Perchance to dream
One of the design features I’ve always really loved about the current series of PowerBooks is the sleep light. The slow cycle of brightening and fading of the white lightâat the same frequency as the breath of a sleeperâis oddly reassuring, and encourages you to think of your computer as a character.
I realised the other day that I may have gone a little too far down the road of computer anthropomorphism. Ever since I installed the last batch of system upgrades, the PowerBook goes through a period of the sleep light being very dim and irregular when it is first put to sleep. When I first noticed it, I caught myself wondering if my little ‘Book was having a nightmare. Do PowerBooks dream of electric Tigers?
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It's a safe bet they dream about some form of feline
I've never seen that irregular light pattern, but mine has been insomniac as of late and won't fall asleep half the times I close the lid. I guess it was only time before some sleep disorder would manifest itself, maybe I shouldn't watch so many movies on it late at night mmmmm...----- I used to really like the sleep light, but that all changed after using the Powerbook in bed a few times. I'd put it to sleep and leave it on the dresser, only to realize after turning out the light that that little bugger's awfully bright. While I prefer no light when sleeping, I can deal with some ambient light, but a pulsating light just doesn't mix with sleep as far as I'm concerned. I have to cover it up whenever it's sleeping in the same room as I am now.
I like the idea of my Powerbook dreaming, though
by Nathaniel Talbott @ 26/01/2005 10:01 pm • Permalink •
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Fantastic! I love that picture. I can almost imagine it purring as it sleeps...
by Matthew @ 27/01/2005 11:02 am • Permalink •
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I think a Powerbook's nightmare involves waking up, Gregor Samsa-like, as a Windows machine. We've just had to install VirtualPC on my beautiful book, to run some crapalicious VPN software that discriminates against macs. Luckily, the VPN software does not need to be used by me, so I hope very much to avoid ever seeing the book in such a humiliating state.
by biscuit @ 27/01/2005 3:01 pm • Permalink •
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Diogo: Hehe
I've occasionally had sleep problems with various system updates, but it will actually go to sleep at the moment - it just seems as if it's the light that's affected.
Nathaniel Talbott: It can be quite bright. I've sometimes had to share a bedroom with a manic Airport Basestation and a sleeping PowerBook, and I did end up putting a T-shirt over each to dim the lights a bit.
Matthew:
If it does purr, it's probably time to get a new hard drive, ASAP!
biscuit: Oh, that's cruel and unusual punishment, for both you and your 'Book. You'd better buy it some more RAM or something to apologise.
by bsag @ 27/01/2005 7:01 pm • Permalink •
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that's a good one
I like the sleep light as well but my powerbook doesn't have any nightmare
by arnaud @ 27/01/2005 8:02 pm • Permalink •
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I'm with Nathaniel. My otherwise slim and sexy Acer Notebook has a sleep light that diverts passing shipping at night.
by Ian @ 28/01/2005 7:01 am • Permalink •
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Apparently the new mac minis do this too. I was reading this on some mac site lately, and apparently this has upset some people who seem to have an irrational hatred of the pulsing light. They are petitioning Apple to get them to stop using them. I'm with you; I think it's great.
by rob @ 01/02/2005 8:02 am • Permalink •
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