Briefly: Intel Macs may sing a different tune, Mac OS X 10.4.4
When Apple Computer introduces its first Macs with Intel processors next year, onlookers could be surprised to hear an unfamiliar sound as the systems boot up and load a native copy of Apple's Mac OS X "Tiger" operating system, sources say.
The sound heard as a Mac powers up -- often referred to as a "boot chime" -- has remained a constant on Apple's computer's for nearly a decade, with the last modification coming around the time the company introduced its PowerPC-based Power Macs.
Sources say prototypes of the first Intel Macs currently sport an unfamiliar boot chime, suggesting that Apple is at least toying with the idea making the change -- possibly to symbolize the Mac's evolution from PowerPC to Intel processors.
Without describing the new boot chime, sources quipped that it "doesn't sound anything like the 'Intel Inside' chime heard in most of the chip maker's media advertisements."
It also remains to be seen whether Apple will implement the boot chime modification in shipping Intel Macs, or if the change is meant only to help distinguish pre-production systems.
Mac OS X 10.4.4 progress
In related Apple news, sources and reports already present on the Internet say Apple this week released to developers build 8G17 of Mac OS X 10.4.4 Update -- a forthcoming maintenance release to the company's Tiger operating system.
Previous reports indicate that a later milestone of Mac OS X 10.4.4 may be the first version of Tiger to ship on Intel-based Mac systems. The release is also rumored to deliver fixes for AirPort and Bluetooth wireless access, Spotlight indexing and searching, and RAW camera support.
The sound heard as a Mac powers up -- often referred to as a "boot chime" -- has remained a constant on Apple's computer's for nearly a decade, with the last modification coming around the time the company introduced its PowerPC-based Power Macs.
Sources say prototypes of the first Intel Macs currently sport an unfamiliar boot chime, suggesting that Apple is at least toying with the idea making the change -- possibly to symbolize the Mac's evolution from PowerPC to Intel processors.
Without describing the new boot chime, sources quipped that it "doesn't sound anything like the 'Intel Inside' chime heard in most of the chip maker's media advertisements."
It also remains to be seen whether Apple will implement the boot chime modification in shipping Intel Macs, or if the change is meant only to help distinguish pre-production systems.
Mac OS X 10.4.4 progress
In related Apple news, sources and reports already present on the Internet say Apple this week released to developers build 8G17 of Mac OS X 10.4.4 Update -- a forthcoming maintenance release to the company's Tiger operating system.
Previous reports indicate that a later milestone of Mac OS X 10.4.4 may be the first version of Tiger to ship on Intel-based Mac systems. The release is also rumored to deliver fixes for AirPort and Bluetooth wireless access, Spotlight indexing and searching, and RAW camera support.
Comments
And I think they changed the chime to something else for some models, and then returned to the current chime--with the first PowerMacs?
What I miss is the "failure" boot sounds. I remember some Macs used to make a really queasy out-of-tune chime to indicate inability to boot (RAM failure?)--it was kind of funny. And other Macs played the sound of a car wreck. A little humor as your project deadline is destroyed...
I have never seen a Mac crash on powerup that way, not since I worked there. (Funny how they had a lot of used equipment...) Do Macs still have a "failure" chime that plays if the Mac can't even display anything on the screen? Pre-gray-Apple?
Originally posted by nagromme
What I miss is the "failure" boot sounds. I remember some Macs used to make a really queasy out-of-tune chime to indicate inability to boot (RAM failure?)--it was kind of funny. And other Macs played the sound of a car wreck. A little humor as your project deadline is destroyed...
Nope, they don't have a "death" chime anymore. But there were some pretty good ones in the past.
Here's the car crash sound you're thinking of. It was in the early Power Macs.
The older Quadras played a "Twilight Zone" theme.
The Quadra AV had a kind of strange death chime.
This one's my favorite. BUM BUM BUM! (crash) It was in some of the 5xxx, 62xx, and 63xx Performas, and was a big, obnoxious tritone.
[i]Mac OS X 10.4.4 progress
In related Apple news, sources and reports already present on the Internet say Apple this week released to developers build 8G17 of Mac OS X 10.4.4 Update -- a forthcoming maintenance release to the company's Tiger operating system.
Previous reports indicate that a later milestone of Mac OS X 10.4.4 may be the first version of Tiger to ship on Intel-based Mac systems. The release is also rumored to deliver fixes for AirPort and Bluetooth wireless access, Spotlight indexing and searching, and RAW camera support.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
I would hope that they do some serious tweaking of the RAW support. Aperture is sorely in need of pro camera support.
ie. Kodak DCR files.
btw, I also hope that Craperture is updated to address its serious file system issues.
Originally posted by CharlesS
Nope, they don't have a "death" chime anymore. But there were some pretty good ones in the past.
Thanks--what you call the Twilight Zone is the "queasy chime" I'm thinking of
The guitar startup must be the other one we had, before they changed back to the current one.
Before that, were all Macs the same? Just that little beep that the "yellow Macs" made?
The first rumors said that we would be seeing an iBook in January, then it said a Mini, then it said an iBook and a Powerbook, then all three. After that we were treated to the idea of the iMac coming out in January as well.
The latest rumors, however, by those who say they have visited the production plants, go back to saying that the first machines will be announced June 6th.
If that one is true, we might be seeing 10.4.6 instead.
Originally posted by melgross
10.4.4 on the first Mactel's might be a bit premature.
The first rumors said that we would be seeing an iBook in January, then it said a Mini, then it said an iBook and a Powerbook, then all three. After that we were treated to the idea of the iMac coming out in January as well.
The latest rumors, however, by those who say they have visited the production plants, go back to saying that the first machines will be announced June 6th.
If that one is true, we might be seeing 10.4.6 instead.
Hopefully, your totally wrong
Originally posted by TednDi
I would hope that they do some serious tweaking of the RAW support. Aperture is sorely in need of pro camera support.
ie. Kodak DCR files.
btw, I also hope that Craperture is updated to address its serious file system issues.
I tried to use Aperture on Thursday and it would not read any of my cameras RAW files, even though they are in the correct CR2 format. Oh well, maybe Apple did rush this one out a little too quickly. I just wonder whether we'll have to wait three years for an update as we did with Keynote! Incidentally Keynote 2 is great, I digress!
Originally posted by aplnub
Hopefully, your totally wrong
I'm not right or wrong here. It's what has been reported. Many here on the board are already familiar with the reports.
Originally posted by aplnub
Hopefully, your totally wrong
Yeah, I don't believe those June 2006 rumours at all. They're about as believable as PowerPage's rumor that FireWire is going away in the new iBooks. Unless Apple makes some sort of converter for all those DV cameras out there that come with Firewire connectors, there's no way Firewire can be abandoned on Macs. (iPods, obviously, are a different story.)
And a subnotebook/superPDA/super-iPod is on my wishlist, too.
can't wait for the new sound