MacBook Pro Late 2008: Fixing A Loud Click

Oct 29 2008 Published by under Apple

Last week, I mentioned the loud click noise the trackpad made on my new late 2008 MacBook Pro. I even posted a video comparing the sound to an older, quieter model. Today, I think I may have found a solution.

On YouTube, a user commented on my video and mentioned how stuffing paper between the trackpad and battery could dampen the clicking noise. After trying this, I found that I could reduce the loudness of the click, but at the expense of stiffening the clicking mechanism; it’s actually quite difficult finding the perfect balance between click noise and click resistance.

My solution uses layered pieces of Kleenex that are sized to cover the underside of the trackpad, directly underneath the battery (no tools required). It’s something that takes a bit of trial and error, as you’ll need to put the battery and case cover back in place each time to accurately test any changes that you’ve made.

In the end, I settled with around 6 squares of Kleenex to made the click quieter than my early 2008 model MacBook Pro. The resistance to depress the click pad has been increased a tad, but it’s nothing my thumb can’t handle. So long as the paper doesn’t catch on fire (let’s hope your battery never hits 451 F), this fix has tackled one of my biggest gripes with Apple’s new unibody laptops.

In the future, I want to use some proper sound proofing material to see if I can further quiet the trackpad without increasing click resistance. I’m sure there are better materials to use other than toilette tissue, but right now, this is a very cheap and easy solution to try. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.

UPDATE: I now have a video showing the procedure.

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MacBook Pro Late 2008: Glass Trackpad and Loud Clicking Noise

Oct 21 2008 Published by under Apple

Early reviews found that the late 2008 MacBook Pro had a much louder mouse click than older MBP models. My own tests confirm these findings and I’ve captured the excessive ‘snapping’ sound in the video below. Although it is difficult to capture on camera, I would say that the clicking noise from the new MBP is about 2-3x louder and has an unpleasant, higher tone.

Fortunately, tap clicking, where you lightly tap the trackpad without actually making it click, still works fine, but sometimes this method is less precise, such as when attempting to click without moving the cursor, highlighting text, or click-and-dragging objects.

As for the larger trackpad surface and the absence of a mouse button, it is another refinement in this model that I’m greatly liking. I use the trackpad for everything—I refuse to plug in a mouse—so the larger control surface only stands to improve my accuracy and freedom when controlling the cursor. It just boggles my mind how PC makers have fallen behind on improving the trackpad. I doubt they will continue dragging their feet for long…

Finally, a lot has been said about Apple’s use of glass in their new trackpads. It’s true, it doesn’t actually feel like glass, but this is probably a good thing. A quick test using my iPhone’s touchscreen and it’s obvious that the smooth glass surface actually provides quite a bit more resistance than one might expect. The late 2008 MacBook Pros feature a slight grit on the glass, which makes them feel similar to the early 2008 MBP models. But after a side-by-side comparison, it’s apparent that the new glass trackpads feature much less resistance. The fingers just seem to glide more and there’s hardly a jump or stutter when moving around or changing directions. The new glass trackpad is not just hype!

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