Comments on: Can You change the Mac Start Up Sound? http://thunkdifferent.com/2008/03/21/can-you-change-the-mac-start-up-sound/ Apple, Inc. & Things iThink. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:38:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Now with RSS! http://thunkdifferent.com/2008/03/21/can-you-change-the-mac-start-up-sound/#comment-9102 Now with RSS! Wed, 26 Nov 2008 04:39:12 +0000 http://thunkdifferent.wordpress.com/?p=688#comment-9102 well, what do you know? I still have to check that out! well, what do you know? I still have to check that out!

]]> By: Jane http://thunkdifferent.com/2008/03/21/can-you-change-the-mac-start-up-sound/#comment-9100 Jane Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:31:16 +0000 http://thunkdifferent.wordpress.com/?p=688#comment-9100 The sound was used in the animated movie Wall-E as well. Not that that's in any way relevant I just thought I'd share. The sound was used in the animated movie Wall-E as well. Not that that’s in any way relevant I just thought I’d share.

]]> By: tiger http://thunkdifferent.com/2008/03/21/can-you-change-the-mac-start-up-sound/#comment-7796 tiger Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:18:00 +0000 http://thunkdifferent.wordpress.com/?p=688#comment-7796 it's interesting to me that this article doesn't mention *why* you can't change the startup sound. that startup chime is not just a cute sound designed to delight you - it’s actually the result of a battery of diagnostic tests the Mac runs on its various systems - RAM, motherboard, video circuitry, etc. - at startup. if everything checks out, you’ll hear the familiar startup chord; if anything fails, you’ll hear…something else. exactly what the failure sound will be depends on which model of Mac you have; some of the things i’ve heard are minor chords and arpeggios (way back on my old Mac II) and the even more unnerving sound of screeching tires followed by a horrendous crash. so just remember, if your Mac won’t start up and you use any means of silencing the startup chord, you may be missing out on some audible feedback that could alert you to the nature of the problem. on more recent hardware it’s also possible to mute the startup chord on a startup-by-startup basis by holding down the mute button on the keyboard until after the chord would normally have sounded. it’s interesting to me that this article doesn’t mention *why* you can’t change the startup sound. that startup chime is not just a cute sound designed to delight you - it’s actually the result of a battery of diagnostic tests the Mac runs on its various systems - RAM, motherboard, video circuitry, etc. - at startup. if everything checks out, you’ll hear the familiar startup chord; if anything fails, you’ll hear…something else. exactly what the failure sound will be depends on which model of Mac you have; some of the things i’ve heard are minor chords and arpeggios (way back on my old Mac II) and the even more unnerving sound of screeching tires followed by a horrendous crash. so just remember, if your Mac won’t start up and you use any means of silencing the startup chord, you may be missing out on some audible feedback that could alert you to the nature of the problem.

on more recent hardware it’s also possible to mute the startup chord on a startup-by-startup basis by holding down the mute button on the keyboard until after the chord would normally have sounded.

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