Click. Click, click, click, click, cl-cl-click....

[CalMin]

This MBA is perfect. No dead pixels, runs cool, fan is quiet.

But, the hard drive clicks - loud. Not often - may be once an hour. Completely at random. 5-6 clicks - loud and in sequence. And then it goes quiet again. I can't reproduce it at will, so there's no hope of convincing a genius.

Keep or exchange?

 

[wordy]

Normal hard drive noise. Exchange if you like, but it will do the exact same thing.

 

[toxthexnines]

How loud do you mean? My version of loud is me playing drums

If it is loud enough to bother you, you could always run it by a apple store if you have on by you.

 

[BWhaler]

Get it fixed.

Here's my logic:

1. You spent a lot of money for your Air. This is not normal behavior. Get your money's worth.

2. Returns and repairs keep Apple, or more accurately, the Chinese factories honest. Enough returns or repairs cost real money, and Apple pays close attention to these stats.

 

[keypusher]

It's normal.

 

[brn2ski00]

Totally Normal

You can listen to any computer with moving parts and here this noise -- I just heard it with my iMac. The bottom line is that moving parts are not silent; especially not a little spinning disk with an arm moving in and out of it.

 

[.Andy]

I always find this fascinating;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9eMWG3fwiEU&feature=related

 

[MRU]

Everyone keeps saying this is normal. So please pray tell why is it that my HDD doesn't click ? Never has.

Yes we all know HDD's make some noise, but a distinct click every hour or so ? If that's normal then I have an abnormal MBA.

 

[clayj]

Everyone keeps saying this is normal. So please pray tell why is it that my HDD doesn't click ? Never has.

Yes we all know HDD's make some noise, but a distinct click every hour or so ? If that's normal then I have an abnormal MBA.

Yes, you have an abnormal MBA that runs silently even though it maybe shouldn't. Count your blessings.

The PATA HDs used in iPod Classics and now in MBAs are known to click. I freaked out when I first heard my iPod Classic clicking... I thought it was dying, and it was only a month old. But then I looked into it and found that many, many people were taking the trouble to complain about it online... there are many others who don't complain. But it is, in fact, normal.

 

[NC MacGuy]

Everyone keeps saying this is normal. So please pray tell why is it that my HDD doesn't click ? Never has.

Yes we all know HDD's make some noise, but a distinct click every hour or so ? If that's normal then I have an abnormal MBA.

I think you should return it and get a normal one...

Seriously, they do make noise & some are louder than others. Having said that, I do recommend using Time Machine or another backup program for the Air. These drives haven't really been time tested in laptops have they? An iPod may get read a lot but written to infrequently. The constant R/W of normal computer use is a different story.

 

[Eilene]

I don't hear any clicks at all! I would have them check it out...just to make sure nothing is wrong!

 

[Thomi]

I don't hear any clicks at all(...)!

Everyone keeps saying this is normal. So please pray tell why is it that my HDD doesn't click ? Never has. (...)

I can double that! My MBAs drive is really very very quiet. But in a room of absolute silence I can hear the cpu or screen or whatever part is doing some sort of chirping. This chirping noise isn't noticeable at all at my wife’s macbook white but on the MBA it is. Sometimes during starting up applications or so it will pause for a second or two. But immediately after it's back again. Again: it's only noticeable in a room of absolute silence and doesn't disturb me at all, but it's here all the time and I am just wondering what it could be.

Any thoughts?

 

[Mikebuzzsaw]

If he does exchange, does apple replace it on the spot, or do they send it in for repairs?

 

[Cybergypsy]

If he does exchange, does apple replace it on the spot, or do they send it in for repairs?

Monkeys take it apart and sometimes scratch it badly, take pictures before....

 

[weg]

Everyone keeps saying this is normal. So please pray tell why is it that my HDD doesn't click ? Never has.

Yes we all know HDD's make some noise, but a distinct click every hour or so ? If that's normal then I have an abnormal MBA.

Or one with a solid state disk.. ;-)