http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/ Engadget Comments for Whining MacBook Pro? You're not alone http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 7:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 7:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
Anyway. You can rule out this being a subjective issue - mine is whisper quiet, no other way of describing it really.]]>Mar 14th 2006 7:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
ch424]]>Mar 14th 2006 7:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
I own an iPod and have had no real build quality issues (though the dock connector has always been a bit askew when I plug a cable in), and I have no problem with Apple generally or what they do. But when was the last time you heard about something like this from Dell customers? Or HP? And their reputations for quality are far lower than Apple's, despite having a lot more customers and a lot fewer consistent complaints about particular issues like this.]]>Mar 14th 2006 7:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 7:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 7:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
like when the screen does the half-dim before turning off? maddening.

then i have an intermittant one that is much less annoying than the screen one... and yes. it is fixed by turning on the cam with an app (photobooth / ichat / QT broadcaster) and turning it off again. for whatever reason.

the brightness one is far far far more annoying than the other though.
]]>Mar 14th 2006 7:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
i have the whining problem too. I phoned today with apple and the phone agent said: they are working on the problem and it will be fixed. She extra phoned with apple irland and asked about it.]]>Mar 14th 2006 7:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 8:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 8:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 8:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
I don't think this is a huge issue, at least for me. If the whine signifies an electrical problem that might make my machine prone to later hardware problems, only then would I want it fixed. I don't do heavy audio processing, so I can turn off one core if I really need absolute silence.]]>Mar 14th 2006 8:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
Fools

http://glovestudio.com/squatsquat/index.php/2006/03/13/squatworthy-applecare-repairs/]]>Mar 14th 2006 8:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
To #6 (Jeff) .. I do know your point. However, as an IT Manager, yes, Dell and HP have these problems and more. Don't get me wrong, most of their models are fairly decent, but some of their laptops especially have some serious issues as well. On the other hand, some of their laptops are great. The Dell 700m is really nice, for example. Note that Apple WILL actually *finally* pay attention to this at some point and fix it, and it may just be a software update, which would be great. I would imagine if people are going things with software to fix it (i.e. turning on the camera program and turning it back off), they should be able to fix it with software.

Anyway, my point it, Dell and HP hit or miss with their models, and due to the fact that they have 12-15 models each, they can do that. You probably already know that most of them are just ODMs anyway. But with Apple, an issue with a model gets A LOT of press, because they have two laptops and three desktop products. They're pretty responsibly about fixing them, as long as it isn't going to cost them an arm and a leg (unfortunately) like the iMac G4 mid-planes and power-supplies.]]>Mar 14th 2006 8:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 8:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
maybe it is just an intel thing :). And all computers make some kind of sound. I can hear my old television to. ]]>Mar 14th 2006 8:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
Purely and simply, it is a stray ground loop within the laptop. Extra feedback is getting into the audio circuits, and creates noise/whining most of the time. It is worse when the laptop is not plugged in, because then there is nowhere for the charge to go.

I suspect it has something to do with the way circuitry is arranged on the mobo, and the fact that the whole case conducts probably isn't helping anything. Dell had been trying to fix this for years, and (though they have improved it) it has not gone away. Get used to it if you have it, because nothing short of a major hardware revision will fix it (replaced mobo at the least).]]>Mar 14th 2006 8:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 9:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
It's a freaking computer, just use it and shut the hell up already.]]>Mar 14th 2006 9:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
Seriously people, if you want to be an early rider on the Apple bandwagon then you have to accept the fact that there are going to be minor issues with anything brand new. There were issues with the very first G3 iMacs, G4 iMacs, G5 iMacs... the very first anything.

And for the record I've heard this "whine" on one of the MacBook Pro I looked at. The optical drive on my fourth generation PowerBook G4 makes more noise when empty. take any thin laptop into a quiet room, you'll hear things that make your gut cringe.

The real whining here is coming from the Microsoft turncoats that think everything Mac is Jesus-Christ perfect.]]>Mar 14th 2006 10:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 10:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
1. Don't touch the iPod controls for at least 5 seconds.
2. Press the Center button up to 4 times allowing 1 second to elapse between each press.
3. If the iPod does not return to its normal screen, either repeat steps 1-2 or reset your iPod using the steps documented here.


