New Mac Pro vs firewire iSight

I have a mid 2010 Mac pro dual quad, I just got my hands on a new never used firewire iSight. Problem 1 the new mac's have changed the firewire configuration, luckily I had an adapter I bought when I purchased my 2010 macbook pro. problem 2 the camera only worked with iChat. After searching the forums, and trying everything from resetting the PRAM etc... I ran across this old thread

"http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1954490&start=25&tstart=250"

Thus the camera being still new, but old had the old 1.02 firmware, and needed to be updated to 1.03. Problem 3 Snow leopard does not have the updater, you need 10.5 or older to update the firmware. Lucky for me I had an old Blue iMac in the corner (that was another project), I fired it up and updated the firmware. Now life is good, the camera works with all the apps. The thread is old, but I found it to be the most help. Hats off to EZ Jim & company!

Mac Pro mid 2010 2x2.4 Quad, Mac OS X (10.6.6), 2010 MacBook Pro 15'

Posted on Feb 15, 2011 1:33 AM

Reply
13 replies

Feb 15, 2011 9:00 AM in response to My White Dog

You're welcome.

Thanks for the kind words.

To save some searching for readers running Mac OS X 10.4 or later who are trying to manually
upgrade external (Firewire) iSight's Firmware to version 1.0.3, your options are here:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10084429&#10084429
<hr width="85%">
Alternatively, user Malcolm Rayfield has suggested another way to apply the
1.0.3 iSight firmware update *using a Snow Leopard Mac.*

• Download the updater that was provided for Mac OS X 10.3.7-10.3.9 from

http://support.apple.com/downloads/iSightUpdater_1_03

• Double click the iSightUpdater103.dmg if necessary to see the "iSightUpdater103.pkg" .

• Right-click the iSightUpdater103.pkg icon and click "Show Package Contents."

• Open the Contents folder and double-click the Archive.pax.gz file.

• That will unzip an Applications folder that contains a Utilities folder.

• Inside the Utilities folder is the iSight Updater 1.0.3 folder.

• Open the the iSight Updater 1.0.3 folder to find the iSight Updater 1.0.3 app.

• Double clicking the iSight Updater 1.0.3 app will run it.

• Note that iSight Updater 1.0.3 is a PowerPC application, so your 10.6 Mac will need Rosetta to run it.
  If you have not already installed Rosetta, click the Updater and follow your Mac's on-screen instructions.


If you have difficulty or merely do not want to add Rosetta to your Mac, your Apple Tech
can do the firmware for you, or you can use one of the other options described in the link above.


EZ User uploaded file Jim


Message was edited by: EZ Jim

Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.6); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.6)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod4touch4.2.1

Feb 17, 2011 6:35 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

@ My White Dog....

My White Dog wrote:
Thank you gentlemen, I didn't even think to open the updater package. I agree placing this info in the user hints would be a good idea.


Thanks for the kind words, ...Dog!

Ralph and I have a bit of fun with this "user tip" thing.
Take a look at my response to Ralph below to see a bit more of our on-going "discussions."  😉

Enjoy your iSight.
Jim
<hr width="85%">
@ Ralph Johns (UK)....

LOL Ralph!

(I delight in being able to send "work" you way 😉 )


*I heard that* -- especially considering the tasks I may have occasionally tried to delegate to you!

However, based on years of experience, whether we link to a User Tip or to a previous post seems immaterial.

In any case, I have stopped offering "tips" since we lost the ability to edit them to keep them current without involving the Hosts. Now, whenever there is no existing tip, I use a link to the correct information in a post in a previous topic, as I have done above. Otherwise, I rewrite for currency and post current information specifically applicable to the OP's issue.

As always, in view of all the help you have given me, use my words here in a tip if you like.
I will be happy to use it. (Back atcha.... Score: 15-love) 😉

Cheers,

EZ User uploaded file Jim


Message was edited by: EZ Jim

Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.6); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.6)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod4touch4.2.1

Feb 17, 2011 12:22 PM in response to EZ Jim

Hi EZ Jim,

Umm, you make valid points there, unfortunately 🙂

I am still tempted to ask Nubz N. to extract the said post and make it a Users Tip.
Thus keeping the credit yours (15 All)

I will ponder this further, as you say that you are likely to include it where needed anyway. (Dodgy second serve)

I think I shall copy it for the EZ Jim Pages (15-30)

User uploaded file

8:22 PM Thursday; February 17, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Feb 17, 2011 2:52 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hello Ralph.

Hmmm.... interesting thoughts. We shall ponder together separately.

In the meantime, you have my best wishes on potential use. +*(30 all)*+

EZ User uploaded file Jim


Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.6)
MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.6)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11)
iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod4touch4.2.1

Feb 18, 2011 11:00 AM in response to EZ Jim

Umm,

As you know I subscribe to Threads I post in.

I have in fact got the emails from the other thread.

I was expecting a yes or no answer before proceeding, as to whether it can/could be done.

I feel some large bird has knocked my ball out of play and the Umpire has ruled in your favour (30-40 😟 )

User uploaded file

7:00 PM Friday; February 18, 2011

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Feb 18, 2011 11:48 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi, Ralph.

Although I was also expecting further discussion and perhaps a bit more fun before someone else might offer a tip, I took no umbrage whatsoever with the way things happened. I believe we have concluded the matter appropriately in your Lounge topic.

As you know, I rather think the external iSight 1.0.3 Firmware update is moot at present date. However, I will certainly continue to respond to occasional (and increasingly less frequent) postings about it.

To summarize as clearly as I can for all readers who may be monitoring our threadjack in this topic: I see no need for a user tip about external iSight's 1.0.3 Firmware update. I will not author one.

I think we have done enough here, Ralph, so I will not post final scores. 😉


Cheers,
Jim


Message was edited by: EZ Jim


Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.6)
MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.6)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11)
iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod4touch4.2.1

Mar 28, 2011 1:09 PM in response to EZ Jim

****, you are a life saver!

I purchased an external isight camera last week off of ebay for my 1.83ghz Mac Mini (OSX 10.6.7). It arrived this morning at 11:00. Super excited, I expected to simply plug it in and have it work (like all other Apple based items). It originally worked with Photobooth, Skype, iChat, Facetime, etc. but _would not_ aquire sound, no matter what I would do. (Yes, I enabled mic input in all of the sound Preferences per application and in the System Preferences, still no dice)

Needless to say I got VERY frustrated. And was about to write a nasty email to the seller on Ebay on how he sold me a defective unit. I was even prepared to drive an hour across the city to our Apple Store to go buy a brand new firewire cable.

I visited numerous of your posts, making sure to take them step by step and figure out this problem. The trouble there was that (not your fault) the information you supplied was correct, for that time period. Posts from 3 years ago. Luckily I came across your most recent post in this thread doing the step by step of getting into the Package file, updating to and that fixed everything!

Big kudos to you EZ Jim and Ralph Johns (UK) for taking the time to support a peripheral that has been discontinued since 2006. In reading the old posts, I was actually getting angry with some posters who were getting frustrated with your attempts. So I would like to let you guys know that your knowledge is appreciated and you are a pillar in the Support forums.

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New Mac Pro vs firewire iSight

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