[OT] Music CDs

[Steve Walker]

And you don't have to install any drivers with most PC graphics cards either. They just work. But you'll never get the most out of one without the manufacturer's specific driver, as they can use the undocumented features of their hardware and firmware that they do not want to reveal to third parties.

Because many motherboards (often at less than £50) come with onboard graphics and for those that don't a £30 graphics card often suffices. They are perfectly suitable for most use (web browsing, HD video, office work, even low end gaming), but may not handle graphics intensive games at high resolutions, high frame rates and with the highest quality effects. Those sort of cards cost hundreds to even thousands of pounds each, but are not required by very most people.

Similarly, almost all PC motherboards come with on-board sound and of decent quality, but a small number of people will want to add specific, extremely high quality sound cards or ones with special features.

SteveW

[whisky-dave]

and that is what can causes problems with the OS and why crashes and incompatibilities occur. Have yuo never been to the many PC help sites to ID a problem for yourself or someone else.

But I'd prefer not to buy a computer with a graphics cad that is not up to what I want and then have to go about getting one that does do what I want.

Which is why most people don't buy them. So why buy a computer that can have them installed, and even then those gamers yuo speak of just can;t noramlly upgrade the graphocs card they;'ll need a new PSU to replace the megree 350W with a 450W and they'll need two PC slots and then perhaps a faster mother board. Those higg end cards don;t run well on 5 year old PCs.

and the imacs came with a mid range decent sound system 17 watts IIRC compared with teh PC standard whicbh is much lower quality.

Macs' arent; at the botton of the PC range they are well up above half way, but people compare Macs with the cheap PCs and then say Macs are over priced. Find a PC with a decent sounds and graphics and compare like with like.

[Mark]

AFAIK there is no "standard" sound system for PCs. Mine all have decnet sound, for example.

[Bob Eager]

That's a bit old, isn't it? DECnet hasn't been around much for years...well, except on OpenVMS! :)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And they all come with capable speakers too?

Power amps in a computer absolutely pointless. If you wish to drive decent speakers you'd already have them. And small dedicated computer speakers need a dedicated amp for best results.

[Mark]

Ho ho ho. You failed to sput rhe smelling misteak ;-)

BYW: Does anyone still use VMS?

[whisky-dave]

What does decent mean though it slike having a decent screen or a decent car or decent house it;s pretty meaingless.

But I wanted more than decent.

[whisky-dave]

More capable than I have seen on any low-mid range PC.

Hardly a power amp. It's for those that used to have to invest in sound cars and external speaker systems if they wanted to hear more than just the PC startup sound.

and that's what Apple have internally.

[RJH]

Not really capable as in hifi, but perfectly serviceable for listening to the radio, some games and system sounds.

I think it has a point - not an especially significant point, but it's a pretty tiny amp.

For you, yes, For many, cranking up an amp and placing speakers just to listen to the sounds from a PC while sitting at a desk is going a bit far.

I have a separate hifi for listening to music etc.

[Bob Eager]

Commercially, yes. And I have three VAXes here that I play with.

[Mark]

"Here"? Does this mean for personal use or for business?

We used to use VMS but have now dropped support and only support *nix now.

[Bob Eager]

For hobby use; I'm into old computers, although they aren't terribly old. I also have four PDP-11s. They are all in the house.

Not to mention an SBC6120 (replica PDP-8 with a real chip), and I'm building a PiDP-8 and a PiDP-11.

I use FreeBSD most of the time, but then I've been using UNIX since 1975. It gets the job done.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Does your mac compare price wise with a low-mid PC?

If you're talking a desktop, you have to site that where the speakers are in a decent position too? Sounds rather inconvenient to me.

Sounds like it's been designed for newbies.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You think radio a low-fi medium? Are you still using AM?

[RJH]

Mid-fi maybe :-)

I listen to the radio more than any other source but don't need the highest fidelity. Quite happy with a portable radio much of the time, in fact. And I use that over the computer for convenience. One button on, one off.

Demanding the highest quality available to your senses is a worthy place to be. Most of the time I either can't be bothered, it doesn't matter enough, or I'm too mean to invest. The rest of the time I have a decent hifi in the living room.

[Mark]

Or DAB?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I do too. But still want reasonable quality. Which can be done without having massive speakers. But not it they're pointing at your feet under the workstation as they would be if built into this desktop. ;-)

Even for speech only, a decent speaker etc makes a big difference to the clarity. Even on TV. ;-)

[whisky-dave]

I see the logic of a PC user put a desktop on the floor.

of course it all makes sense now ;-)

[Pamela]

You must have a lot of space for that kit. Perhaps special power supply too?

[Bob Eager]

The replicas run off wall warts. VAXes are all small ones that use a 13 amp socket. PDP-11s likewise. And I dont't use them all at once!