Take advantage of auto-muting laptops

Nov 06, '06 07:30:05AM

Contributed by: lekun

I can't test this on any system other than my MacBook, but it probably holds true for other Apple portables: My MacBook remembers whether my computer was muted or not muted when I unplug the headphones. Let me explain...

Normally my computer volume is set to mute so I don't disturb people in the library or classes. Then I often plug in headphones and un-mute the volume to listen to a song or YouTube. When I remove the headphones, the computer automatically goes back to mute. This is similar to the iPod's behavior of pausing a track when removing headphones.

However, if your computer was not muted before you plugged in the headphones, then nothing happens when you remove the headphones. The computer only reverts if you follow this sequence:

Mute computer –> plug in headphones –> un-mute computer -> remove headphones -> computer automatically mutes volume

If you have removed your headphones and the portable has muted your volume, when you put the headphones back in, the computer un-mutes your sound. Thus you can enter a state where whenever you plug your headphones in, the portable automatically un-mutes your sound, and when you remove your headphones, the computer re-mutes your sound.

[robg adds: I tested this on our 12" PowerBook G4, and it didn't seem to work. It definitely works on the MacBook, though.]

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