made their existing problems worse.

After waiting a few days for a blurb from Apple – and with none forthcoming – we can only assume the patch was deemed worthless or downright harmful and that Apple will simply keep quiet until they’ve figured out the problem and released a new patch. At which point they will stay quiet about this problem and never mention it again. We find that policy often works with our problems, too.