Apple Faces Up to the MacBook Whining 107
Whiney Mac Fanboy writes "The Register is reporting that Apple has finally admitted to the 'high pitched whining' problems with it's MacBook line — but only to tell customers to contact AppleCare. From the article: 'MacBook Pro users have complained about numerous noises emanating from their machines since the Intel-based notebooks began shipping in February this year. Audible irritations reported by machine owners include whining sounds coming from the screen, from the body of the notebook, and from the area below the screen hinge when the laptop's running on batteries and both cores of the Core Duo CPU are enabled.'"
Hyperhidrosis? (Score:3, Interesting)
Ewwwwwww!
Have a look at these photos [deeje.tv] to see the extent of the problem. (Poor old Mac users, probably stress sweat from worrying about their credit card bills).
Anyway - good to see Apple finally 'fessing up to the problems - that's what we pay the extra cash for right?
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:2)
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:2)
A story about whiney macs definitely needs a whiney mac fanboy in the comments
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:2)
I have a PB 17" 1.33MHz which had some nasty pitting where my hands went. Under both palms, with the left one being closer to the keyboard from command key usage, and the right one being farther from the keyboard from arrow key usage. Lots of nice black pitting. And I'm not talking freckles, this was an open pitting mine. Also, some of my keycaps were badly worn down (Z, X, C, V, command, etc.) such that the backlight would just show a big blob. Also, the plastic molding above the superdrive slot had b
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:1)
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:2)
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:2)
This is "normal wear and tear", IMHO. It affects all laptops, you just can't see it on black plastic as well (it happened on my Inspiron 8200). The solution is a plastic wrist wrest, either clear or case-colored, from marware.
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:1)
Thinkpads and Discoloration (Score:2)
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:3, Funny)
But seriously, this seems to be a persistent problem with Apple's nice-looking toys. They make the iPods shiny black, so every scratch stands out. They make clear cases so you can see all the dust bunnies inside. They make fresh, clean colors that only look good new. Me, I'm a realist. I buy barf-colored carpet for my living room just to be safe.
Re:Hyperhidrosis? (Score:2)
Maybe it's... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Maybe it's... (Score:1)
Re:Maybe it's... (Score:3, Funny)
It purrs?
Re:Maybe it's... (Score:1)
Re:Maybe it's... (Score:1)
Re:Maybe it's... (Score:2)
yes it does (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Internet Echo Chamber at work (Score:5, Informative)
I'm on my third MacBook Pro (for other problems, not the noise!), and all the ones I've had have made this noise, as has every other one I've seen. However probably more than 50% of people who've listened to my machine couldn't hear the noise.
The whine is very high pitched and it seems that lots of people just don't hear that frequency. However I can tell you that if you do hear it it's like fingernails down a blackboard. It nearly drove me mad until I found QuietMBP [macupdate.com] which immediately shut it up.
High pitched squeal description, for EE nerds (Score:5, Informative)
Electrolytic caps tend to reform incomplete insulators with use, and occasionally correct themselves. I suspect this is a polyester or metal film polarized cap so the odds of self-correcting are, well, very low to nil. That being said, the charger on my Macbook (low-end 1.83 core duo, not a MBP) makes this sound. I plan to give it a month to see if it sorts out or gets worse. Not too concerned so long as it continues to charge.
Re:Internet Echo Chamber at work (Score:2)
Re:Internet Echo Chamber at work (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Internet Echo Chamber at work (Score:2)
Re:Internet Echo Chamber at work (Score:3, Interesting)
It's intensely annoying, but I'm also a person who gets really annoyed when people leave CRT's turned on (that whine gets me, too).
The strange thing is I've never heard it from another laptop, even other core duos. The only other system that has a similar problem is my PowerMac G5 2.7G Dual; and it "ticks" every second or so when both processors are on. The solution on the PowerMac is to put the system on the floor.
I hope to get a new logic bo
But when will Microsoft... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:But when will Microsoft... (Score:1)
Mine's in for motherboard replacement now (Score:5, Informative)
Incidentally, the specialist said that the new mobo is going to be not completely quiet, but a lot better.
Now, I'm wondering if they'll put a 1.83 GHz chip in it like I had before or whether they start at 2.0 GHz like the new models do... here's hoping.
Re:Mine's in for motherboard replacement now (Score:2)
I've never even heard of any mobo making a whine. Certain types of LCD backlighting, sure, but not solid state electronics.
Re:Mine's in for motherboard replacement now (Score:2)
Re:Mine's in for motherboard replacement now (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Mine's in for motherboard replacement now (Score:3, Informative)
Normally neither of these sources would be an issue because all of the switching power supplies involved run at frequencies well above the audio range but some types can suffer from sub harmonic oscillation. This is normally an issue with current mode topologies that lack slope compensation but occasionally it
Sounds about right (Score:2)
Re:Mine's in for motherboard replacement now (Score:1)
problem solved. (Score:3, Funny)
Check the Hamster Wheel (Score:1)
I know (Score:3, Funny)
I know. The processor speed also can drop below 800 mhz unless you shovel coal fast enough into the thing, too.
