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- Apple’s latest operating system, macOS 11 Big Sur, brought back the signature startup chime that signals a user that the computer is starting up.
- Tech columnist Jason Aten argues that while this change is simple, if not unnecessary for some, it’s actually more important than just a fun addition.
- The chime is part of Apple’s identity, he says, and creating that consistency among Apple products promotes customer affection and loyalty for the brand.
- Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.
Apple’s latest operating system, macOS 11 Big Sur, is very different from what it replaced. We can debate later whether this is a good thing, but Apple certainly didn’t hesitate to bring a lot of iOS design elements into the desktop.
In my opinion, there is a lot to like, and even more it will take some getting used to. It’s also pretty standard with a major software update that includes such a dramatic overhaul.
One thing, however, should be familiar to longtime Mac users: Apple has brought back the startup chime.
This is not new information – we have known that for some time. In fact, before Apple even hinted at it at its developer conference last summer, you can run a terminal command to bring it back. Once the developers and others started installing the beta of macOS 11, the iconic tone was officially back.
This is actually a bigger problem than it looks.
The startup chime had been around since the original Macintosh, although back then it was more of a beep. Over the years, the chime has changed several times, but the purpose was the same: to tell a user that the computer hardware had passed diagnostic tests and was functioning properly. When you heard it, you knew your Mac was going to boot.
In 2016, the start chime disappeared. At the time, Apple didn’t say anything about why it was suppressing the sound you hear when you start a Mac. Most likely, removing the startup chime was a signal that the Mac is like the iPhone or iPad in that they are basically always on.
In fact, with the MacBook Pro in 2016, you could literally “turn on” your laptop by lifting the lid. Technically, it should still “start” when you turn it on, but you no longer need to press a button for that to happen.
As a result, it was quite possible to sit in the library or in a meeting, lift the lid of your laptop and suddenly be greeted with the f-hash chord letting you know that you had just turned on a Mac. I guess in some cases you might not be fully prepared for this, and in other cases it might even be awkward or inconvenient. The argument could very easily have been, if it is no longer necessary and it might be a problem for some people, let’s get rid of it.
Except the startup chime is that it’s part of a Mac’s identity. This is important, and it’s also easy to forget about it when you think about it purely from a functional standpoint. If you think the starter chime serves a specific purpose, when that purpose no longer exists, you don’t need the chime.
Over time, however, the starter chime took on an entirely different purpose.
It has become part of the experience of using a Mac.
It was as integral as the icons or the logo or the shape of the device. It was familiar. In fact, even when you bought a new Mac, even a Mac that may look a lot different than the one it replaced, your very first experience was the same when you turned it on.
There is something precious about the peace of mind that comes with familiarity. It makes something new less uncertain.
In a Nov. 15 interview on the “Mac Power Users” podcast, Kurt Knight, senior director of platform product marketing at Apple, spoke about the decision on the change:
“I don’t think it’s a change for fun,” he said. “That’s really what honors the Mac. Things like bringing back the start chime. But we didn’t just bring back the startup chime, we remastered everything. Everything is of better quality than before. We’ve kept that kind of attention to detail, so there is consistency across platforms as well because [the] the vast majority of Mac users also have an iPhone, iPad, so having consistency in things like app icons is extremely helpful. “
I think it’s worth mentioning that in “honoring the Mac”, Apple was really honoring the people who love to use the Mac and care about its history. Bringing back the start chime is not functional. There is literally no technical reason why it has to be there, and it only serves one purpose: to delight the user.
Few companies think about this sort of thing. The Mac has always had a different kind of tracking, and Apple has long done a better job than most companies at creating brand affection. In this case, it literally costs nothing to add the startup chime, but the return on that investment is huge in terms of brand affection. This is exactly why this is such a big deal.
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