History Main / BeepingComputers

* Programs for some older home computers were encoded as bleeps and noises on cassette tapes, in a manner similar to the telephone modems of the day. The ZX Spectrum and TI-99/4 home computers play these noises while loading programs. If you have a vintage computer that loads programs off tapes, you can play the tapes into a modern computer and burn them to CD or save them to UsefulNotes/MP3. Then you can play the audio into the old computer and it should load the program without wearing out your vintage tapes. The Supercharger adapter for the Atari 2600 game console likewise allows loading of data from cassettes. These sounds are not intended for the user to hear. But tones indicating the loading status, and matching a graphical feedback, are played through the TV speakers.

* Music/YellowMagicOrchestra's aptly titled [[https://youtu.be/VmbA0xu29MM "Computer Game"]] uses synthesizers to simulate the sound effects of early video games such as ''VideoGame/{{Circus}}'' and ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders''.

* In an example which might have started this trope, some old text terminals were programmed to make a click or beep every time a character was printed on screen. This traces back to noisy teletypes and typewriters which these terminals replaced; the idea that printing could be silent did not occur immediately after technology made it possible.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' mini-episode "Time Crash", this trope occurs when Ten flips the monitor around to show Five the exact size of the hole in the time-space continuum that would happen if they don't separate their Tardises.

* In Asimov's "The Last Question", the supercomputer was softly clicking (and some lights were flashing) when routinely sorting data, but once it was asked a difficult question "The slow flashing of lights ceased, the distant sounds of clicking relays ended." Of course, no future computer ever makes a noise when working. The story was written when analog computers were still prevalent - and were of course replete with relays and valves which clicked and lit up. See "Contemporary computers" under Real Life

** This is really an example of GrandfatherClause--the computers in the original series beeped because it was a futuristic interpretation of the rather noisy computers of TheSixties (which really did have blinkenlights too). Later computers might have moved on to render this a DeadHorseTrope, but beeping computers are now so associated with Star Trek that it wouldn't be the same without them.

* A frequent occurrence on the various ''{{Series/CSI}}'' entries over the years.

%%* Commonplace in ''Series/TheOuterLimits1963''.

* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': IRAC and Rover were regularly shown with whirring tape machines and beeping superfluous sounds.

* It's easy to find on Internet or in compilations of SFX StockSoundEffects for computers, that sound as if they were mechanical devices or something far different to any RealLife one.

** Windows used to be replete with useless noises whenever things happen or actions are taken: computer startup, computer shutdown, minimizing a window, un-minimizing a window, closing a window, ending a program, clicking on anything, using a dialogue box, error messages, etc. Users sometimes bought new sound packs to customize the cacophony of noises that Windows would generate with use. Without a soundcard, the PC speaker would make the noise, which invariably sounds like a crude beep. As computing got more mainstream, the noises began to get sidelined. Now, the MessageBeep function will only trigger in limited circumstances, making Windows use largely silent.

* Humorously averted in ''Anime/MagicalPokaan'': Aiko, the android character, emits ''realistic'' computer sounds, such as the noise of a hard disk spinning up and seeking when she wakes up or is deep in thought. In one episode her malfunctioning speech circuits make her voice skip and stutter in exactly the same manner audio playback can stutter on a malfunctioning or underpowered computer.

* Interestingly averted in ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' trilogy, a movie series that has computers out the virtual yin-yang. Shipboard scenes often revealed the click-click of operators on keyboards, with much RapidFireTyping, but no sounds generated by them. The only computerish sounds are special-effects that represent the entrance, exit, or representation of the virtual objects or people in the Matrix--and this is only from the audience's point of view. One notable example of a dramatic scene where the computer utters nary a sound is the [[ShownTheirWork technically accurate]] use by a real-life UNIX exploit by {{Hackette}} Trinity to force-log in to a computer to give it a critical set of commands in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded''. Sounds of the power grid are heard but no computer wind-down.

