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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Macbook sleep light oddity

Macbook sleep light oddity
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Star-Fire
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Jun 17, 2006, 11:46 PM
 
So my parents just bought a macbook, the low end model and I noticed that the sleep light will fade to dim but it's definitely still on, while mine (a blackbook) will fade till it's completely off, it just something that I noticed that seems a bit odd to me, anyone else care to share what theirs does, I just wonder why there different.
MacBook Pro 2.5 with 4 GB Ram, 250 GB 5400RPM, iMac 20" Intel Dual Core 2.0 with 2 GB Ram
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blackbird_1.0
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Jun 17, 2006, 11:50 PM
 
It's probably busy doing something if it's still on, and not throbbing.
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Star-Fire  (op)
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Jun 17, 2006, 11:52 PM
 
no it's throbbing, it's asleep for sure, just doesn't dim to completely off.
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blackbird_1.0
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Jun 17, 2006, 11:58 PM
 
Oh. I might be alright, then. It's still probably within operating specs.
Apple II GS | Powerbook 165 | iMac Rev. A 96mb RAM| iBook G3 500mhz, 128mb RAM | Power Macintosh G5 1.6ghz, 2.25gb RAM | Black MacBook 2ghz, 2gb RAM | iPhone Rev. A 8gb HD
     
Star-Fire  (op)
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Jun 18, 2006, 01:16 AM
 
Yeah, I'm not doubting it, just seems odd they would be different, though maybe a different firmware or something.
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k squared
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Jun 18, 2006, 03:02 AM
 
Or maybe the actual light is a little different? Think about it: out of thousands of lights produced by an OEM, don't you think some may be different?

Now that you mention it, mine doesn't dim to off either. I think you are reaching for a problem which doesn't exist.
     
Simon
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Jun 18, 2006, 03:30 AM
 
People, the OP's probably just curious. He hasn't said anything is broken. He's wondering why there's a difference. If you have a guess as to why the two MBs behave differently, please enlighten us. But, if you just feel the urge to write something like 'hey dude, calm down, no reason to panic, nothing's broken, that's just the way it is, bla bla' - please resist that urge. Thanks.
     
Star-Fire  (op)
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Jun 18, 2006, 09:55 AM
 
Thanks for that post!

Yeah, I'm not saying there is a problem, but was thinking maybe different firmware which could also be related to say maybe a cooler running machine since my parents is brand new, just though it might open up some ideas or rattle a brain or two.
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missingbite
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Jun 18, 2006, 12:58 PM
 
With my Powerbook, I never shut any application down, I just close the application. With my ibook that I carry with me a lot more, I shut programs down. With that said, the ibook seems to go into a deeper sleep that the Powerbook. I don't know if this is designed or just an observation. Try closing all apps. and see if there is still a difference. I could be crazy as some people already think I am.

Gavin

P.S. I know that mine are two different books but who knows.
     
k squared
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Jun 18, 2006, 01:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by Star-Fire
Thanks for that post!

Yeah, I'm not saying there is a problem, but was thinking maybe different firmware which could also be related to say maybe a cooler running machine since my parents is brand new, just though it might open up some ideas or rattle a brain or two.
If Apple released a MacBook with different firmware to somehow fix the over-exaggerated heat issues then it would be all over this board and the 'net. If you discovered two different firmwares on MacBooks which affected the internal temperature then you would be a hero.

Really, it's a light. Some blink or glow differently. Not a big deal.
     
k squared
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Jun 18, 2006, 01:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by missingbite
With my Powerbook, I never shut any application down, I just close the application. With my ibook that I carry with me a lot more, I shut programs down. With that said, the ibook seems to go into a deeper sleep that the Powerbook. I don't know if this is designed or just an observation. Try closing all apps. and see if there is still a difference. I could be crazy as some people already think I am.

Gavin

P.S. I know that mine are two different books but who knows.
What exactly is "deeper sleep?" Does it take longer to go into and out of sleep? Does one 'Book have the newer safe sleep enabled?
     
missingbite
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Jun 18, 2006, 03:26 PM
 
Sorry, I should have clarified. What I mean is the sleep light acts as you have described. It goes all the way out and then back on. On my Powerbook it just goes dim and then back to bright. Maybe this is because more apps are open on one book than the other. It could just be a coincidence.
     
yticolev
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Jun 18, 2006, 08:36 PM
 
There is a difference in the behavior of the sleep light depending on whether the lid is open or closed. Much dimmer open with complete blackout during the cycle.
     
phuture
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Jun 18, 2006, 11:45 PM
 
I can say with 100% certainty that IT IS NOT THE LED. Back in the day when cell phones had black & white screens, people wanted to pimp out their cell phone by replacing the miniature LEDS in it... I used to do that. I also did quite a few inverter-board LED swaps on Pismo's to make it have the G4 look (white LED) or whatever else color the person wanted. This one dude wanted purple. But anyway, LEDS behave this way -- they either work or don't. I believe it probably is related to firmware. Does anyone with a Powerbook or an iBook remember the OS9 - OSX transition??? On my own Pismo, I remember that the sleep light would pulse differently under OS9 than it did on OSX. I always thought the pulsing action was controlled by circuitry. Then I realized that it was actually controlled by software. Hope this helps you bro.
     
   
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