How Many Digital Rigs Went Obsolete Today?

[Johnny B]

Ok, all honest people know that:

Everything Digital Is Obsolete On The Day It Was Designed

NextGen "everything" is always on the way.

The time to an agreed-upon state of worthless digital gear is ever shortening.

For example, today Apple's iMac got a two-fold speed bump for the same price, and Intel's CEO says you will soon see ten-fold increases in perfomance.

Digital Rig? Say, "Hello" to the rubbish heap.

[radiospace]

Yeah, my computer just quit working, the minute Jobs announced his new machines. What will I do.

[dkatz42]

Indeed. The number of folks still running OS9 on sub 500 MHz Macs shows how instantly obsolete it all becomes. (I think they're nuts, but that's a separate rant.)

[cajonezzz]

No kidding. I just cancelled the next 3 months of work, cause of the damn new imac's.

I wouldn't want to be embarassed with my g5.

[petsematary]

Exactly what can you do with the new macs that you can't do with a fairly new G5??

If raw numbers and performance on paper is what you want, then you should've bought a PC long time ago. Macs are about focusing on work, not benchmark testing.

...

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by petsematary

If raw numbers and performance on paper is what you want, then you should've bought a PC long time ago. Macs are about focusing on work, not benchmark testing.

...

Speaking of which... It makes me ponder just how optimized Logic will be on these new Intel's when they release the Logic 7 for intel in March..

[jwnc]

haha.. I am using an Athlon 1.7 ghz and I refuse to upgrade my machine anytime soon. Its been running great for 2 years and I still can do any project that comes my way. With 2 UAD cards and the Freeze functions.. no need to upgrade...I am sick of it.

Just me though...

Jason

[petsematary]

I definitely think today's machines are all you need and all you will need for a long time. What else do you want to do, that you can't do now? Digital audio isn't THAT tough work for a computer. A fast machine with a ton of RAM is enough.

[RadioMoo]

Originally Posted by dkatz42

Indeed. The number of folks still running OS9 on sub 500 MHz Macs shows how instantly obsolete it all becomes. (I think they're nuts, but that's a separate rant.)

Well, thy're missing out on a lot, for sure, but nuts? No - frugal is the polite term for it. A few video houses I do voiceovers for are still running Media 100 on OS 9; you can't tell that when you watch their stuff on TV.

[DontLetMeDrown]

Originally Posted by Johnny B

Ok, all honest people know that:

For example, today Apple's iMac got a two-fold speed bump for the same price, and Intel's CEO says you will soon see ten-fold increases in perfomance.

haha

Thats about what I would expect if you put the fastest intel "PC" CPU into a Mac. I'm surprised Apple didn't add an extra two grand to the price. That would sound right on target with their pricing scheme. Kind of funny that Apple couldn't pull it off without Intel. If you can't beat 'em, join em! thumbsup

Imagine if they would have teamed up with AMD stike stike stike

[DontLetMeDrown]

Originally Posted by dkatz42

Indeed. The number of folks still running OS9 on sub 500 MHz Macs shows how instantly obsolete it all becomes. (I think they're nuts, but that's a separate rant.)

Well that's what sucks ass about Macs. For PC users swapping out that old 500mhz cpu would be a snap, but Mac users pretty much gotta throw the f'ing computer away and shell out another 3 grand. OUCH! Not to turn this into the typical MAC vs. PC war-- it just surprises me that people still use 'em. As a PC user for the last 15 years, the idea of not being able to upgrade seems like a crime.

[radiospace]

Originally Posted by DontLetMeDrown

Well that's what sucks ass about Macs. For PC users swapping out that old 500mhz cpu would be a snap, but Mac users pretty much gotta throw the f'ing computer away and shell out another 3 grand. OUCH! Not to turn this into the typical MAC vs. PC war-- it just surprises me that people still use 'em. As a PC user for the last 15 years, the idea of not being able to upgrade seems like a crime.

That's a gross oversimplification of the issues inherent in upgrading a Windows PC. For example, my Dell PC has a proprietary motherboard, power supply and case, such that I can't run out to Fry's and buy an ASUS motherboard and drop it in there. I could probably upgrade the chip on the Dell motherboard, but it isn't reasonable to upgrade the processor unless I'm going to up the RAM from its current 512 MB to 2 GB or so... but the Dell motherboard takes archaic and very expensive PC800 memory, and the cost of that memory alone would probably get me halfway to purchasing a complete new computer. Finally the Dell doesn't have USB 2.0, Firewire, or Firewire 800, and it doesn't have an AGP graphics slot (much less a PCIe one), and it doesn't take SATA drives -- so no matter how much money I throw at it, it will never be as capable of a machine as an entry level machine I could get today for not much more than the cost of doing all those upgrades (or a new iMac for that matter).

In short, while it may be technically possible to upgrade Windows PC CPUs, by the time your CPU is old enough to warrant an upgrade there is very likely going to be a whole collection of obsolesent gear inside the box that makes such an upgrade a questionable investment.

[DontLetMeDrown]

Originally Posted by radiospace

For example, my Dell PC has a proprietary motherboard, power supply and case, such that I can't run out to Fry's and buy an ASUS motherboard and drop it in there...

Ouch. Sounds like Dell has got you buy the balls. Windows/PC has NOTHING to do with that. The real reason for this is so that you will go back to DELL when you want to upgrade. That's why power users avoid pre-built (Dell, HP) systems like the plague.

[radiospace]

Originally Posted by DontLetMeDrown

Ouch. That's why power users avoid pre-built (Dell, HP) systems like the plague.

