It may be asking too much to expect new Mac hardware that doesn't exhibit any odd behavior, but hope springs eternal.
A few days ago a strange anomaly affecting many owners of the new Mac Pro models turned up on my machine. Waking the Mac Pro from Sleep sometimes causes it to spontaneously reboot instead.
I know it's not just me because the issue is a hot topic on several Mac Web sites and Apple's own support forums. The best solution anyone has come up with so far is to reset the System Management Controller (SMC). To do that you unplug everything from the Mac Pro, including the power cord, for at least 15 seconds, then reconnect everything.
I did not have the problem for the first few days I had my Mac Pro, but once it started the aberration happened every time I woke the machine from Sleep. Very annoying. I reset the SMC, which fixed the problem for the time being.
I say that because others have reported the problem reappears a few days after an SMC reset, necessitating a repeat of the procedure. A few customers even have returned their Mac Pro to the Apple Store for a replacement, only to see the problem flare up on the new one. No one has found a cause. Apple, as usual in cases like this, has kept silent.
The best chance for a solution from Apple may lie in the imminent update to Leopard, 10.5.2, which is rumored to contain many bug fixes and improvements. But that only will help if the problem is software-related. If it's a glitch in the machine's hardware, a fix won't be so easy. Apple may have a lot of disgruntled Mac Pro customers on its hands.
Apple might try to weasel out of fixing the problem by telling customers not to put their Mac Pros to Sleep, but many Mac desktop owners leave their computers on 24/7. The advantage of Sleep is never having to wait for the machine to boot. Mac Pro customers will not want to change their habits to accommodate faulty hardware.
Historically, Apple tends to ignore problems with new Mac models until they get so widely reported it is forced to take action. Though Apple does well in most areas of customer service, rectifying manufacturing blunders has long been a weak spot.
For now, I have my fingers crossed the 10.5.2 update will do the trick.
Read Dave Zeiler's Apple blog at www.baltimoresun.com/business/appleaday Keyword: COLUMN