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Let me ask the opposite question. Why did operating systems make any sounds? Is the rationale for them making sounds still valid? What information does it provi

Let me ask the opposite question. Why did operating systems make any sounds? Is the rationale for them making sounds still valid? What information does it provide you that isn't otherwise obvious?

erwan577 5y ago
This is a very different question from the root parent. I used my first computer in the early 80s so my answers can relate to a very different world/context than ours now. First personal computer users had only experience with mechanical typewriters that made a lot of noise when typing. So 8bits computer keyboards usually have a feedback sound on each character. The sound was different in repeat mode and maybe backspace mode. On input validation failure, systems usually made an annoying beep sound. In the early mouse based GUI systems, the same kind of sound was used if you clicked outstide the current modal dialog box for example. So sound was used as some kind of error signal mostly. On the mac the system beep was replaced with a duck sound (or whatever it was configurable). Different sounds hinted the user if the message was some kind of error or an event notification. Until recently this may have an ergonomic value for some users. PCs used plain system beep for a long time. These days the motherboards still use them as error message for things like missing RAM...
paulryanrogers 5y ago
For users with low vision and older folks it can help. I like to think the skeomorphic conventions carried over into sounds too, with abrupt alert sounds and rising sound for boot and descending sound for shutdown.
ffhhj 5y ago
Since disk drive units and modems became more silent OS developers supposed users would miss these geek-relaxing sounds and replaced them with 8-16 bit symphonies from their brand new sound cards... well, that's a good theory right?
ix101 5y ago
Rationale for the startup sound for an OS may have been the considerably lengthier time from power on to login screen, which has reduced to seconds nowadays.

Let me ask the opposite question. Why did operating systems make any sounds? Is the rationale for them making sounds still valid? What information does it provide you that isn't otherwise obvious?

erwan577 5y ago

This is a very different question from the root parent. I used my first computer in the early 80s so my answers can relate to a very different world/context than ours now. First personal computer users had only experience with mechanical typewriters that made a lot of noise when typing. So 8bits computer keyboards usually have a feedback sound on each character. The sound was different in repeat mode and maybe backspace mode. On input validation failure, systems usually made an annoying beep sound. In the early mouse based GUI systems, the same kind of sound was used if you clicked outstide the current modal dialog box for example. So sound was used as some kind of error signal mostly. On the mac the system beep was replaced with a duck sound (or whatever it was configurable). Different sounds hinted the user if the message was some kind of error or an event notification. Until recently this may have an ergonomic value for some users. PCs used plain system beep for a long time. These days the motherboards still use them as error message for things like missing RAM...

paulryanrogers 5y ago

For users with low vision and older folks it can help. I like to think the skeomorphic conventions carried over into sounds too, with abrupt alert sounds and rising sound for boot and descending sound for shutdown.

ffhhj 5y ago

Since disk drive units and modems became more silent OS developers supposed users would miss these geek-relaxing sounds and replaced them with 8-16 bit symphonies from their brand new sound cards... well, that's a good theory right?

ix101 5y ago

Rationale for the startup sound for an OS may have been the considerably lengthier time from power on to login screen, which has reduced to seconds nowadays.