Why is my MacBook zapping me lately? | Hacker News Reader

Why is my MacBook zapping me lately?

2 pointspavas13 comments

I understand that technology evolves and not everyone is the same, but the last 3 Macbooks I've had, going back to 2020, all zap me for some reason. I.e. when I move my hands over the metal casing I feel some sort of electronic vibration, and something similar happens when I tap the track pad or glide my finger over it.

Maybe it's a matter of whatever works well for 95% of the population, but as someone with more highly attuned senses its a little annoying.

Is there something Apple can do to isolate the charges/currents a bit better, or are there other models on the market that don't have this problem?

I've been a loyal Apple user since like...forever, but it's getting hard to go along with their engineering choices lately.

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I had this issue with my MacBook Pro in the apartment I lived in back in the early 2010's, but never had the issue since, so I always assumed it was some grounding issue.

The same thing happened in the Apple store I went to visit. Devices tend to zap you when you touch them. Maybe the problem is localized to certain regions?

Turns out to be a grounding issue--it reliably does/doesn't do it depending on location.

It’s likely to do with grounding. I’ve had it reliably in one location, but then with the same MacBook it doesn’t do it in another location. Probably grounding-related.

It used to only happen when I had it plugged in, initially when I took my MacBook to Romania a few years ago and plugged it into the power grid there, they use a different frequency and I had to use an adaptor. But then it started happening in the US as well, and even after I switched from the 2020 model to the new M series, and now it happens to me even when its not plugged in anything, whether I'm grounded or not...that's why I'm wondering if they're actively changing the EM field encapsulation specs.

Yes after more investigation this seems to be it--the clue was that it doesn't do it in all locations.

I also get this, only happens while charging. To me, it feels like a change in the stickiness of the surface.

Yes exactly! That's how it started, but now it happens even when its not charging...and for my phones too. Maybe it's just a change in my perception, like what was subliminal before is becoming liminal now because I learned to pay attention to it?

Does your charger have 3 pins or 2? It could be a grounding issue (which has gone on forever). Or you have carpets and plastic shoes? You are the problem. It is not dangerous, just annoying to those who sense it.

Ah yes it is a 2 pin...ungrounded. Is there a way I can ground myself/and-or my laptop? I just had achilles tendon surgery so I can't really touch grass, so to speak proverbially (or literally?).

Dang. Hope the recovery goes well. I snapped an achilles during covid. All good now though. As to grounding, apple sell extension cables for duckhead chargers, that are/were 3 pin grounded.

do you wear Crocs or some other kind of thick foam shoe/sandal? do you live in a dry climate?

Yes its relatively dry. I had a humidifier but the fuse blew so I'm kinda stuck with what I've got. Is there any other way to dissipate charge in dry climates than humidity?

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