14 DAY TRIAL // Mac users are usually quick to update whenever a new software update comes out, be it third party, OS or security related. Such was the case of the latest update to OS X, 10.4.10, but the update contains a hidden surprise that is driving some users loopy. The popping sound that many users are experiencing after updating seems to be caused by an issue with the audio drivers, but Apple has not made any official comments so far.
Referred to as 'Snap Crackle Pop' because of its similarity to the noise made by the cereal when milk is poured on it, the popping sound that some users are experiencing seems to be caused by the latest update. Apparently, pop is caused by the audio system powering on or off, a feature designed to reduce battery drain. But this issue is not limited to owners of portable, even desktop computers being affected.
While it is not harmful in any way, the bug can be quite annoying and those affected have described the sound as being "maddening." While most of the users have only noticed it after installing the latest update and others have had it go away after doing a roll-back to the previous version of the OS, others still were experiencing it before but have had it greatly increased in frequency since the update. While quite annoying when it comes to audio playback, the bug is just as much of a problem, if not more, when it comes to recording sound. Users that rely on their Macs for doing recording work have found it impossible to actually get any work done.
One workaround that is currently known, beside rolling back to a previous version of the OS, is to have a 'silent' audio file that is continuously played in the background so that the audio subsystem is kept forcedly awake, thus eliminating the pop that only appears when it turns on or off.