Chime after chime: Apple restores iconic Mac boot sound removed in 2016
(2020/06/24)
- Reference: 1593023404
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/06/24/apple_restores_mac_chime/
- Source link:
As the saying goes: Out with the old, in with the… old. After temporarily ditching the iconic Mac "chime" in 2016, Apple is finally bringing it back with the upcoming release of macOS Big Sur.
The Mac chime is iconic. On a functional level, it merely indicates that the computer hasn't identified any hardware or software faults during its boot process. But to some die-hard Mac users, their relationship with that iconic F#-major chord is something more emotional. Sentimental, even.
It's understandable. Apple has used the same sound since the iMac G3, first released in 1998.
The Mac chime is part of the furniture just in the way that the Windows Start button is. Its removal was deeply contentious, with some greeting the news with abject agony, while others ( [1]notably The Guardian , which dubbed it "annoying and potentially embarrassing") rejoiced.
The chime never quite went away, however. Earlier this year, it emerged that the chime could be brought back in macOS Catalina with a terminal command. Big Sur will bring it back by default, although users wanting a quieter boot will be able to deactivate it from within system preferences.
You could argue that this move is a subtle hint from Apple that the Mac remains a Mac despite using [2]Apple's homegrown Arm-based chipsets . Given the overwhelming dominance of Apple's mobile business, some might appreciate a reminder that Cupertino remains a computer company.
But most, we'd wager, will just enjoy the trip down memory lane. ®
Sponsored: [3]Security Features of Connect for Anthos
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/31/macbook-pro-apple-removes-startup-chime
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/23/apple_armed_for_x86_rebellion/
[3] https://go.theregister.com/tl/1956/-8474/security-features-of-connect-for-anthos?td=wptl1956
The Mac chime is iconic. On a functional level, it merely indicates that the computer hasn't identified any hardware or software faults during its boot process. But to some die-hard Mac users, their relationship with that iconic F#-major chord is something more emotional. Sentimental, even.
It's understandable. Apple has used the same sound since the iMac G3, first released in 1998.
The Mac chime is part of the furniture just in the way that the Windows Start button is. Its removal was deeply contentious, with some greeting the news with abject agony, while others ( [1]notably The Guardian , which dubbed it "annoying and potentially embarrassing") rejoiced.
The chime never quite went away, however. Earlier this year, it emerged that the chime could be brought back in macOS Catalina with a terminal command. Big Sur will bring it back by default, although users wanting a quieter boot will be able to deactivate it from within system preferences.
You could argue that this move is a subtle hint from Apple that the Mac remains a Mac despite using [2]Apple's homegrown Arm-based chipsets . Given the overwhelming dominance of Apple's mobile business, some might appreciate a reminder that Cupertino remains a computer company.
But most, we'd wager, will just enjoy the trip down memory lane. ®
Sponsored: [3]Security Features of Connect for Anthos
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/31/macbook-pro-apple-removes-startup-chime
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/23/apple_armed_for_x86_rebellion/
[3] https://go.theregister.com/tl/1956/-8474/security-features-of-connect-for-anthos?td=wptl1956
Sentimental even
SuperGeek
A bit like me. I like the startup sound of Windows ME (the only part of it I DID like mind!) so have baked it into my imgres.dll.mun file in Win 10!
The sounds never leave you..... You can take the sound out of the OS, but you can't take the nostalgia out of the sound!
karlkarl
Its this one for me!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNTgHhtQgmM
"The Microsoft Sound".
Reminds me of my time running some great (ironically DOS) shareware titles like Blood, Duke3D and Death Rally
F#
Anonymous Coward
They dropping Swift already?
Hadn't noticed it had gone. I only reboot my Mac occassionally to apply patches. Otherwise I just suspend.