MacBook® Portable Genius, 2nd Edition

Chapter 12. How Do I Make Better Use of My MacBook's Audio?

Sound is an important part of the MacBook experience. If you use iTunes, iDVD, Front Row, GarageBand, or any other Mac digital media application, audio is a major part of the experience. And so understanding how to get the most from your MacBook audio capabilities is fundamental to enjoying your MacBook to the fullest. On its own, a MacBook has reasonable audio capabilities. If you want to invest in a bit of hardware and some additional software, you can transform your MacBook into an audio powerhouse.

Getting Sound Out of a MacBook

Working with Sound Effects

Getting Sound into a MacBook

Getting Sound Out of a MacBook

Many applications that you use, including iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, DVD Player, QuickTime, and iChat, involve the use of sound. In this section, you can learn about sound output options that are available to you, and how to choose and use those options to ensure that you have a great audio experience as you work with your MacBook.

Understanding sound output options

When it comes to audio, there are two fundamental options: analog or digital. Like seemingly everything else, digital is better than analog from the quality perspective, but taking advantage of digital sound is more expensive and requires a bit more work than does analog sound. With your MacBook, you can use both options in different situations.

On the analog ...