Posted on 10/31/2016 12:58:30 PM PDT by Swordmaker
New MacBook Pros lack iconic Mac startup chime, but they do automatically boot when you open the lid (update: here’s how to enable it)
Update: There is apparently a way to make your 2016 MacBook chime again at boot, using an NVRAM tweak — full details here on how to do it. To enable chimes, open Terminal and type sudo nvram BootAudio=%01 This is not documented or officially supported in any way, so mileage may vary. There’s also a flag to disable the auto-boot behavior.
It has been discovered that along with physical function keys, glowing Apple logo and ‘old style’ USB ports, the new MacBook Pros lack the iconic Mac chime when booting up. This is the distinctive noise heard at startup when the Mac passes the initial POST checks; Apple has used the same F-sharp chord sound in its computers since 1998.
The new MacBooks end this tradition as the chime has been removed completely and the machines will make no noise at all on boot, unless there is a fault. However, there seems to be a good reason for this change …
The removal of the Mac chime was first noted by Pingie.com. A lesser-known feature about the new MacBook Pros is that the late-2016 laptops actually turn themselves on when you open the lid. Current MacBooks wake when the lid is opened if they are sleeping but the new machines go one step further. If they are fully switched off, opening the laptop will automatically turn them on, removing the need to press the power button.
This new feature rationalizes the decision to remove the startup chime, as it means the MacBooks turn on automatically and silently. It would be annoying to open the lid in a meeting to have it make the noise of its own accord.
A silent boot process allows the automatic boot feature to be included without a chance of it disrupting other people nearby.
It also means that there is now no difference in behavior between waking from sleep and booting from scratch, apart from a few more seconds of loading in the latter case.
The automatic boot feature is available on all new MacBook Pros, those with either two USB-C 3 ports (the cheaper 13-inch) or four USB-C 3 ports (the ones with the Touch Bar). It will turn on when the Mac is opened as long as it has sufficient battery charge. The new 2016 MacBook Pros will also turn on automatically if you connect them to a power adaptor, and the lid is open or the laptop is connected to an external display.
It’s the end of an era for the Mac boot chime but there is a good justification for its removal and the new automatic boot feature eliminates the need to press the power button at all for many people, further streamlining the experience of using an Apple computer.
The 2016 MacBook Pros were announced at Apple’s event last week and the base 13 inch model is already available to buy at many retailers; Apple retail stores will likely get in-store stock next week. The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is currently backordered by up to a month. Expect the first shipments of those later in November.
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I was looking at the hardware in the new Macbook Pro.
I ended up saving a thousand dollars by getting a 21” iMac upgraded.
21.5-inch iMac with Retina 4K display
• 3.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
• 16GB 1867MHz LPDDR3
• 2TB Fusion Drive
• Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200
• Magic Mouse 2
• Magic Keyboard (English) & User’s Guide
• Accessory Kit
Pretty pale excuse for a touch screen if anyone wants one.
I read 16gb Max non upgradeable ram?, is that true?
Last years Hardware Specs?
I think Apple is getting out of the hardware business.
$4,300 topped out price, is that true?
AppleInsider has released an article explaining how to enable the chime again.
I would think having a touch screen would sacrifice the resolution of the screen. Apple doesn’t want to go there, and I can see why.
Better inform Dell.
Wouldn’t affect screen resolution. Just more of a car of “why”. On phones and tablets, if makes sense. On a laptop, your hands are doing productive work on a totally different plane. Why move to a display on a different operational plane and mess up your display, when a trackpad, keypad or mouse will serve perfectly well? Seems a time and a place for a touch screen, and a laptop is neither.
Like your solution. Really disappointed in Apple’s decision to not allow users to upgrade memory or even the SSD’s. If I am willing to accept less battery life with a 32 or 64 GB memory upgrade, that should be MY choice.
True. If you need more RAM, you shouldn't be using a notebook. That isn't the platform you should be using for your work. Also Macs use far less RAM to accomplish the same amount of work than do PCs due to better memory handling.
I think Apple is getting out of the hardware business.
You think wrong.
$4,300 topped out price, is that true?
The Dell XPS has lesser specs and does less and comes with quite a bit less software, but then it is $270.30 less expensive. . . for a machine with a slower processor, less storage, and a lame OS.
Part of the problem is Intel and their current mobile chipset offerings:
Actually you can save serious $$ with a Dell by lowballing the SSD and ram and going after market. If you don’t want touch screen you can get 30% better resolution and graphics performance faster and newer CPU for over $1000 less.
Which model?
I am looking for a new laptop but the XPS models are very expensive.
When is the MAC laptop coming back with the 17” screen?
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