Post mini bugs on this thread
Bug #1 - shutting down the mini, sound forgets powered speakers
Are the other macs like this? All of the macs sounds come from
my powered speakers once I plugged them in. If you restart the
computer, it forgets the attached speakers and the sound comes
from the computer speaker.
I used to love the stereo "PING" that came from my 9500 when
I restarted.
Bug #2 - Fan goes crazy
From other thread, before I thought to consolidate in this thread.
The fan periodically ramps up to maximum.
Are the other macs like this? All of the macs sounds come from
my powered speakers once I plugged them in. If you restart the
computer, it forgets the attached speakers and the sound comes
from the computer speaker.
I used to love the stereo "PING" that came from my 9500 when
I restarted.
Bug #2 - Fan goes crazy
From other thread, before I thought to consolidate in this thread.
The fan periodically ramps up to maximum.
Comments
Originally posted by e1618978
Bug #1 - shutting down the mini, sound forgets powered speakers
Are the other macs like this? All of the macs sounds come from
my powered speakers once I plugged them in. If you restart the
computer, it forgets the attached speakers and the sound comes
from the computer speaker.
I used to love the stereo "PING" that came from my 9500 when
I restarted.
Bug #2 - Fan goes crazy
From other thread, before I thought to consolidate in this thread.
The fan periodically ramps up to maximum.
I don't think these are really bugs. I'd much rather have the start up sound come out of the interal speaker, than my big speaks that I left on the night before at 1/2 volume.
The fan is the same way in my iMac G5- if you're pushing the computer's processor the fan will kick in until it cools down.
Originally posted by tacojohn
. . . The fan is the same way in my iMac G5- if you're pushing the computer's processor the fan will kick in until it cools down.
I'd say it's a design deficiency. Fan speed can be increased gradually as the processor dissipates more power, making fan noise less noticeable. However, it must be designed to work this way. I used a workstation, now obsolete, that had a very smooth fan controller.
Since I'm planing to buy a Mac mini, I'm disappointed to hear this report. Yet, to be fair, it may have been designed to work at just two speeds for lower cost. A simple, two-state temperature sensor is likely cheaper than one sensing a range of temperatures.
Originally posted by snoopy
I'd say it's a design deficiency. Fan speed can be increased gradually as the processor dissipates more power, making fan noise less noticeable. However, it must be designed to work this way. I used a workstation, now obsolete, that had a very smooth fan controller.
Since I'm planing to buy a Mac mini, I'm disappointed to hear this report. Yet, to be fair, it may have been designed to work at just two speeds for lower cost. A simple, two-state temperature sensor is likely cheaper than one sensing a range of temperatures.
apples <---> oranges
A decent workstation usualy costs the better part of $2500 or more...A mac mini is $500
Kinda like saying "My old Rolls Royce ran smoother than my new Kia...this sucks..."
Originally posted by a_greer
apples <---> oranges
A decent workstation usualy costs the better part of $2500 or more...A mac mini is $500
Kinda like saying "My old Rolls Royce ran smoother than my new Kia...this sucks..."
my $400 compaq does not have this problem...
Originally posted by e1618978
my $400 compaq does not have this problem...
How big is that thing again?
Oh yeah- I can fit 7 minis in the same space. huh.
Originally posted by e1618978
my $400 compaq does not have this problem...
the 400$ compaq that has mac osx (or equivelant BSD platform), cdrw/dvd, ilife and a tiny it-fits-anywhere and looks nice enclosure? that compaq? does such a think exist?
Originally posted by a_greer
the 400$ compaq that has mac osx (or equivelant BSD platform), cdrw/dvd, ilife and a tiny it-fits-anywhere and looks nice enclosure? that compaq? does such a think exist?
You are changing the subject. I am not saying that the
compaq is better, it just does not spin the fans up like
the mini does. I was replying to the earlier post that
implied that an expensive workstation was required for
quiet fans.