* Lampshaded and averted in the second ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' book. When Foaly needs to use Artemis's laptop without anyone noticing, the first thing he does is mute the volume, noting that the Mud People ''would'' insist on making their computers beep at the most inconvenient times.

* Averted with most modern servers (which usually have no speakers and monitors), which in the event of a fault inform the admin in different ways, the most common being: 1) by sending an alert directly to the admin's workstation or laptop using specialized apps (such as a webtool or email), and 2) using [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience color-coded LED's]] on the server itself and its components such as the hard disks (eg Green = OK, Yellow = Minor fault, Red = Major fault, Blue = Identification).

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Somewhat averted in Asimov's "The Last Question", when the supercomputer was softly clicking (and some lights were flashing) when routinely sorting data, but once it was asked a difficult question "The slow flashing of lights ceased, the distant sounds of clicking relays ended." Of course, no future computer ever makes a noise when working. Justified because the story was written when analog computers were still prevalent - and were of course replete with relays and valves which clicked and lit up. See "Contemporary computers" under Real Life
* In Literature/{{Discworld}}:
** One of the many strange peripherals on Hex is a device whose sole apparent purpose is to go "parp" every fourteen minutes.
** The imps in the Dis-organizers ''[[SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud say]]'' "Bingely-bingely beep!", which is apparently meant to be the sound a pager makes when it's notifying you of something.
* Every time anybody uses a computer in ''Series/GhostWhisperer'' it makes a sound effect after the user does anything.
* Lampshaded and averted in the second ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' book. When Foaly needs to use Artemis's laptop without anyone noticing, the first thing he does is mute the volume, noting that the Mud People ''would'' insist on making their computers beep at the most inconvenient times.
* In ''[[ComicBook/XWingSeries Iron Fist]]'', a datapad makes a sound when it's finished uploading its program into a Super Star Destroyer's computer. This attracts a little attention, but Shalla is able to bully the stormtroopers into thinking the sound came from outside of the bridge - she's there as part of TheInfiltration.
* The abominably user-friendly computers of ''Franchise/TheHitchHikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' are designed by expert teams of social psychologists and sales executives to provide the most fulfilling possible computer-use experience to you, the customer, [[TastesLikeDiabetes whether you like it or not.]] Beep beep beep.
* ''Creator/DaveBarry in Cyberspace'' jokes about loud whirring and grinding noises during the installation of software being produced by the computer's "Whirring Grinding Unit, or WGU."
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. Go inside any of the bases, and just try and think about anything other than, "Damn, those computers are really loud." 2fort is the main offender.

Beyond that, any other noise is produced by playing an audio sample through the computer's sound system, although the meaning of it varies; a user can usually configure whether or not their computer should play a sound in response to specific events, ranging from mouse clicks and dropdown menus to application errors to friends logging in and out of IM. The only time you'll hear a computer's ''hardware'' beep these days is if something goes wrong on boot, like a RAM error; the different frequencies and arrangements of tones tell you what's wrong, if you're familiar with them.

* In an example which might have started this trope, some old text terminals clicked or beeped every time a character was printed on screen. This traces back to noisy teletypes which these terminals replaced; the idea that printing could be silent did not occur immediately after technology made it possible. A similar evolution happened with cell phones: even now, you can configure something as advanced as an [=iPhone=] to play DTMF tones when number keys are touched, simply because users of touch dial phones are sometimes used to them. All that beeping has a purpose: feedback. With each number having a distinct sound you can tell when you misdial a common number, it sounds wrong. On a real touch tone phone, pressing two keys at the same time produced a clearly wrong noise. With address books and call logs it's all kind of pointless on a modern cell phone. DTMF tones are still relevant - automated phone systems use them to know the selection you've just made. While newer systems exist that support voice recognition in which you can just speak your selection clearly into the mouthpiece, most also support DTMF tones as a fallback in cases where the user will have difficulty in speech recognition situations. For example, a noisy environment or heavy accent. Additionally they are actually how telephone exchanges know what number you dialed. Phone lines were designed for the transmission of sound, so they transmitted everything, including dialled numbers, by sound. That is why even some more modern phones with auto-dial etc. still play the "number" through when connecting. You could, many years ago, hold the handset up to a TV commercial playing DTMF tones for a phone number, and the number would be dialed. (The commercial has long since stopped playing.) However, this is not relevant in modern cellular phone situations where the number is transmitted digitally out-of-band, in this case the DTMF is only relevant for interacting with automated phone systems.

