[archimac]

Hello everybody,

I�m thrilled to have joined the best company the computer world over.
Although this is my first post here I have been reading the MacNN forums for over a year now.
I am a switcher and just got the lovely Al17 baby.
Here in Spain it was a long wait, much longer than the one in the States. Whole two weeks more.
Although I am completely gob smacked by the design quality of my Al17, I can't help thinking that something may actually be wrong with it. What bothers me is the noise that it makes on start up. It's some sort of metallic friction sound that comes from the area around the power button. It resembles the sound that a spring would make if bent and rubbed onto another. It lasts just a second or two but it's quite prominent. It disappears before the grey screen with the apple comes on to remain silent and obedient until turning the computer off. I wonder if this could cause some irreparable damage to the machine through relatively short usage.
The only other thing that I have noticed is the little jumps that the Al17 makes in iTunes when the visual effects are on. I have tried it at 30-fps as well as at random rate and still does the same. I have used a 1Ghz SD TiBook before and it didn't do this. Since I am curious to know if somebody else has had the same experience. Maybe this is the difference between ATI 9000 Radeon and the Nvidia 440Go.
In all other aspects this PowerBook is the most sublime and precious little ?big? computer a man has made.

[AssassyN]

Congrats on your machine!!

But I must say that's the first time I've heard your problem, and it does sound quite a bit strange. I'd definitely give AppleCare a call while you're still under your complimentary 90 days and let them hear about, and they may be able to better assist you. Good luck with it!

[archimac]

I've just determined that the noise on start up is caused by the optical drive. I inserted the DVD with the original software and run the hardware test. I got the reported in earlier posts message of faulty ram than proceeded to shutting down the system. On the following start up the noise had disappeared. I tried restarting the computer several times and the noise was gone. Than I took out the DVD and restarted again. The noise is back. I think it is some sort of unusual check for a disk in the drive before going on to loading Mac OSX. An instant after this friction noise sounds the chime of Mac OS initializing.
AssassyN I've thought already of contacting Apple but the idea of someone taking away my baby for a repair, with only 5 days of use, and returning it scratched or not functioning as before, scarers the **** out of me.
After all it may well be a drive which is a bit noisier than others. I don't know.

[AssassyN]

Hmm, are you sure that somehow the "C" key isn't stuck down? Pressing "C" at bootup will make the Mac scan for a disc to boot off of, otherwise I'm not sure why it'd be searching for a disc at boot-up.

And remember, thought returning it so early on isn't a very popular thing to do, you'll hate paying for a new SuperDrive later on down the road if you let the problem linger until it becomes major.

At least give AppleCare a call and ask them if there's anything *you* can do to fix it, or if they've encountered that issue before; at the end of the call it's still your choice whether or not to send it in. Good luck!

[rcarlosnyc]

It's not a problem. My drive also clicks on startup. It does the same thing when waking from sleep. I think you're making a problem out of nothing.

-Carlos

[archimac]

Carlos,

Are you sure your pbook emites the same ugly winging sound a second after pressing the power button. It�s actually double. The same repeats twice and than it goes to the chime of Mac OSX. Just note that it is not popping noise coming from the speakers or little crunchy, crispy sort of sound coming from the hard disk. It comes from somewhere between the right speaker and the rigt palmrest.
If it�s the same than I�ll take it a bit more easy but if it is�n�t, than what. It�s not that I�m making a fuss out of it, it�s just that I think it�s not normal as I haven�t heard any other power or i book make something similar.
Anyway I am enjoying it to the full. It�s great, not, awesome.

[nobitacu]

The noice... hmmm... mine makes noise too when I start it up, but it's the dvd drive that's making that noise, not the area you're talking about. And I'm sure everyone's 17 does it as well, that their drive will make noises.

As for your jumps during the visuals in iTunes, there's a very easy way to fix that. I'm sure you have the "change background" on for the pictures. So, watch it next time, play your iTunes and use that visuals, then watch and see if when ever your background changes pictures, if the visual will also make a small pause. If it does, then there's your problem, just either make it change every few mins so you won't see that video pause all the time, or just not use it at all. I turned mine off now, so it doesn't do that anymore.

Good luck.

Ming

Originally posted by archimac:
Hello everybody,

I�m thrilled to have joined the best company the computer world over.
Although this is my first post here I have been reading the MacNN forums for over a year now.
I am a switcher and just got the lovely Al17 baby.
Here in Spain it was a long wait, much longer than the one in the States. Whole two weeks more.
Although I am completely gob smacked by the design quality of my Al17, I can't help thinking that something may actually be wrong with it. What bothers me is the noise that it makes on start up. It's some sort of metallic friction sound that comes from the area around the power button. It resembles the sound that a spring would make if bent and rubbed onto another. It lasts just a second or two but it's quite prominent. It disappears before the grey screen with the apple comes on to remain silent and obedient until turning the computer off. I wonder if this could cause some irreparable damage to the machine through relatively short usage.
The only other thing that I have noticed is the little jumps that the Al17 makes in iTunes when the visual effects are on. I have tried it at 30-fps as well as at random rate and still does the same. I have used a 1Ghz SD TiBook before and it didn't do this. Since I am curious to know if somebody else has had the same experience. Maybe this is the difference between ATI 9000 Radeon and the Nvidia 440Go.
In all other aspects this PowerBook is the most sublime and precious little ?big? computer a man has made.

