I know some of the reasoning, but I find it really obnoxious the way it kills the wifi when switching users. I often am bouncing back and forth, I get the reasoning, but it would be nice if there was a setting to stop that.
Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
51–60 of 405 posts
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
A cool feature on laptops would be a jumper you could physically disconnect, and a tiny window (on say, the bottom of the laptop) to verify it hasn't been reconnected.
If you need a window on the case of your laptop to verify that your hardware hasn't been tampered with, you've got bigger problems.
You're against transparent technology?
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#53I was recently trying to figure out whether the microphone is usable when using my notebook in clamshell-mode. Turns out Apple added a privacy/safety feature to all Apple silicon-based Mac notebooks and Intel-based Mac notebooks with the Apple T2 Security Chip. It will hardware disconnect the microphone when the lid is closed, based on the lid sensors. Pretty cool safety feature!! Even though I'm sad I can't use my m…
And how are we supposed to trust Apple that this is in fact what's happening?
With a Framework laptop I have a hardware physical switch and I can actually open it up and see the PCB trace and verify that it disconnects the microphone.
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
I mean... it doesnt seem uncommon to have people dock a closed laptop so I would argue it doesnt "just work".
How would a microphone work with the lid closed anyways? It’d be muffled. If you’re docking your laptop closed, you’ve got an external webcam / mic if you need those inputs.
The same way it used to work, by putting the input on the external facing portion of the case. Or even better, have both so that it can optimize for the current clamshell mode.
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#55I was recently trying to figure out whether the microphone is usable when using my notebook in clamshell-mode. Turns out Apple added a privacy/safety feature to all Apple silicon-based Mac notebooks and Intel-based Mac notebooks with the Apple T2 Security Chip. It will hardware disconnect the microphone when the lid is closed, based on the lid sensors. Pretty cool safety feature!! Even though I'm sad I can't use my m…
Just use a headset or external mic. If you're in clamshell you're probably at your desk/home office so that's quite reasonable.
Also nice - if I'm WFH and one of my family walks in with some drama, I close the lid, go clamshell mode, and I am quite sure any corporate spyware isn't listening in.
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
How would a microphone work with the lid closed anyways? It’d be muffled. If you’re docking your laptop closed, you’ve got an external webcam / mic if you need those inputs.
Why would I need to get mic if I have it in laptop? It makes very little sense to me.
For the same reason you might have other external peripherals. A laptop, realistically, can only fit something so decent inside of it. The 2020+ MacBooks do have surprisingly OK internal mics, but that's about all they are: OK.
Maybe I'm just an extra-big baby about it all. But what I find a little annoying with the COVID-era of work-from-home and distance learning is how few people seem to care about audio. Even as a teenager on TeamSpeak, rather than getting a more expensive graphics card or whatever, I spent my money on an SM7B. Now it is more important than ever.
Maybe this isn't reasonable, but I feel like if not for yourself, to prevent "sorry, can you repeat that?" moments, you kind of owe it to the people who have to listen to you. Like as an autistic person, hearing a dozen people's overlapping background static, tinny compressed audio, etc, it really, truly slowly drives me nuts. I can't deal with that level of auditory sensory stuff all day. If someone has a bad microphone, I want out of the call ASAP.
A Shure SM58 will last you a lifetime, fit on your desk, cost <$100, and no one will ever complain about sound again.
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#57So nice of them to give more privacy features when closing the laptop. Here is a fun thing that happens if you keep your laptop on to play some music or maybe run a light server with the lid closed. The backlight of the LCD turns off, but the LCD does not turn off. This causes screen burn in. There is no way to turn the screen off when you shut certain model mac laptops. So on one hand, we have a company offering nea…
im gonna disagree with this take. I've seen thousands of MacBooks come and go from early 2016 all the way through current models and screen burn in is just not something I've ever seen. hardware/firmware bugs, bloated batteries, keyboard keys rubbed onto the screen, etc sure, but display defects from normal usage? not once.
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#58I wish Apple would think about MacBook screens when the lid is closed. Too many times I've had to wipe clean the display after opening because the keys leave shapes on the monitor.
I'm curious, what do you propose here? The keys leave imprints because the screen flexes from pressure applied presumably in your bag or similar. MacBooks already have some of the most rigid screens on the market. This is pure physics at play and the imprints come from your oily fingers. What's your suggestion?
Not OP, but I would share my opinion.
Too many compromises were made to make macbook thin (unreliable keyboard, cooling, power delivery, battery, ports, non removable SSD...). Apple should make a model that is a bit thicker without those compromises!
And my Asus does not have key fingerprints on screen...
Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's been a thing for 10+ years, I don't think Apple has any interest in design tweaks. I have seen the marks on my new MBA M2 after just closing the laptop and carrying it in my hand for 2 minutes. I wasn't gripping it tightly or anything, just carrying it like a normal human would carry it.
Interesting. I wonder if maybe the smaller models (Air, 13" and maybe 14" Pro) are more prone to this? I've had very little trouble with it on 15" models from 2015 onward or with the 16" M1 Pro.
I have never seen this in my 2015 13in MacBook Air.