skype on MBA - fan noise -

[Meric]

hey guys....

I am so used to using my MBA with no noise at all... mostly my fan is around 2000 rpm.. MBA is very quiet...

however when I do video chat in skype...fan goes as high as 5500 rpm...and I hear the fan noise...

is there anyway to video chat without the fan noise?

thanks.

 

[netdog]

Skype for Mac is very poorly written software that tends to pound on the processor at times. I can only imagine what it demands of the CPU when running video.

 

[KnightWRX]

Yes, use a 3rd party utility to control your fans so they never go over 2000 rpm. However, you might not like the result at all.

The fans start up for a reason, that's because your MacBook is generating heat. There's no fan API that software uses to start or stop the fans, it's all about the heat sensors. CPU usage = heat.

Skype for Mac is very poorly written software that tends to pound on the processor at times. I can only imagine what it demands of the CPU when running video.

I'd like to see you write an application that both encodes and decodes video and sound in real-time that doesn't pound on the processor. I swear people that say "poorly written software" probably never wrote a damn line of code in their life.

 

[dekka007]

did have that fan noise on skype also.

Coolbook is the best thing i ever bought. Silent cool MBA.

 

[johannnn]

Coolbook helps ye. But fan noise is sort of inevitable as video chat in Skype takes ~100% cpu.

 

[KPOM]

I'd like to see you write an application that both encodes and decodes video and sound in real-time that doesn't pound on the processor. I swear people that say "poorly written software" probably never wrote a damn line of code in their life.

I'm definitely not a coder and don't know how easy or difficult it is, but how does Skype compare to iChat or similar software?

I don't agree that those of us who aren't programmers can't criticize bad programming. I don't have any problems in saying that Flash for OS X 10.2 Beta appears much better written than previous versions.

In any case, might Skype for Mac be a program that could benefit from recompiling to take advantage of Grand Central Dispatch and OpenCL? Does it make appropriate use of the GPU?

 

[KnightWRX]

I
I don't agree that those of us who aren't programmers can't criticize bad programming. I don't have any problems in saying that Flash for OS X 10.2 Beta appears much better written than previous versions.

So you're all for armchair quarterbacks ? Seriously, before you know about API availability/capability on platforms and compression/decompression algorithms and other caveats programmers have to face in writing code, you can't comment on "bad coding".

 

[KPOM]

So you're all for armchair quarterbacks ? Seriously, before you know about API availability/capability on platforms and compression/decompression algorithms and other caveats programmers have to face in writing code, you can't comment on "bad coding".

That's why I'm asking how well Skype compares to similar programs. If other people can write software for the same platform (facing the same limitations) that runs better, then it would seem that "bad coding" is an issue.

I can't play professional sports, and have never held political office, but that doesn't stop me from making comparisons or having a vote.

 

[KnightWRX]

That's why I'm asking how well Skype compares to similar programs. If other people can write software for the same platform (facing the same limitations) that runs better, then it would seem that "bad coding" is an issue.

You have to take in the reality of such software being different. While there is a level of bad/good coding that can make differences in performance of an app, sometimes it's just that the vendors went for different trade offs.

Unless you specifically understand what you're talking about and the software packages you're comparing and do a full comparison, not just a selective one, you really can't go around claiming an app is "badly" written.

I can't play professional sports, and have never held political office, but that doesn't stop me from making comparisons or having a vote.

So you like playing armchair quarterback. Gotcha. Seriously, in politics, I hope you vote with at least an understanding of the big picture and not based on some sensationalistic headlines. A lot of people who vote don't actually have a grasp on the economic/diplomatic issues and just vote for the most charismatic leader, which is highly inefficient in and of itself. It's a poor analogy really since it mostly reinforces my point about the uninformed/uninitiated blabbering about stuff they don't know.

Same for pro sports, you can compare all you want, if you don't know how to play the sport at the level these guys do, you really have no place commenting and comparing.

Basically, bring it. You want to say someone is doing something "badly", show us how it's done.

 

[Scott6666]

Which Air, the 11 or the 13?

 

[Wang Foolio]

Knight. Dude. Seriously. He's also asking a legitimate question.

How does the MBA handle other video conferencing/chat programs right now? Do they put the same load on the CPU and rev up the fans?

I understand your point of view with respect to criticism of programmers. I've dabbled in web design and intro level programming stuff. I am a total gamer/technology geek and I did well in those classes but programming is NOT for me That doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on competing software.

A layperson doesn't understand more than a tiny fraction of what's going on inside their computer. Or with their government, or in their favorite team's locker room, for that matter! I agree with this 100%. But still, that doesn't mean they don't have the capability of analysing the real world performance and making a comment about it.

"Skype doesn't run very well on my computer."

"I don't like how the government is addressing ______."

"If the Seahawks could put together a decent first quarter I wouldn't be so stressed out every Sunday."

What's wrong with any of these statements?

 

[KnightWRX]

Knight. Dude. Seriously. He's also asking a legitimate question.

The OP never commented on the quality of Skype's code nor are my comments aimed at the OP.

 

[KPOM]

Unless you specifically understand what you're talking about and the software packages you're comparing and do a full comparison, not just a selective one, you really can't go around claiming an app is "badly" written.

It's a poor analogy really since it mostly reinforces my point about the uninformed/uninitiated blabbering about stuff they don't know.

