Hello: I am not sure if this is a common problem (it may be, hence the invention of Griffen's iMic), but after a few years, and some abuse, my Powerbook G3/400 (lombard) has some major noise coming through the "Sound In" port. Funny thing is, if the input option is set to anything else, such as external mic, the noise disappears entirely, so it is not a global sound card problem. The fuzz and whines are audible with just the live playthrough from the sound in port (having something plugged into it makes no difference), and are easily documentable by just recording silence through sound in. The noise can change depending on screen brightness and HD activity too. Am I just noticing a bad problem that everyone has from the beginning, or is this a sign of an old sound board? I would love to get a new sound board and a service manual and try to replace it, but that is not so easy. Anybody else notice this? You sound people must have good experience with this. Also I don't want an iMic because I heard there are latency issues that would make overdubbing a hassle. Any suggestions? Thank you! --Jonathan Wong

I don't know what the root of the problem is, but I tell you what I'd do - I'd get an iMic from someplace with a money-back return policy and I'd give it a try. It might not be as bad as some people claim. p