Just in case anyone is thinking of upgrading their computer to Vista. http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1708238/page/1#Post1708238
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, avoid like the plague for at least 6 months, and even then you will probably have to throw all your old hardware and software out.
You Have Been Warned

Bill

Thanks for the warning, Bill.

I wait to upgrade my Abacus...

Best Regards.
Carlo

Thank you for the warning Bill. I still use some old software like xgworks, & an old xg softsynth. These programs have been discontinued, so I doubt there'll ever be a fix for them , if they don't happen to work with vista.
I'll be hanging onto xp for as long as possible.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by abacus:
[B]

I'm not a tech guy but I gave up trying to upgrade OS a few systems ago, now I only switch when I have to and when I do I buy a new machine that was built for and has the new OS installed. Not that that is trouble free either.
I remember reinstalling win 98 once a month or so, until I got a disk image program.
Now with xp I've had it for years and have never had to reinstall it.
I can't see any reason to switch to vista until they make me.
As a matter of fact the week Vista came out a tax preparer friend of mine had me searching all over trying to find new computers with xp installed and not vista.

The computer industry really has us by the short and curlies, don't they?

Unless you are editing video, doing full studio-scale productions at 192KHz or playing kid's shoot-em-up games, older machines are more than capable of doing what WE need them to.

Remember, a computer is just a tool.... No point buying every new design spade that comes out if the old spade still digs a perfectly good hole....

My main computer (this one!) still runs Windows2000 pro. Never had problem one with it, but I wish I could run Microsoft Defender with it. Microsoft stopped supporting it for versions before XP.....................

Not hard to do - check out Dell's Outlet website.

The thing is.... don't get a computer to run Vista, get a computer to run Vista after ALL the apps and drivers you use and need are Vista-ready (and bug-free). Otherwise, all you have is a conversation piece.....

Thanks for the tip! you're right

i've heard bill gates saying microsoft intend to release a new windows OS every three years from now on (he was in bucharest to launch vista). i wonder, if that will happen (i think it wont anyway) how on earth will all the aplications and hardware components will upgrade so often?! some of us still use win 98, or win 2000....
i did not find anything apart the visual effects apealing to me on vista. maybe because i am quite happy with the xp, i don t feel alot of things could be better.... just my oppinion.

i mean, ALOT of things could be better, but i dont think vista will bring them. not yet at least.

[This message has been edited by adimatis (edited 02-28-2007).]

Isn't there a backwards compatability option with Vista, as there is with XP?

Yes, however compatibility mode cannot help (In Vista or XP) if there are no suitable drivers available for the hardware. (Compatibility mode in XP was also of limited success)
Enjoy whatever you play

Bill

[QUOTE]Originally posted by abacus:
Just in case anyone is thinking of upgrading their computer to Vista. http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/1708238/page/1#Pos t1708238
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, avoid like the plague for at least 6 months, and even then you will probably have to throw all your old hardware and software out.
You Have Been Warned

Bill[/QUOTE


The upgrades "over time" have always allowed us to do more powerful things that we could not have dreamed about a few years ago.

You have to be flexible and decide which upgrades are right for you, and when to change.

If it wasn't for all the changes in operating systems I would still be using my Commodore 64. I probably spent more on that system than any other computer.

Keyboard with OS chip. $300, Monitor $300, Floppy disk drive $250, Modem $100, Printer $250, Disks $1 each, Software $50 each program, etc..............

And it wasn't compatible with anything else.

Jerry

I remember my C64 very fondly. At the time it was a great system. I used it for MIDI sequencing, games and I learnt how to program computers on it. I am still programming video games over 22 years later and I owe it all to my C64. I ended programming around four commercially published games on it while it was around. I don't regret a penny I spent on it ... but I admit it was expensive compared to modern computers.

I had a Commodore SX64, a self contained portable (the first laptop? No, more like a satchel!) and remember with horror Dr.T's sequencer.... My God, how things have got better!

I started with ATARI 1024 plus Cubase...Happy days

I had an "Etch-A-Sketch"...the memory was very limited and not too reliable(one little shake would screw it up) and it was very difficult making zeros.