Basically, bring it. You want to say someone is doing something "badly", show us how it's done.

Basically, you are saying that unless you have the ability to do something better yourself, you have no right to criticize.

So I assume you never criticize anyone. That's an odd position to take.

"Who are we to complain about Microsoft Windows? Could we design a better operating system? We should just accept it for what it is. Who are we to complain about the cable company or our cell phone company? We can't build a better network ourselves. Who are we to complain about the kings who rule us by divine right?" Where does it end?

Getting back to the point at hand, Skype does appear to take up a lot of resources. It's a legitimate question to ask whether the issue is inefficient coding, either on their part, or on Apple's part in designing the OS on which it runs. It's possible to be reasonably well informed about something without being an expert in it.

 

[Wang Foolio]

The OP never commented on the quality of Skype's code nor are my comments aimed at the OP.

hey guys....

I am so used to using my MBA with no noise at all... mostly my fan is around 2000 rpm.. MBA is very quiet...

however when I do video chat in skype...fan goes as high as 5500 rpm...and I hear the fan noise...

is there anyway to video chat without the fan noise?

thanks.

I'm just saying, this does nothing to help the OP. Hijacking the thread to rant about this epistemological nonsense isn't a good use of anybody's time.

 

[mstrze]

It's a legitimate question to ask whether the issue is inefficient coding, either on their part, or on Apple's part in designing the OS on which it runs. It's possible to be reasonably well informed about something without being an expert in it.

I agree...I mean, does videochatting within iChat or similar soak up as much system resources? I argue it doesn't and one might suggest that Skype might be able to streamline things....

....but I'm not a programmer so...

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Don't mind Knight.....

Skype pegs the MBA's processor hard and even harder yet if you invoke the webcam. There's no way around this behavior. It is a function of how OSX and Skype are written.

As others have said, you can control the fans yourself, but that fan is running for a reason, not because of some bug (well not in this case at least). If you only use Skype intermittently then I see no harm in disabling the fans for your Skype calls, remembering to give control back over to OSX after the call is finished.

You can also just plug in your headphones. People tell me they can't hear the fans on their side so its only distracting to me and I don't notice them at all when using the headphones.

 

[Meric]

Which Air, the 11 or the 13?

I have the 13.3 1.86 ghz - 4 gb ram...

hope video chat apps would be more easy on CPUs soon....

 

[dmelgar]

Fan is really quiet on the 11", even spun up, can't really hear it. I'm amazed how loud the 13" MBA fan is.

Just sayin.

 

[netdog]

Yes, use a 3rd party utility to control your fans so they never go over 2000 rpm. However, you might not like the result at all.

The fans start up for a reason, that's because your MacBook is generating heat. There's no fan API that software uses to start or stop the fans, it's all about the heat sensors. CPU usage = heat.



I'd like to see you write an application that both encodes and decodes video and sound in real-time that doesn't pound on the processor. I swear people that say "poorly written software" probably never wrote a damn line of code in their life.

Oh, so I have to be able to write software to critique it?

Try this on.

It pounds on the processor and has huge memory leaks that send it spinning out of control eating up resources.

It's the Adobe Flash of telecommunications programs, and it's much better under Windows. Using OS X, it's a piece of cr@p.

 

[netdog]

Basically, bring it. You want to say someone is doing something "badly", show us how it's done.

That's just a bizarre comment. People critique things all the time outside their field, and justly so.

It's down to Skype to produce a program that uses resources efficiently and performs in a stable and reliable manner.

Skype really doesn't do that. Just open activity monitor, run Skype for an hour, and then have a look. Sorry, but I don't have to be a programmer to say that Skype often gums up my computing experience, and that other telecomm programs don't. It's that simple.

 

[johannnn]

is there anyway to video chat without the fan noise?

I've heard a lot of good comments on Google Video (inside gmail) regarding cpu, although I haven't tested it myself.

 

[Mac32]

You should ditch Skype now that MSN 8 has fineally been released for Mac. After I got MSN8 I deleted Skype, Adium, iChat...whatever. MSN8 is great on mac, totally stable here (video, audio, texting), and it's less CPU hungry too.

 

[netdog]

is there anyway to video chat without the fan noise?

Use iChat or Facetime. Haven't tried MSN or Google video chat, but the above posters are probably right.

 

[dekka007]

As I stated above use COOLBOOK.

MBA 13" 2010 2.13ghz 4gb Ram and coolbook

Video chat now on Skype:

CPU 68%
CPU Temp 64c
Fan Speed 2700RPM (Cannot hear it)

Totally silent Skype to Skype video chat and that is on lying down with the MBA on a blanket!

 

[KnightWRX]

It pounds on the processor and has huge memory leaks that send it spinning out of control eating up resources.

Do you even know what a memory leak actually is ? I mean, you don't know how to write software, and pointers and memory allocation are one of the topics starting programmers struggle with the most, yet here you are, without having seeing the code at all, claiming the thing leaks memory.

How do you know they haven't free()'d a pointer correctly before issuing their next malloc() on it if you don't even know how all of this works ?

At least, don't use industry jargon when doing "arm chair quarterbacking", because everytime a neophyte uses said jargon, they tend to show they have no clue.

And thanks for proving my point.