Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!lrj
From: lrj@CS.Cornell.EDU (Lew Jansen)
Subject: Re: Sound cards-sound blaster, adlib, roland..
Message-ID: <1991May7.153929.19947@cs.cornell.edu>
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Organization: Lab of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University
References: <1991May6.173335.6553@cs.cornell.edu> <1991May6.215559.11294@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1991 15:39:29 GMT
Lines: 81

In article <1991May6.215559.11294@d.cs.okstate.edu> ong@d.cs.okstate.edu (ONG ENG TENG) writes:
>From article <1991May6.173335.6553@cs.cornell.edu>, by me:

>The lowest price for Sound Blaster is $150.  See summary below.

  Fine, mail order.  In general, I don't equate mail order prices with
"street" prices, perhaps that's a different perception that others
hold.  I'm looking at the viewpoint of Joe and Jane Consumer who
are walking through the Maul and stop by the software store to look
at the toys.  Of *course* mail order is less; but I imagine *both*
products are similarly discounted.


>>   When I was making a choice a few months ago, I felt I didn't need
>> another game port (had one on the multi-IO card), nor did I need
>> Speech stuff, so I bought the Adlib card.  I have yet to regret my
>> decision.
>
>You will, and soon (after the new games with voice output 
>becomes the norm).


  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  Depends on whether I feel the voice output
is either annoying or distracting.  We'll see what happens.


>>   Also, isn't there some additional $30 or $50 chipset you have to buy
>> in order to do some of the voice stuff (input or output?) on the SB?
>> I'm sure someone will be able to give the info.  Don't you also have
>> to put some driver in your config.sys with the SB?  I may be wrong on
>> this.  Adlib is plug'n'play.
>
>Talk about misinformation.  Please don't spread MISINFORMATION about
>Sound Blaster until you are sure.  You do NOT need additional chipset
>(CMS chipset $20) to do voice stuff.  Both input and output voice 
>are standard on the card.  Also, you do NOT need driver in the config.sys
>file to run Adlib stuff.  Sound Blaster is 100% hardware compatible
>with Adlib.  They both licensed the same technology from a third company.


  Oh get real.  I specifically stated that I might be wrong, and asked
for correction by someone who knew.  That is not misinformation; I
asked because I was NOT sure.  Reread my paragraph, it might be a
little more clear if you actually read it.


>>   My computer complains enough as it is, I don't need it being able
>> to talk back to me too!
>
>Sure, you don't need a 19" screen too (to complain with bigger words). 


  I'm typing this on a 16 inch 1152x900x256 display in an 80 column,
65 line X11R4 window (with a couple windows underneath it).  The monitor
is a Sony Trinitron display on a Sun workstation (I manage the
network).  I haven't seen a 19 inch trinitron display, but the
19 inch color display I have is a lot less sharp than this one.
We've got a 23 inch color display on an IBM RS6000a in the next room.

  Having worked with 16 inch color and 19 inch mono (also 1152x900
res) displays for the last five years, I think I can reasonably state
that for my purposes I don't currently need more than the 14 inch EGA
I have.  Actually, let me put another way: the additional capabilities
I can get from running windows on a 16 inch trinitron SVGA display
are *not* worth the money it would cost me to do so.  Likewise, the
additional capabilities of a 40 MHz 486 (or 33 MHz 386) aren't worth
the money to upgrade from a 12 MHz '286 at this point.  Going back to
the SB: voice stuff (having played with the audio input/output capabilities
of Sun SPARCstations) isn't worth the extra $$$.

  Perhaps this may change in a year or two?  Perhaps not.  Last night
was the first time in two weeks that I'd turned my computer on.
Personally, when it's light out and the weather's good, sitting in
front of a CRT is the last thing I want to do; you'll find me out
on the road collecting bug splats on my faceshield and leathers.

-- 
    -- Lewis R. Jansen, N2KNV		lrj@helios.tn.cornell.edu
    LASSP/LNS Systems Manager		     (607) 255-6065
						'78 CX500
	    "You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!"