Anyone that complains about an imac fan or a mini fan has no idea what fan noise is. Trust me you have it great. In fact i can never hear my mac mini over my quicksilver..EVER
Originally posted by SQUÅSH
You want a crazy fan....listen to my quicksilver. In fact my mac mini is silent and now my quicksilver annoys me
Anyone that complains about an imac fan or a mini fan has no idea what fan noise is. Trust me you have it great. In fact i can never hear my mac mini over my quicksilver..EVER
I think it depends on your general noise environment. I never
noticed my wife's emac, but we moved to a new office room in
the house, and now (in the quieter room) her machine is
very loud.
My mini running at 1.42Ghz is much louder than my PowerBook at 1.33Ghz. I wouldn't think the 7% processor difference would make such a difference in heat. I don't buy the argument that because it's a cheap computer you should expect noise. It's just a fan! I'd expect fan noise from a G5 but thought Apple had minimized the noise with G4s, particularly when you're just surfing or emailing. This was part of the reason for my decision to buy a mini.
This might be one more reason the mini's case should have been designed slightly larger; more room for memory, ports and cooling.
annoyance. If you guys get all defensive whenever
somebody points out a problem, then the problems
will not get reported as often.
I imagine that the apple developers read these forums,
and we are kind of like a 2nd layer of product test
as early adopters.
My mini just did the airplane taking off thing again
as I was typing this.
I have a 21 inch crt (mitsubishi 91txm) attached.
- booted mini
- changed display settings to 1600x1200 75hz
- shut down, unplugged everything
- re-plugged, powered up
- display settings lost, back at 1024x768 or something
Shouldn't they store these settings in flash or on the
hard drive?
Sorry to joke with you, but i thought you were talking about bugs. So far not one of these is.
The speaker sound deal is normal. That 1st sound is a boot/start-up sound, before the standard usb/micro/firewire or any extension, internet, anything has been loaded by the OS at start-up
The second the ?¿?¿? Not one spot on the Apple page says anything about silent or low fan noise.
3rd....I unplugged everything and wonder why it won't remember. hmmm..wait i see a cockroach
Originally posted by SQUÅSH
I have one and the noise to me is nothing. That's what I'm stating and comparing it to a laptop...LOL. Anyways, i'm curious where they said or told you it would be dead silent?
I believe the term was "whisper quiet"
Originally posted by e1618978
I believe the term was "whisper quiet"
That's the spirit.... and I'm not trying to be a macfoolio, i just think the things you speak of are pretty small and not worth calling bugs per say
Originally posted by SQUÅSH
. . . i just think the things you speak of are pretty small and not worth calling bugs per say
Not bugs, but design deficiencies for sure -- at least the fan behavior, which I would find very annoying. I would rather have a little louder fan running at a constant speed than a whisper quite fan that periodically revs up to top speed. If Apple makes the effort to have a variable speed fan, at least the job should be done right. It is not that difficult.
My guess is that fan speed is controlled digitally, by modulating its supply voltage -- turning it on and off. In this way it is only a matter of controlling the on-off ratio to get any speed you want, between min and max. The most difficult part is sensing heat. For a smooth control you would need at least four temperature points: lower than normal, normal, warmer than normal and very hot. From this information it is not too hard to come up with a very smooth control logic scheme.
I get video noise on my display whenever there are big chunks of solid black. Intermittent horizontal streaks, generally in bright colors; kind of like very colorful horizontal static.
I've heard two other reports of this on Ars; anyone here seen it? Any thoughts on what it is? It makes me think of that warning that the mini wouldn't work with "some" 22-inch Cinema Displays, but none of the people I've heard reporting this problem are using that display.
My setup is 1.42 GHz mini (Airport, no Bluetooth) --> Dr. Bott DVIator --> 17" Apple Studio display (with ADC connector)
Apart from that, I'm pleased as punch with this little guy.