Re:Check the Hamster Wheel (Score:1)
Wait! (Score:2)
Sigh... all these people should be waiting for Merom Macbooks anyway.
Re:Wait! (Score:1)
Yes, untouchable as in I won't be touching their Intel-based products for quite a while.
Re:Wait! (Score:2)
Merom MacBooks (Score:2)
Sigh... all these people should be waiting for Merom Macbooks anyway.
I wish I didn't have a problem waiting 'til the Merom MacBooks came out but the PC I'm using now is several years old and on it's last legs. Because of MS's Activation for XP I won't get another PC with Windows. Though I've been only using Windows the last few year I prefer Macs anyway, and because I want something to take with me the next computer I get will be a MacBook Pro, hopefully within two weeks.
FalconMost appropriate Slashdot submitter ever... (Score:2, Funny)
G4 Tower does the same thing (Score:2)
Apple told me to take it back to the apple store. The dumbasses at the store told me the noise (pick one or more of the following) a) was the harddrive b) was a fan c) was the video card d) didn't exist e) was normal. A
Re:G4 Tower does the same thing (Score:2)
I was royally pissed. "Genius bar" my ass.
The caliber of Genius Bar employees seems to vary quite a bit. I've only had to use the Genius Bar twice, but both times the people working there were really on the ball and helpful. Perhaps it's because I live in the Silicon Valley area, and they have a greater pool of Macheads to choose from, or perhaps it's just dumb luck.
Of course, the problem with anecdotal evidence (positive or negative) is that it really doesn't provide any light on whether the individu
Re:G4 Tower does the same thing (Score:2)
re: g5 tower whining (Score:3, Insightful)
This has been discussed all over the Mac forums in the past, and for many people, doing such things as changing the speed settings from "Automatic" to the full performance mode elimiated much of it.
I don't find the noise "annoying" at all, really. I considered it a perfectly acceptable noise that my system wa
It's the power supply. (Score:1)
Check out this little program to confirm:
http://www.bresink.com/osx/SystemLoad.html [bresink.com]
Apple also acknowledges "unusual odor" problem. (Score:3, Informative)
Seriously, all they are saying is: if you've got a problem, contact AppleCare. It's not like a recall or something.
Re:Apple also acknowledges "unusual odor" problem. (Score:2)
Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:5, Informative)
Of course, this whine sounds more like a power supply issue than anything else - modern electronics use switching supplies to generate the various voltages needed, and they tend to operate anywhere from 10kHz and up, but are well known to drop lower in frequency, or induce noise in other bits of the system. The fact that the noise can appear and disappear as the system is loaded is key to the problem as switching supplies rely on feedback loops to ensure regulation. Increase the load and the power supply works harder and likely generating more switching noise which induces itself in analog lines to speakers and such. And if the switching transistors have to remain on longer, it could reduce the switching frequency to something people start to notice. Most recommendations for eliminating noise comes from reducing system load, turning down the backlight (double effect, since the backlight inverter is yes, another switching supply).
Re:Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:2)
Part of the reason is that I really don't think adjusting frequency will actually be a viable source of voltage control, unless you're taking advantage of the reduced efficiencies in the inductors at "improper" frequencies (generally you design the switching frequency arou
Re:Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:3, Insightful)
I've heard this from several Mac fans for a long time. However, in my opinion, this is completely unacceptable. First of all, to purchase a Mac, you need to plunk down a non-trivial amount of money. Secondly, Apple doesn't keep selling the old generation of products for very long, so if you use your Mac for work, and you suddenly need a new o
Re:Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:1, Troll)
1. Mac users are generally more anal about this sort of thing and make noise about it.
2. Macs are quite simply a big topic right now. An issue like this would have never graced the pages of Slashdot pre-OS X.
3. First gen EVERYTHING is problematic. As much as I wanted a 2005 Mustang, no way. New body styles of the first year are just not my thing.
What you
Re:Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:2)
It really depends on how your works work. If you are spending other peoples money, perhaps the other people demand new top of line machines. This is often an irrational requirement, especially for apples, but hey if other people hold the purse strings, what can we do?
But the reality is that one
wrong (Score:2)
Re:Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:2)
Re:Duh, First-Gen Apple Hardware... (Score:2)
I like jokes (Score:3, Funny)
Fesses up (Score:3, Insightful)
To face up means something completely different and nothing that makes sense in this context.
Re:Fesses up (Score:2)
face up
Function: intransitive verb
: to confront or deal directly with someone or something previously avoided -- usually used with to "faced up to my fears"
It seems to me that it has a meaning very similar to "fess up" and makes perfect sense.
