Apple issues Mac Pro EFI firmware, Logic updates

Apple released several support downloads Thursday, including a Mac Pro EFI firmware update and an update to the company's Logic Pro and Logic Express music production software.

Mac Pro Update

Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5 is recommended for all Mac Pro (Mid 2010) models. The 1.96MB update requires OS X 10.6.4 and resolves an issue that "prevented the firmware password prompt from being displayed," as well as an issue that "prevented the Boot Picker from being presented if Ethernet is connected to a network without DHCP." Users should take care to follow the accompanying update instructions.

Alongside the EFI firmware update, Apple posted Firmware Restoration CD 1.9 to its support download page. The 22.5MB download contains a CD image that can be used to restore the firmware of an Intel-based Mac after an "interrupted or unsuccessful update."

Users should note that restoring their firmware will reset some of the computer's preferences to defaults. The restoration CD cannot be used to downgrade from a successfully performed update to an earlier version.

The Mac Pro (Mid 2010) was released in July. With up to 12 cores, it is "the most powerful and configurable Mac" that Apple has ever made, according to Philip Schiller, senior vice president of marketing for the company.

Logic

Logic Pro 9.1.3 and Logic Express 9.1.3 address several issues, including: problems related to the support of Hyper-Threading; compatibility with 6 and 12-core Mac Pro systems; iOS control surface apps that utilize the OSC protocol and compatibility with select Audio Unit plug-ins. In addition, REX files are now supported in 64-bit mode.

The Logic Pro download is 193.01MB, while the Logic Express download is 139.68MB. Both updates require Mac OS X 10.5.8. For more information, users should see the Logic Express and Logic Pro release notes for 9.1.3.

Logic Pro 9 and Logic Express 9 were released in 2009 and received an update adding a 64-bit mode in early 2010.