Apple's quality control is definitely garbage.]]>Mar 14th 2006 10:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 10:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 10:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 10:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 11:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
You hear a whining sound when your face is up against the screen I really feel sorry for you. Boo hOO the battery isn't as good as it was on the 15inch PowerBook but its 4-5X faster. People lighten up. The MacBook Pro has no severe problems. I love the fact its just as hot on my lap as an old Pentuim 4 laptop 3 years ago. People are so stupid about these little problems. To me my MacBook Pro is the most solid machine I have ever been on. I can run like 9 programs all at the same time. There is NO OTHER machine like this on the market.]]>Mar 14th 2006 11:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
The reports I've read say it gets quieter when you use the CPU more.

Sounds like #27 is probably right, it's an inductor.

To convert the voltage coming off the battery to the voltage needed by the CPU, they use what's called a "switched mode DC/DC converter."

It's sort of like a transformer, but switches at a very high speed, tens, maybe hundreds, of kilohertz. Depending on the input voltage _and_ the current being drawn, it may change the speed that it switches at.

If it is switching at an audible frequency, it might vibrate enough for you to hear it. If you start using the CPU more, it'll start drawing more power, and that will affect the switching - in this case, apparently enough to make it inaudible.

It's a common problem on many devices I've used, but it does vary a lot in intensity. Some devices are only audible in a very quiet room, some of them I've never heard.]]>Mar 14th 2006 11:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 11:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 11:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lm_gfeeORK8&search=macbook]]>Mar 14th 2006 12:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oRp1W_bN4rA&search=macbook]]>Mar 14th 2006 12:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/105/all-work-and-no-play-makes-a-quiet-macbook-pro]]>Mar 14th 2006 12:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 1:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 4:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 14th 2006 5:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
Oh, that's right - since modern business standards all but forbid truly valid heuristical evaluations, early-adopters are essentially the guinea pig test pool for brand new products.

In other words, your pains in dealing with this issue are a byproduct of your willingness to participate in Apple's cleverly disguised testing phase for their new MacBook Pro, which will most likely be truly ready for purchase in another year or so.

However, rest assured - Apple thanks you for your involvement in insuring a great product for future, more market savvy users.]]>Mar 15th 2006 1:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
http://www.xsorbit1.com/users/dennx/index.cgi?board=ipodservice&action=display&num=1035865379&start=45]]>Mar 15th 2006 2:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
I'm happy I have chosen to hold off. Until then... You new MacBook Pro Users should keep photobooth running. :-)]]>Mar 15th 2006 2:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
http://www.crazyapplerumors.com/?p=322]]>Mar 15th 2006 4:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 20th 2006 10:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/My first Mac, so I'm definitely not a Mac fanatic. I just got a new MacBook with all the fixings, and within 10 minutes of having the thing plugged in I'm searching for "macbook noise". There's a band soundchecking 50 feet away and it's still easy to hear the whine.

So don't just assume that people are whining. It's freakin' loud and beyond annoying. (I have Photobooth running and it's perfectly quiet now, but I'll definitely try to swap it for one that doesn't have this issue.)]]>Mar 23rd 2006 5:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Mar 29th 2006 7:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
In fact, I can't hear the unit when anything is going on, and whine of my old Dell laptop (A D610) is like a freight train compared to this.

Honestly, after all my worries about noise, and everything I read, I honestly can't hear any noise in my laptop except for the slight hum of the hard drive if my cat is purring next to me.

+1 Apple.]]>Mar 30th 2006 2:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/
After a call to MacMall revealed that they "don't have that the kind of relationship with Apple" that would allow them to do an exchange for such a problem he called Apple.

Their R&D department wanted it so they could eliminate any potential future occurences of the problem, and prepaid overnight shipping for him to send in the MacBook Pro and exchanged his keyboard, then overnighted it back to him.

It was his first Mac and, after a disappointing Day 1, he was quite happily surprised by Apple's willingness to make sure his experience was a good one. Bonus points for them.]]>Apr 3rd 2006 4:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Apr 5th 2006 10:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Apr 5th 2006 10:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/http://www.engadget.com/2006/03/14/whining-macbook-pro-youre-not-alone/Apr 5th 2006 5:29PM