updating the video card drivers...help

[GeoMoon5]

h-okay...
So, I use two different Macs. With the Beige G3, updating the video card drivers was a snap. It has an ATI rage 2 on-board video card, so I went to ATIs website and updated the drivers for that specific "card." Done.

The other Mac I use is a G5 dual 2-gig beast of a jet engine tower that has a GeForce 6800 Ultra in it. I go to the NVIDIA website and find that downloading new video card drivers is offered for practically every platform BUT Mac. I eventually find a little note somewhere saying that any support for Mac NVIDIA cards needs to be searched for at www.apple.com. In other words, piss off, we don't want you "Mac types" around here. Go get a hair cut!

The mere thought of going to the apple website and attempting to get real help, only to be sent in ever decreasing circles into my own butt, turned my stomach, but I tryed anyway. Sometimes the site can be usefull. Not this time though.

Was it basically a huge mistake getting an NVIDIA product for a Mac, or am I just looking in all the wrong places for NVIDIA drivers? Please help and thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[symphonix]

I eventually find a little note somewhere saying that any support for Mac NVIDIA cards needs to be searched for at www.apple.com. In other words, piss off, we don't want you "Mac types" around here. Go get a hair cut!

Not exactly. It means that Apple has taken that responsibility. And they've done that by including all video card driver updates with the Mac OS X system updates. Any time you get a system update from Software Update, it will include updated video divers tha have been made and tested by Apple with advice and guidance from NVidia's techs.

And quite frankly, I prefer it this way. End users shouldn't have to go hunting for drivers, ever.

 

[GeoMoon5]

Wow, that's really neat. I wonder why there isn't a "drivers" tab at the apple website that takes one to a message saying exactly what you just told me? Oh well. Thanks for your help.

 

[symphonix]

Yeah, I suppose they could explain it a bit better. I only know that because I read over the knowledge base articles for the system updates sometimes, and they usually say something like "this update includes ... updated drivers for the Nvidia x, y and z; and ATI a,b and c graphics cards. This should address these issues: ..."

It would be a good idea if they pointed it out a bit more clearly though.

 

[fryke]

I guess it never really occurred to them, since "drivers" never was a big issue with Apple - unless you were using third party graphics cards that is that were not directly supported by Apple. If you have an Apple-supplied graphics card, you won't ever have to look for graphics drivers.

I think if Apple's website had a big "Drivers" button that linked to a page that said: "No drivers needed for Macintosh computers", that would lead to misunderstandings.