Ian

------------------
Cha d’dhùin doras nach d’fhosgail doras.

I just gave away the C 64 and a pair of Amiga 2500's that used to run this recording studio. I did keep the RGB Monitor though.
Bebop

Still got my Atari Mega ST4, and the old Cubase for it (dongle and expander ports and all!). I STILL have trouble getting timing as tight on USB MIDI interfaces as I got on that old thing....!

I used to sync it up to a cassette recorder with SMPTE, lay down audio on left track, SMPTE on the right (I used to do a lot of MIDI tracks from audio) and the thing locked up like a champ. Who says you need a guard track?!

Never have liked what happened to Cubase after VST5.... It's taken to SX3 to get back many of the MIDI functions I took for granted, and it still is buggy for a lot of basic MIDI stuff. I still tend to do all my preproduction in VST5 on OS9, render to audio, and mix on the newer stuff if it's only audio.

But every time I get frustrated, I take a peek at my old Dr. T's manual, and then I feel much better!

Hi,
actually my very first music computer was the commodore 64's predecessor the "Vic 20"
I think it must have been round 1981/82??
Beeped a great tune. From memory, I think I was able to type in a melody line & it played it back. It may have been capable of doing more musically, but I really can't remember.
It was the culprit that got me interested in electronics & music. From there I went on to the c64, the Atari 1040 etc etc.
In hindsight, bet hubby's still regretting the day he said yes to the Vic. haahaa

best wishes
Rikki

Ahh, the old Atari software...

Someone else mentioned it and I have to agree. The midi timing was always tight and the programs straight forward enough. I never had the occasional hiccups and crashes that I've had with nearly all of today's soft DAWs.

I tend to stay away from recording audio altogether on the PC with Sonar, Cubase, and even FL, which has transformed greatly from a simple drum pattern machine to a full fledged DAW. FL is still very cool for manipulating Patterns and midi files, but I wouldn't miss the audi features at all if they weren't there.

I mainly use the computer now just for sounds and effects ( Vsti / VST / DX, etc ), although it's also good for me for midi composing and editing in the simpler apps like Energy XT. Also, Cool Edit Pro and still works flawlessly for editing and mastering audio tracks.

I can still mess with some of the Atari stuff I have using the windows Atari emulator "Steem". Every now and then I get a little nostalgic for it, so maybe I'll even try firing some of them up. "M", Atari Cubase, MTpro36, Ludwig, and Midijoy were among my favorites. I also have a bunch more, some of which are freely available for d/l at Tim Conrardy's Atari Midi site.

No OS upgrades for me, at least right now. I'm fine with what I have on XP and using an external recorder for Audio.

Regards,

AJ

AJ you're back.
Great to hear from you again.
What have you been up to??
How's the Tyros going?
Maybe best to start another thread. Sorry Bill.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bluezplayer:
[B]

Hi Rikki,

Nice to talk to you again. I still lurk here at SZ now and then and occasionally post, but I've been pretty busy too, just life stuff and playing out occasionally and then finding some time for personal music enjoyment.

The T2 is working great for me. I like the key action and the sounds very much. I also still have my PA80 and Motif ES, along with the MZ, so I'm not thinking at all about anything new and probably won't for some time. I'm pretty much using the computer strictly as another instrument these days, while doing much of the audio and recording stuff in an external unit.

How about you Rikki? Still working with the softsynths a lot ? You did buy a hardware arranger too a while back right ? Ketron maybe ?

Back to topic... I've gone as far as I want to go with XP, and have no real desire for any new apps or OS upgrades. I have enough great sounding VST instruments ( and effects ) that I'll never live long enough to learn each one intimately to the point where I can master the functions in all of them. Really, if I can keep a healthy XP based computer up and running and samples can be had in the future that run the current formats, I'm just about set for life with sounds and stuff.

I did fire up Steem tonight after reading this thread. Some of the programs I have collected over time work very well in it. The fractal music apps are kinda cool too, even if I can never make a meaningful song based on any of them.

AJ