Important piece of information (Score:4, Interesting)
Rather, I do believe that it is a "hearing" issue. Much of the populace cannot hear the whine. Given the high distribution of a consumer product, though, the 1% falls through the cracks (like me).
Being able to, or not being able to hear the whine doesn't make you a better listener or something; so don't take it as an insult. I can't hear musical lyrics properly, I have problems listening to peoples voices in crowded places (bars/clubs, etc . . . I can't hold a conversation). Hell, road noise in my car drowns out my cell phone, while everyone around me never seems to have a problem.
But I can hear the MBP whine, and I can hear the the "tics" from my PowerMac G5 2.7 Dual. I do not hear similar things from my PB 12", nor from my Athlon 64+, nor from my Acer Core Duo laptop that the MBP replaced.
This is not a sporatic problem, and IMHO is not even a "technical" issue. It's a design flaw, namely, the engineering team responsible for the capacitors feeding the CPU did not notice the sound, or noticed the sound in a test an assumed it was outside the range of human hearing. The only thing that makes it sporatic is that it is, indeed, for the most part, outside the range of human hearing.
Nope (Score:2)
Simon, he of few words.
Important piece of information (Score:2)
Wake me when they face up to the heat problem. (Score:2)
Just provide an API for the power/thermal control module and let someone else write the control panel with the "Cook breakfast [--------^--] Drown out nearby jackhammers" heat/fan-noise slider.
Similar Problem (Score:2)
Re:Similar Problem (Score:2)
My PowerBook G4... (Score:1)
Oh, that's what they meant... (Score:1)
Call me when Jobs faces down a horde of angry, whining customers disgruntled by sluggish Apple response times.
which whined first... (Score:1)
D'ell had similar problem in core duo notebooks (Score:1)
D'ell can pull a product and still have plenty of SKUs to offer. Apple cannot. Especially not now.
Good for Apple to face up to it.
My iBook G4 has the same problem! (Score:1)
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:4, Insightful)
Did your friend also happen to work for the company that sold 3rd party warranties?
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:1)
I've got some real estate you might be interested in. Did your friend work for best buy?
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:2)
I had a woman once... I'm still paying the bills! I prefer my Mac any day. Costs me less per month than having a woman did.
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:5, Insightful)
All manufacturers have problems with laptops. Diff is: If Apple has swelling batteries, the whole internet screams in agony. If Dell's laptops explode [theinquirer.net], it's just business as usual.
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:1)
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:3, Informative)
More than one Dell exploded. Not all MacBooks show the whining problem. In fact, I'm typing this on a MacBook Pro which has no problem at all.
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:5, Insightful)
I have a macbook pro. Nice Machine. So far nothing has come up but I use it pretty lightly. I have also had a Titanium (prone to hinge and case cracks), 12" Powerbook, Aluminum powerbook, Powerbook G3 Pismo (GREAT LAPTOP!), Powerbook G3 Wallstreet, and supported all models of apple laptop as my job. The bottom line is you get Applecare when you purchase a laptop and it will be covered during its useful lifetime. Anything surviving beyond that (3 years) is just bonus time. We have seen plenty of 8 year old (or more) mac laptops boot and run just fine. Someone hauls one in every now and then. I had a sony VAIO that practially fell apart in my hands after 3 years, we had a batch of HP laptops with docking stations that would stop working after a month (a clip would bend up), had a run of dells with bad hard drives, etc etc. At the end of the day, there are just as many hardware problems with PC's as Macs, but you get it repaired and its ok. If there were only 2 types of PC laptops (instead of 1001) you would see these kinds of stories about pc's too. Remember the Dell that blew up?
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:2)
pc hardware problems (Score:2)
I can't speak for the models you mentioned as I've never owned one, but between me, my wife, and a friend we have 3 Compaq Presario 2108CL laptops (couple years old, Athlon XP-M 2800+, Radeon IGP 320M graphics, 1 gig RAM, etc), and they've all been very reliable.
My first PC was a laptop from Gateway. After a few months the harddrive died, then a week or two before I had it for a year the motherboard died. When the hd died Gateway sent a replacement a couple of days later, which was alright. Then when
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:2)
Unfortunately, tiny form factors ( 1 inch thick) and easy to upgrade modular computers are not a very common combination.
Re:Macbook sounds like a real dud... (Score:3, Informative)
This is why you never buy the newest model of Mac laptop, and wait until it's been out for at least six months.
As for warranty, things that are easy to break and expensive to repair are the only things I get extended warranties for. That means cameras over $400 and laptops. Since I only use Macs, that means Applecare. I learned my lesson with a PB G3 Pismo (one of the last ones they made, no less) which had more than a few problems that Applecare would have covered. Battery died at 12 months (just in t
Re: (Score:2)