Powerbook Superdrive noises

haggishaggis
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Hi all,



I have a 12" 1Ghz Al Powerbook and have a question about whether the noise the Superdrive makes is normal (I think it is, but I suppose I'm looking for reassurance!).



In other posts I have found that my initial panic/shock at the intake/eject noise (sounds like its gobbling the CD up at about 1000 miles per hour!) is something that others also experience, so I could assume it is quite normal.



My question today regards noises the drive makes when playing DVD's. Every few seconds or so the head obviously reads ahead or something and it makes a "whirr zzzt wrrr" - not an overly loud sound, but somewhat "non-fluid" type of sound not that different from one of those Canon LIDE scanners when doing a scan with descreen.



I guess coming from a G4 tower (where a bomb going off next door wouldn't be heard over the fan noise) I am just a bit sensitive to these things. I figure it is just normal and the fact the powerbook is so thin and does not have much (anything) in the way of sound insulation any noises from Superdrive and/or hard disk are going to seem louder than I'm used to.



(btw, if you wanna hear what I am talking about (assuming it is normal), play a DVD with the sound off)



Any comments?



Cheers, Haggis

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    Perfectly normal. First time I stuck a CD in I almost flipped too. Then I almost flipped again when it ejected. You'll get used to it in a few days.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    _ alliance __ alliance _ Posts: 2,070member
    for me, it's makes a racket when taking in the disc and when ripping cds. i just got this 12 inch wonder 2 days ago, so i havent had a chance to do much else. great machine so far, btw! hope you enjoy yours!
  • Reply 3 of 4
    shatteringglassshatteringglass Posts: 176member
    Yeah, my also makes some noise. It was a little startling at first, also how much force the drive has when sucking the disk in. But no complaints here. My 12" DVI is a sweet sweet machine.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    haggishaggis Posts: 3member
    Thanks for your replies.



    I've had my 12" Al 1Ghz about 2 weeks now and it is a great little machine. Aside from the Panther install I hadn't really used the Superdrive until a day or 2 ago whereupon I noticed the CD and DVD noises. I feel much better now knowing the sounds are just the nature of the beast and not some impending doom... you know how it is when you are adjusting to your new "baby"... every little sound, anything unfamiliar... :-)



    I gotta say I really love this little machine. I calibrated the battery as per the owners manual a few days after I got it and have been using it every second evening or so and am getting about 4.25+ hours out of it when web browsing, email, chat etc. (using airport with auto settings for power save etc, and with the screen turned down).



    I walked into the local Apple store on the day of the Panther release (to pick up my pre-ordered copy) and walked out with the Powerbook! I had been intending on looking at a 15" Powerbook to replace my G4 Tower (on lease) for sometime early next year - the plan was to wait until the now well documented screen issues had been sorted out. I had considered the 12" model but was concerned the screen might be a little too small. As the shop was quite busy, I started playing with the new baby Powerbook on display, found the screen to be plenty big enough, and the physical size compared to the 15" was just right. When I got served I asked what the availabilty was like (it can take a while to order these things in Oz) and was told they had 1 Superdrive model in stock - thought about it for a good 5 mins or so - and the rest, as they say, is history... :-)



    I have been a Apple user since my Apple2c and a Mac user since an original 1984 Mac (which I bought second hand from one of my school teachers in about 1988 ). Since then I've had a Performa 6360, a G4533 tower, and now my new Powerbook. And I still have them all! Over the years I've had a PC or 2 as well but aside from my last PC (a Toshiba laptop) they have all been disposed of...



    Ironically, for the last 3 years I have worked as a Windows Sysadmin (can't stand it, but all that security patching pays the bills I suppose!) and for the last 15 months of those (basically since OSX) I do *everything* to do with my job on a Mac. Just gotta find me a nice job looking after Macs here in Brisbane, Australia. Oh well, I can dream...



    Cheers and thanks again, Haggis.
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