When I tell people to avoid Dell computers for music production for those very reasons there seems to be no shortage of "experts" to disagree with me on the internet, but that's a different topic.

Nevertheless, even with a home-built Windows box, if you are "upgrading" every component in the box except the case to stay abreast of technology, you aren't really "upgrading" your computer at all, you're building a new one and sticking it in the same $50 beige box and then congratulating yourself about how you never have to buy a "new" PC.

[petsematary]

Hmmm... I just upgraded my Mac and it wasn't hard. No voodoo required.

[DontLetMeDrown]

Originally Posted by radiospace

Nevertheless, even with a home-built Windows box, if you are "upgrading" every component in the box except the case to stay abreast of technology, you aren't really "upgrading" your computer at all, you're building a new one and sticking it in the same $50 beige box and then congratulating yourself about how you never have to buy a "new" PC.

Agreed

If you are upgrading CPU, you most likely will need a new mobo. If you buy a new mobo, you will most likely need newer RAM. But other than that, most of the other stuff in your "old" computer should work just fine. Buying just those 3 items is waaaay cheaper than buying a whole new computer and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than buy a new Mac

[Johnny B]

Originally Posted by DontLetMeDrown

Imagine if they would have teamed up with AMD

I wondred about that myself, seems that Intel has some new leading edge tech that AMD has not mastered...You'll see it soon...probably in Dell et al. This was cited as the real reason that Apple went with Intel. They do have OSX running in house on AMD so Apple has all bases covered and can switch to AMD from Intel if Steve Jobs feels it ever becomes necessary or Intel does not deliver the new stuff or begins to lag...that's not likely to happen soon because Intel's new tech can cram like 1000 transisors in the space that everyone else can get only one. This is why Intel's CEO is bragging about a ten-fold increase in performance.

Of course this means that all music software will get major updates...and you'll need new boxes to run it.

And that means all existing digital rigs will be obsolete overnight...

This nagging problem of digital constantly going obsolete will not have much of an impact for those who were smart enough to put their investment money into time-tested, true blue, analogue gear.

[George Necola]

for those who were smart enough to put their investment money into time-tested, true blue, analogue gear.

Johnny B.. please stop now with your "I like analogue and hate digital"-blahblah. I am Sorry my friend but you had your fun with your own sticky thread!!

cheers

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by radiospace

Nevertheless, even with a home-built Windows box, if you are "upgrading" every component in the box except the case to stay abreast of technology, you aren't really "upgrading" your computer at all, you're building a new one and sticking it in the same $50 beige box and then congratulating yourself about how you never have to buy a "new" PC.

Not entirely true.

You can usually do a couple of CPU speed upgardes, ebfore the motherboard becomes obsolete.

Hell, I'm waiting for the Athlon64 laptop CPU's to drop in price so i can upgrade my laptop's CPU to a 4000 from the current 3000 that I have. That should keep the replacement of the laptop at bay for anothe ryear, or untill dualcore laptops become affordable. And I'm talking the fast kickass laptops for $1500,-. Not the puny 1.67's that Apple is using.

[qoqo]

If you could have a PC that is one million times faster than what's available today, how much faster do you think you could mix the average 3 minute tune?

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by qoqo

If you could have a PC that is one million times faster than what's available today, how much faster do you think you could mix the average 3 minute tune?

I couldn't do it faster. But I could run way more plug-ins.

[qoqo]

Originally Posted by Henchman

I couldn't do it faster. But I could run way more plug-ins.

And that's a good thing? j/k, I'm sure it's a good thing for some folks... Like, plugin developers (j/k again!)

[Dopamine]

quote: "For PC users swapping out that old 500mhz cpu would be a snap, but Mac users pretty much gotta throw the f'ing computer away and shell out another 3 grand."

What??? I guess you don't know that there are tons's of DAW-approved mobo upgrades for macs. (And install is a snap.) My friend got one for his g4/400 that takes it to 1.7ghz and faster ones are coming out all the time. Not to mention the g4 can house up to 4 internal hds + 2 optical drives, etc.

[natpub]

me & my radial dremmel saw say we can make an ASUS mobo fit into your proprietary Dell case, MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! stike stike stike

[qoqo]

Originally Posted by natpub

me & my radial dremmel saw say we can make an ASUS mobo fit into your proprietary Dell case, MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! stike stike stike

Dell's based in Texas, right?

The Texas Dremmel Saw Massacre?

[Henchman]

Originally Posted by qoqo

And that's a good thing? j/k, I'm sure it's a good thing for some folks... Like, plugin developers (j/k again!)

Funny enough, I was going to add the same line.

[pitman]

Originally Posted by Henchman

Funny enough, I was going to add the same line.

Soooo....does that mean qoqo is quicker than you or is your machine slower than his?

[C Heat]

Originally Posted by pitman

Soooo....does that mean qoqo is quicker than you or is your machine slower than his?

hahahaha... THAT was funny

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by DontLetMeDrown

But other than that, most of the other stuff in your "old" computer should work just fine. Buying just those 3 items is waaaay cheaper than buying a whole new computer and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than buy a new Mac

But what's your time worth? If I had to think that hard about what's inside my computer, I'd never get to the music.

Hey, Johnny B, what's with the title of this thread? You fancy yourself the harbinger of doom, huh?

All these damn DAW's are obsolete anyhow.

[area51recording]

...........um.........erm......okay. Still running a BEIGE G3 (GASP....must....look...away!!) Did a processor upgrade forever ago to 450Mhz. And I do 28-30 trax at 24 bit with all the plugs I want (which ain't much, but all I WANT). I end up with stuff sounding the way I want it to,and no one's complained yet. I'm probably gonna drive this sucker till the wheels fall off....