[_kevin]

What type of magnetic shielding do our Powerbooks have? Does the aluminum case have any inherent properties that assist in offsetting magnetic fields?

I have unshielded speakers scattered throughout my room: PA speakers, home theater speakers, monitor speakers, etc. I'm usually careful to avoid using my PB in close proximity to them, but wanted to be certain that my circumspection is warranted.

[_kevin]

Bump ftw!!

[_kevin]

bump

[Powerbook]

uh... let's just say, that in all the years of playing with hardware I never managed (even intentionally) to mess up computer data with magnetism from loudspeakers.

Regards
PB.

[alphamatrix]

From what I've gathered Powerbooks are pretty well shielded, I was listening the podcast of MacWorld live with David Pogue and he had Phil Bates from ArtBeats software which is a provider of stock video of spectacular things like explosions and lighting bolts.
To get to the point, they visited a very large indoor tesla coil/high voltage thing to get some footage, and while the EM fields there (much more powerful than any unshielded speakers I would think) made a colleagues Windows machines became quiet unstable, his Powerbook had no problems.

[phuture]

Doesn't loudspeakers affect only CRT monitors when they're like... right next to the screen or touching the screen, then you get the funny colors and have to degauss the screen? Your powerbook has an LCD monitor so don't even sweat it. If your speakers are that humongous, I'd be more concerned about its affect on altering your brainwaves than messing up your powerbook.

[tooki]

Only a terrifically powerful magnet could even begin to affect anything in a computer without a CRT.

I wouldn't worry about it at all.

tooki

[_kevin]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate it.

I wasn't concerned about the screen; obviously an LCD is impervious to magnetic fields. The hard drive was my primary worry. I don't know much about the physics governing data storage.

I appreciate all of the remarks though! :beer:

[phuture]

What I would like to know is how those airport x-rays affect the hard drive. I know they say it affects camera film like ISO 800 and above or something like that. but probably not because drives are magnetic, and x-rays are more energy radiation. Thoughts on this anyone?

[Artazil]

Originally Posted by phuture

What I would like to know is how those airport x-rays affect the hard drive. I know they say it affects camera film like ISO 800 and above or something like that. but probably not because drives are magnetic, and x-rays are more energy radiation. Thoughts on this anyone?

As someone who travelled for a living at least twice a week for three years, and someone who's worked behind the X-Ray machine for two, I can guarantee you that the X-Rays from the carry-on machines aren't going to have an effect on your hard drive.

[pbnewb]

Originally Posted by Artazil

As someone who travelled for a living at least twice a week for three years, and someone who's worked behind the X-Ray machine for two, I can guarantee you that the X-Rays from the carry-on machines aren't going to have an effect on your hard drive.

:There is some concern that they might have more of an effect on camera film than they say, if you travel A LOT with the same camera film - the ratings for 'safe' for film are estimated on typical (or above typical reall, but not extreme) numbers of trips through them. With increased screening, if you were to take very fast film through a lot of them, you might get a visible fogging. That's about it though.