** An {{egregious}} example occurs in an episode featuring the RealLife freeware space simulator [[http://www.shatters.net/celestia/ Celestia]]. The actual program has no sound effects at all.

* Programs for some older home computers were encoded as bleeps and noises on cassette tapes, in a manner similar to the telephone modems of the day. The ZX Spectrum and TI-99/4 home computers play these noises while loading programs. If you have a vintage computer that loads programs off tapes, you can play the tapes into a modern computer and burn them to CD or save them to MP3. Then you can play the audio into the old computer and it should load the program without wearing out your vintage tapes. The Supercharger adapter for the Atari 2600 game console likewise allows loading of data from cassettes. These sounds are not intended for the user to hear. But tones indicating the loading status, and matching a graphical feedback, are played through the TV speakers.

* The main character in ''Film/TheSaint'' breaks into the leading actress' apartment and begins downloading information from her personal computer. The computer not only flips through the electronic notes on the desktop as they are siphoned onto the hero's external hard drive, but also scrolls down through the bottom of one of the pages, highlights a quote and beeps.

* ''Series/{{Daredevil}}'' has this occasionally. For example, when Ben watches Fisk's press conference and realizes that his editorial will be moot, he deletes the file with a definitive bleeping sound.

* In the "Kip Comes To His Senses" episode of ''WesternAnimation/WordParty'', Kip's new toy, the Bopping Beetle, plays sounds that put VideoGame/CrazyBus to shame.

* In an example which might have started this trope, some old text terminals clicked or beeped every time a character was printed on screen. This traces back to noisy teletypes which these terminals replaced; the idea that printing could be silent did not occur immediately after technology made it possible. A similar evolution happened with cell phones: even now, you can configure something as advanced as an [=iPhone=] to play DTMF tones when number keys are touched, simply because users of touch dial phones are sometimes used to them. All that beeping has a purpose: feedback. With each number having a distinct sound you can tell when you misdial a common number, it sounds wrong. On a real touch tone phone, pressing two keys at the same time produced a clearly wrong noise. With address books and call logs it's all kind of pointless on a modern cell phone. DTMF tones are still relevant - automated phone systems use them to know the selection you've just made. While there exists newer systems that support voice recognition in which you can just speak your selection clearly into the mouthpiece, most also support DTMF tones as a fallback in cases where the user will have difficulty in speech recognition situations. For example, a noisy environment or heavy accent. Additionally they are actually how telephone exchanges know what number you dialed. Phone lines were designed for the transmission of sound, so they transmitted everything, including dialled numbers, by sound. That is why even some more modern phones with auto-dial etc. still play the "number" through when connecting. You could, many years ago, hold the handset up to a TV commercial playing DTMF tones for a phone number, and the number would be dialed. (the commercial has long since stopped playing). However, this is not relevant in modern cellular phone situations where the number is transmitted digitally out-of-band, in this case the DTMF is only relevant for interacting with automated phone systems.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout3}}'' continues the ancient, tape drive, room-size computers of previous two games. Beeps included. Interaction with a computer terminal in said game series also produces beeping noises when the terminal screen is refreshing or when the player interacts with the terminal during the hacking minigames.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' continues the ancient, tape drive, room-size computers of previous two games. Beeps included. Interaction with a computer terminal in said game series also produces beeping noises when the terminal screen is refreshing or when the player interacts with the terminal during the hacking minigames.