History Main / BeepingComputers

** Windows used to be replete with useless noises whenever things happen or actions are taken: computer startup, computer shutdown, minimizing a window, un-minimizing a window, closing a window, ending a program, clicking on anything, showing a dialogue box, error messages, etc. The Microsoft Plus add-on for Windows 95 added a number of sound packs to match a set of themed desktop backgrounds and icon packs, as did several third-party applications. This was all very impressive when 256-colour graphics and the ability to play recorded music and sound effects was still something of a novelty for most PC users, but it only sounded any good if you had a soundcard (it would be a few more years before motherboards with integrated sound chips became the norm- however sound cards are already pretty much prevalent by the time Windows 95 rolled around, with Creative's [=SoundBlaster=] and its multitude of clones being the defacto card at the time), otherwise the PC speaker would try to reproduce the sound effects with about as much audio fidelity as the speaker in a really cheap telephone handset (if it would play at all- in its normal configuration, Windows 95 does not see the PC speaker as a valid audio device, It only does when a special driver from the Microsoft BBS/FTP is downloaded and installed). And even if you did have the proper sound hardware, the cutsey themed sound clips stopped being entertaining after the first few repetitions and were quickly muted- even worse, it also conflicted with software like UsefulNotes/MP3 players, video players and Games, who'd end up fighting for the privilege to play sound as Windows does not actively mix audio from individual software and requires them to fight for the hardware. Windows XP and onwards toned things down significantly: By default the [=MessageBeep=] function will only trigger in limited circumstances, making Windows use largely silent.

* Programs for some older home computers were encoded as bleeps and noises on cassette tapes, basically like recording data sent over a phone modem into an audio tape. The Platform/ZXSpectrum and Platform/TI99 home computers play these noises while loading programs. If you have a vintage computer that loads programs off tapes, you can play the tapes into a modern computer and burn them to CD or save them to UsefulNotes/MP3. Then you can play the audio into the old computer and it should load the program without wearing out your vintage tapes. The Supercharger adapter for the Atari 2600 game console likewise allows loading of data from cassettes. These sounds are not intended for the user to hear. But tones indicating the loading status, and matching a graphical feedback, are played through the TV speakers.

* Programs for some older home computers were encoded as bleeps and noises on cassette tapes, basically like recording data sent over a phone modem into an audio tape. The UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum and UsefulNotes/TI99 home computers play these noises while loading programs. If you have a vintage computer that loads programs off tapes, you can play the tapes into a modern computer and burn them to CD or save them to UsefulNotes/MP3. Then you can play the audio into the old computer and it should load the program without wearing out your vintage tapes. The Supercharger adapter for the Atari 2600 game console likewise allows loading of data from cassettes. These sounds are not intended for the user to hear. But tones indicating the loading status, and matching a graphical feedback, are played through the TV speakers.
** In addition to that, some of those computers as at the very least the UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC would hum and produce chirping sounds audible through the speaker if volume was high enough and no music was being played, that would vary depending whether a program was being run or not.

* The UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast is somewhat remembered for the amount of noise it makes. For starters, the VMU emits an elongated beep if its batteries are dead when the system is powered on, and it beeps whenever you save your game. Perhaps more notably is its disc drive — the motor used to move the laser pickup back and forth is obnoxiously noisy, making a very loud grinding sound. It's so noisy in fact that many people have initially been misled to believe something was wrong with their console.

* When Lisbeth in the English version of ''Film/TheGirlWithTheDragonTattoo'' uses her computer for hacking purposes, it makes an uncharacteristic beep every time she makes a keystroke. One would think that keyboard noises should be sufficient.

* The "Item Room Ambience" in ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' and its sequels sounds like touch-tone dial beeps.

* The old 5.25" MFM, RLL and ESDI hard drives, particularly the Seagate ST-225 and its related models, produced a loud and rather high pitched beep with every track step as the head actuator seeked across the platters. Many late 80's and early 90's TV shows either used a recorded single such beep or artificially created one then played it repeatedly without any variation whenever a desktop computer was on screen. More realistic would have been randomly playing the beep rapidly a random number of times to simulate hard drive activity.

