More About Noise...

[Joel Pelletier]

My computer system (Cube, Cinema screen) is integrated into the 
center of my life and my home. Besides a Powerbook (which is turned 
on only when recording audio or surfing the web from the couch or 
bedroom) it is the ONLY computer I have, use and need. I don't have 
the advantage (?) of multiple server and computer fans blowing all at 
once in my home (and, I suppose, neither does James), so one computer 
running in the center of the home with multiple fans would be 
noticeable. As I await replacement of my burned-out DC/DC board, I 
have mounted my Cube HD in a removable case which contains no less 
than 2 extra fans, and am once again reminded of how quiet the Cube 
is (was, will be again).

Yes, Apple pushed the fanless design in their marketing, but 
honestly, being computer people, my guess is that NONE of us really 
understood how peaceful and pleasing this particular design advantage 
would be UNTIL we bought a Cube, brought it home and turned it on. My 
guess is that it's similar to what I read about electric car owners 
who find the absolute quiet of the electric car engine at first 
unnerving, and then, as we Cube owners - Cubists? - start to notice 
how violent a combustion automobile actually sounds. As James 
mentioned is his posting, he does not yet own a Cube, and I new that 
from his first sentence. When you do finally acquire one (as low as 
$500 on eBay these days!), put it in a separate room from all the 
clatter you described, turn it on, and take it in.

Why should we just shut up and accept whatever the engineers, money 
managers and marketeers tell us we should take? We should DEMAND 
clean cars, real food, good art and quiet, versatile computers that 
will add to our lives, not change and/or dominate it (remember, 
Microsoft is only really interested in where they want you to go 
today). The Cube proves it can be done - the machines failure was due 
to the arrogance and pricing policies of Apple, nothing more. And as 
I mentioned in my last posting, the Cube proved to be ultimately 
successful through evolution - it lives again as the flat-panel iMac.

Joel Pelletier
http://www.joelp.org