Computer / Software

This August represents the tenth anniversary of Apple shipping the original iMac, so we take the opportunity to sit back and reminisce on how Mac technology has changed for musicians over the last decade.

The vast majority of computer-based musicians will need an audio interface, but with so many on the market, it can feel like an impossible task to decide which to buy. You can narrow down the choices significantly with the help of our essential guide.

Online security, the difference between audio and MIDI latency, and a software world record attempt: all this and more in the latest instalment of PC Notes...

At the first Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to be billed as a joint event for both Mac and iPhone developers, the iPhone took centre-stage and Apple dropped some breadcrumbs of information regarding the next major version of Mac OS X: Snow Leopard.

Very low-cost PCs with apparently good spec are not hard to come by these days — you can even pick one up at the local supermarket. But not all computers will work well for music and audio, so how do you avoid making a big mistake?

Even if you pack your PC with a full 4GB of RAM, you may only be able to access between 3GB and 3.5GB of it, and a single application is normally limited to using just 2GB. We explain why, and what you may be able to do about it...

This month we consider the return of Power PC processor technology to Apple, and also investigate how adding Apple's RAID card to the latest Mac Pro can improve audio performance.

The newly released Service Pack 3 will be the last one ever issued for Windows XP — and XP itself is due to go 'off the market' at the end of June. Are there any implications for the thousands of XP-using musicians out there?

The current top-end Mac Pro offers so much power that some audio software is playing catch-up just to be able to make use of it all. But how much power? We run some tests to find out.

Clicks or pops in your audio? The cause may be hardware devices taking more than their share of interrupt time. Now there's a utility that checks for this, and a PC Notes survey amassing results that could help you track down the source of your problems.

There's no lack of new Apple products to discuss this month, with a revamp of the company's portable line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and the iPhone SDK that will enable developers to create applications for what Apple hope will become the next significant platform.

The focus this month is on checking and improving the performance of your PC, with a new benchmark test just released and news of a useful tool that could help you pin down the source of latency-related problems.

Have you ever wondered why Power PC plug-ins can't run in Intel applications, or why your 32-bit plug-ins won't work in 64-bit applications of the future? Apple Notes explains all.

Vista's now a year old — but is it loved or loathed by musicians?

As weeks go, the first couple in January were pretty good for new Mac hardware, with Apple introducing updated Mac Pros and Xserves, along with a new stunningly thin MacBook. We dissect the potential of Apple's new offerings with a musician-shaped scalpel.

Are you stuck on the PC upgrade bandwagon? This month, PC Notes discusses whether it might be possible to step off it, as computer power finally starts to catch up with the needs and aspirations of musicians.

With Apple opening a new retail store in Exeter, and speculation as to when new Mac Pros might be released to take advantage of Intel's latest Penryn technology, welcome to the first (and possibly last) West Country-themed Apple Notes.

Faulty capacitors can leak toxic fluid and eventually disable your PC altogether. We investigate, as well as attempting to untangle the thorny world of USB terminology.

I have three Firewire 400 devices, which all run simultaneously, but I only have one Firewire 400 port, so using them all...

Leopard is finally with us — but while it promises improvements for general Mac users, will it offer anything to musicians and audio engineers other than incompatibility?

You might think you can hear that one sequencer sounds better than another, but are you fooling yourself? Your PC can help you find out. But first, if you're thinking of building a new computer, read on...