Glitch prompts Apple to pull OS update

Apple Computer on Tuesday withdrew a system software update it had issued a day earlier, saying the software caused a networking problem for some Macs.

On Monday, Apple released version 10.2.8 of Mac OS X, a minor update to its system software, and posted it on its Web site. The company pulled the software off the site on Tuesday, after owners of some Power Mac G4 machines complained of problems with their Ethernet networks.

"We have temporarily removed the Mac OS X v10.2.8 software update while we resolve an issue affecting Ethernet networking on a small number of Power Mac G4 desktop systems," the company said in a statement provided to CNET News.com. "We anticipate that the issue will be resolved soon."

Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., had said the update was designed to offer improvements in reliability and in performance for a number of different system components.

The original version of Mac OS X was delivered in March 2001. The current Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar release came out in August 2002, while another upgrade, code-named Panther, is due out by the end of this year.