[cobra7869]

Originally posted by archimac:
Hello everybody,

I�m thrilled to have joined the best company the computer world over.
Although this is my first post here I have been reading the MacNN forums for over a year now.
I am a switcher and just got the lovely Al17 baby.
Here in Spain it was a long wait, much longer than the one in the States. Whole two weeks more.
Although I am completely gob smacked by the design quality of my Al17, I can't help thinking that something may actually be wrong with it. What bothers me is the noise that it makes on start up. It's some sort of metallic friction sound that comes from the area around the power button. It resembles the sound that a spring would make if bent and rubbed onto another. It lasts just a second or two but it's quite prominent. It disappears before the grey screen with the apple comes on to remain silent and obedient until turning the computer off. I wonder if this could cause some irreparable damage to the machine through relatively short usage.
The only other thing that I have noticed is the little jumps that the Al17 makes in iTunes when the visual effects are on. I have tried it at 30-fps as well as at random rate and still does the same. I have used a 1Ghz SD TiBook before and it didn't do this. Since I am curious to know if somebody else has had the same experience. Maybe this is the difference between ATI 9000 Radeon and the Nvidia 440Go.
In all other aspects this PowerBook is the most sublime and precious little ?big? computer a man has made.

I recently purchased AND returned a PowerBook 17" for the same problem you are experiencing. I was told by the Apple Store (though they read this from discussions at Apple.com) that the noises are from the amplifier turning on and off. The system apparently is doing this to conserve power. Mine would "pop" even when I awoke the computer from "sleep". I would believe this cause it also happened randomly during normal computer use if no sound occured for an amount of time. I never checked the system with a DVD or CD in the drive, but regardless, it really made me worry that something was wrong, though I was assured it was normal for the computer to run that way.

I would guess an OS update or firmware update will eventually fix this. I would raise a stink about it on Apples chat boards and send in "bug reports" online as well to make sure the problem is taken care of. I desperately want the PB again, but I want to wait a little longer till this problem goes away.

[Over Achiever]

If the popping sound is from the sound system, then search on versiontracker (www.versiontracker.com) this app:

KeepSoundAwake

That should do the trick, and prevent the system from emitting annoying popping sounds.

[cobra7869]

Originally posted by Over Achiever:
If the popping sound is from the sound system, then search on versiontracker (www.versiontracker.com) this app:

KeepSoundAwake

That should do the trick, and prevent the system from emitting annoying popping sounds.

Yes, I did find that app. It concerned me that I had to use a third party app to stop the sound. I couldn't see why apple wouldn't just supply this app in the OS to reduce the popping.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by archimac:
Carlos,

Are you sure your pbook emites the same ugly winging sound a second after pressing the power button. It�s actually double.

My 12"-er does a kind of "Kch jjjjjjjjjr-jjjjjjjjjr tschachick!" every time it wakes or boots. Sounds like a slight variation of the noise you hear when you insert or eject a disk - same volume, similar quality.

Perfectly normal.

-s*

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by cobra7869:
I would guess an OS update or firmware update will eventually fix this. I would raise a stink about it on Apples chat boards and send in "bug reports" online as well to make sure the problem is taken care of. I desperately want the PB again, but I want to wait a little longer till this problem goes away.

Well, be prepared to cry a while then, because the sound delay and "pop" is not going away: It's that way specifically by design.

There's been a couple of threads on that on this forum, try searching, and you'll find good info on why this is so.

If it really bothers you, download "KeepSoundAwake" and be done with it, knowing that your battery life is going to be slightly shorter.

At any rate, this is entirely unrelated to the optical drive checking if something is inserted when waking/booting up.

-s*

[DVD Plaza]

Originally posted by archimac:
Are you sure your pbook emites the same ugly winging sound a second after pressing the power button. Just note that it is not popping noise coming from the speakers or little crunchy, crispy sort of sound coming from the hard disk. It comes from somewhere between the right speaker and the rigt palmrest.

It's just the DVD drive dude, relax and think about it - the sound you're hearing is nothing more than a mechansim inside the drive moving somewhere then moving back (self test, checking for media, whatever). My 800DVI does it, the 1GHz I had for a few months did it, and my 17" (if it ever arrives!) will do it... it's perfectly normal!

[archimac]

As people are getting their Al17's I wondered if somebody else is experiencing the same noise the superdrive makes at booting.
BTW DVD PLAZA have you got your 17"baby?
I am really curious to know if it also emits this ugly sound.
Just a correction to my previous observations.
The Mac OS chime actually sounds in between the two jitters of the drive.
I am still not prepared to take it to the shop for a check. Still hope it's normal although very strange

[Over Achiever]

Is the noise the drive makes after rebooting the same noise it makes when it wakes up from sleep? (Yes, the drive makes sounds after waking from sleep)

If so, then yeah, I have that same "problem".

[archimac]

Yes Over Achiever, it does the same thing on awakening as well as booting.

[cambro]

All three of the Powerbooks I have owned (Pismo to Ti Ghz) have made a sound similar to what you describe when starting up and waking from sleep. I believe it is normal.