Apple confirms that iMac "stall" is due to CD/DVD driver; fix is coming

We have previously noted that disabling Apple's CD/DVD driver may prevent certain types of Mac OS stalls. A recent Apple TIL article #31023 (dated July 2 but modified July 12) acknowledges this issue in regard to 333MHz iMacs. It states:

Apple has received reports from customers that their iMac will appear to pause or stall for about 10 seconds during normal use. Apple is currently investigating these reports but based on the information that has been reported we recommend that you use the following workaround:

Insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive when you are using the iMac.

Although disabling the "Apple CD/DVD Driver" will also work, this workaround is not recommended because disabling the driver will prevent you from using the CD-ROM drive.

See also this related posting on Apple's Tech Exchange. It states that a fix is coming in a few weeks. Another note states: "It is not a hardware issue. The driver needs to be modified for certain newer drives." (Thanks, Mark Luscher.)