[ale] OT if you must use windows, upgrade to windows 7, not 8, within a year

[Phil Turmel]

On 10/13/2012 09:14 AM, Rich Faulkner wrote:
> We've been testing Windows 8 and Server 8 at work for the past couple  
> of months.    Yes, Windows 8 has the Metro (touch) GUI - which by the  
> way is dreadful; but it still has what is a (more-or-less) traditional  
> desktop.  Lots of stuff has been moved around but much (that I've  
> seen) is look and feel.  A lot of the modules are the same as ever  
> before.  Well known keyboard shortcuts are still the same.
> 
> Overall 8 looks about as appealing as Unity or Gnome3 on first  
> release.  Dreadful.  (But then again I'm not a MS fanboy and I'm still  
> driving Gnome2 so who am I?)
> 
> <rant>
> 
> I for one have no plans of deploying it or admin of it; let alone  
> using it myself.  I own one (1) license of Windows 7 and that's ONLY  
> because of the hardware required to do a specific job in audio  
> production.  Digigram PCX924 card (PCI-based) and no Linux driver.   
> Sigh...oh yeah, that system runs Protools as well.  More  
> closed-source; pay-to-play and proprietary crap.  (It's the wife's  
> studio stuff - what can I say?)

FWIW, I just helped my son purchase and set up pro audio gear on linux.
 I specifically searched for gear with good linux support and
recommended my son get the RME HDSPe "RayDAT".  Ubuntu 12.04 supports it
in the stock kernel, RME provides equivalent win & mac & linux utility
for hardware mixer setup, and ardour recognized all the pieces on the
first go.  Sounds great!

Phil