Sound Oddities on New 15" PowerBook

[jeffcorbets]

So I have had my new PowerBook for six days now, and I love it to death. There are a couple things I have noticed about it though, and I am wondering if it is just my laptop or if everyone is experiencing the same problems?

1. When I scroll, using either the scroll bar or the trackpad scrolling, the computer makes a soft buzzing noise. You can only hear it in a fairly quiet room, but it's there nonetheless. This same noise also occurs when I move the cursor over the dock (I do have dock magnification turned on).

2. Every once in a while, iTunes messes up playing a song... usually it sounds like a CD skipping, but sometimes it just blanks out. At first I thought this might be related to the problems people with the new 17" PowerBooks (with lots of memory) were having with the AirPort daemon, but I ran the PowerBook with just a single GB chip in it and I still had the problem.

What are everyone's experiences with their new 15" machines? Are there other random problems out there? It was rumored that the new machines would run a build of the 10.4.3 operating system, but they shipped with 10.4.2, so maybe these little issues will be fixed with the new update?

~Jeff Corbets

 

[simon-says]

2) I have this same problem on my Powerbook as well. Though mine is the revision before yours. It rarely happens with songs on the Powerbook, but happens more frequently when I'm playing songs from my desktop machine. It's rather annoying. I bought another hd and alls I need is an external case so I don't have to play over the network anymore.

 

[khisayruou]

1. When I scroll, using either the scroll bar or the trackpad scrolling, the computer makes a soft buzzing noise. You can only hear it in a fairly quiet room, but it's there nonetheless. This same noise also occurs when I move the cursor over the dock (I do have dock magnification turned on).

This is quite normal in my experiences. My powerbook, two revisions before yours does the same thing. And even a peecee laptop (at least the ones I have used) makes the same noise upon scrolling.

 

[jeffcorbets]

This is quite normal in my experiences. My powerbook, two revisions before yours does the same thing. And even a peecee laptop (at least the ones I have used) makes the same noise upon scrolling.

My former laptop - an HP machine - had a whole bunch of interference between the sound system and the rest of the components, but I was never able to attribute it to one thing...

If you visit www.markspace.com, I also get the noise when the banner on the site changes text...

It's not something major - heck I can play my music to cover it up, but...

~Jeff Corbets

 

[datoby]

1) try to download vlc and click when u started the programm on "about vlc". this is an odd noise.

 

[khisayruou]

My former laptop - an HP machine - had a whole bunch of interference between the sound system and the rest of the components, but I was never able to attribute it to one thing...

If you visit www.markspace.com, I also get the noise when the banner on the site changes text...

It's not something major - heck I can play my music to cover it up, but...

~Jeff Corbets

Yup, same thing here. I think this is totally normal.

 

[Greenone]

Same here. Just purring...likes being touched.

 

[ybakos]

Also noise any time you move the mouse cursor

My new 15" Powerbook also exhibits the same sound. If you listen very closely with your ear near the keyboard you can hear a light static-y/buzzing sound any time you move the pointer with the trackpad or a mouse.

A slightly louder buzzing sound when scrolling a long web page. Or when the dock slides into place.... and I bet (I won't waste more time on this) when you do anything graphics-intensive.

Sounds like a problem to me. Probably won't ever be addressed in Cupertino.

 

[pdpfilms]

I too hear that noise, though it's on a Rev A Dual 2ghz G5. I think it's inherent, no big deal. The iTunes skipping is a little more odd though..

 

[Cali_Man]

Noise?

Brand new 15" too here, but I have no idea what this noise is you hear. Scrolling through pages, moving the cursor over the dock, all I hear is the same soft hum from the machine. Haven't had any horizontal line issues or flickering either, perhaps I'm one of the few lucky people with a quirk free powerbook?

Great machines though, love the new displays.

 

[Spectrum]

1. When I scroll, using either the scroll bar or the trackpad scrolling, the computer makes a soft buzzing noise. You can only hear it in a fairly quiet room, but it's there nonetheless. This same noise also occurs when I move the cursor over the dock (I do have dock magnification turned on).

~Jeff Corbets

my 15 makes a tiny hum, and some barely audible trackpad/scrolling noises...

But only when attached to the power adapter and the battery is full.

I figured just the sound of excess charge in some capacitors somewhere being dissipated. Now I run plugged-in without battery (unless it needs charging). But a word of warning: if you are plugged-in without battery, DO NOT unplug adapter while comp is asleep ( I did it to switch power outlets) - you loose everything - it seems the 3minutes of internal battery that allows you to swap batteries while asleep only works if you were running on battery power at the time of sleep (or else I have a dud internal battery )

Anyway, unplug, and see (listen ) to whether you still hear the noises.

 

[ybakos]

Unplugged/Battery and Still Sound

I'm off ac power right now and I still hear the sound. It's almost like the hard drive is being accessed, the noise is so loud. Which is, still, pretty quiet but... this does _not_ seem normal to me.... (my iBook was dead silent)

I'm sending mine back in for the display lines issue anyway....

 

[jeffcorbets]

Unfortunately, I cannot test my machine right now because I sent it in to have the display (horizontal lines issue) looked at, in addition to the SuperDrive having some issues...

In the note I left for AppleCare, I did make mention of the sound problems, so perhaps they will take a look at it.

~Jeff Corbets