** Windows used to be replete with useless noises whenever things happen or actions are taken: computer startup, computer shutdown, minimizing a window, un-minimizing a window, closing a window, ending a program, clicking on anything, showing a dialogue box, error messages, etc. The Microsoft Plus add-on for Windows 95 added a number of sound packs to match a set of themed desktop backgrounds and icon packs, as did several third-party applications. This was all very impressive when 256-colour graphics and the ability to play recorded music and sound effects was still something of a novelty for most PC users, but it only sounded any good if you had a soundcard (it would be a few more years before motherboards with integrated sound chips became the norm- however sound cards are already pretty much prevalent by the time Windows 95 rolled around, with Creative's [=SoundBlaster=] and its multitude of clones being the defacto card at the time), otherwise the PC speaker would try to reproduce the sound effects with about as much audio fidelity as the speaker in a really cheap telephone handset (if it would play at all- in its normal configuration, Windows 95 does not see the PC speaker as a valid audio device, It only does when a special driver from the Microsoft BBS/FTP is downloaded and installed). And even if you did have the proper sound hardware, the cutsey themed sound clips stopped being entertaining after the first few repetitions and were quickly muted- even worse, it also conflicted with software like MP3 players, video players and Games, who'd end up fighting for the privilege to play sound as Windows does not actively mix audio from individual software and requires them to fight for the hardware. Windows XP and onwards toned things down significantly: By default the [=MessageBeep=] function will only trigger in limited circumstances, making Windows use largely silent.

** Windows used to be replete with useless noises whenever things happen or actions are taken: computer startup, computer shutdown, minimizing a window, un-minimizing a window, closing a window, ending a program, clicking on anything, showing a dialogue box, error messages, etc. The Microsoft Plus add-on for Windows 95 added a number of sound packs to match a set of themed desktop backgrounds and icon packs, as did several third-party applications. This was all very impressive when 256-colour graphics and the ability to play recorded music and sound effects was still something of a novelty for most PC users, but it only sounded any good if you had a soundcard (it would be a few more years before motherboards with integrated sound chips became the norm- however sound cards are already pretty much prevalent by the time Windows 95 rolled around, with Creative's SoundBlaster and it's multitude of clones being the defacto card at the time), otherwise the PC speaker would try to reproduce the sound effects with about as much audio fidelity as the speaker in a really cheap telephone handset (if it would play at all- in it's normal configuration, Windows 95 does not see the PC speaker as a valid audio device, It only does when a special driver from the Microsoft BBS/FTP is downloaded and installed). And even if you did have the proper sound hardware, the cutsey themed sound clips stopped being entertaining after the first few repetitions and were quickly muted- even worse, it also conflicted with software like MP3 players, video players and Games, who'd end up fighting for the privilege to play sound as Windows does not actively mix audio from individual software and requires them to fight for the hardware. Windows XP and onwards toned things down significantly: By default the [=MessageBeep=] function will only trigger in limited circumstances, making Windows use largely silent.

Beyond that, any other noise is produced by playing an audio sample through the computer's sound system, something known as ''auditory feedback'': A beep to inform you that yes, the computer registered that you pressed a button. However, the meaning of it varies; a user can usually configure whether or not their computer should play a sound in response to specific events, ranging from mouse clicks and dropdown menus to application errors to friends logging in and out of IM. The only time you'll hear a computer's ''hardware'' beep these days is if something goes wrong on boot, like a RAM error; the different frequencies and arrangements of tones tell you what's wrong, if you're familiar with them.

* In ''Film/JurassicPark'', after the protagonists basically reboot the entire park to get the power back up, the computers come on with a "System Ready" prompt and a blinking cursor. A blinking cursor that also beeps. This would get ''really'' annoying on a real computer. However, this was the only point where such a contrivance was used in the back-end systems, and was conceivably put in as a "The multi-billion-dollar theme park is ready to go, please get off your butt and get started" reminder for easily distracted computer operators. Or put in by Nedry in one of his less-destructive {{Jerkass}} moments.

** Windows used to be replete with useless noises whenever things happen or actions are taken: computer startup, computer shutdown, minimizing a window, un-minimizing a window, closing a window, ending a program, clicking on anything, using a dialogue box, error messages, etc. The Microsoft Plus add-on for Windows 95 added a number of sound packs to match a set of themed desktop backgrounds and icon packs, as did several third-party applications. This was all very impressive when 256-colour graphics and the ability to play recorded music and sound effects was still something of a novelty for most PC users, but it only sounded any good if you had an aftermarket soundcard (it would be a few more years before motherboards with integrated sound chips became the norm), otherwise the PC speaker would try to reproduce the sound effects with about as much audio fidelity as the speaker in a really cheap telephone handset. And even if you did have the proper sound hardware, the cutsey themed sound clips stopped being entertaining after the first few repetitions and were quickly muted. Windows XP and onwards toned things down significantly: By default the [=MessageBeep=] function will only trigger in limited circumstances, making Windows use largely silent.