Re: Apple Drops Backward Compatibility for Next MacOS

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article shack@onyx.southwind.net (Randy Shackelford) writes...

>pubpc1@library.ucla.edu wrote:
>: That Mac Plus is so slow running new Mac software designed with faster
>: machines in mind that I'd honestly prefer AppleWorks GS running on a IIGS
>: for things like word processing.  The output, after all, is the same.
>: Besides, on the IIGS you can play music while you work.  Try THAT on a Plus!
>
>Only in native apps, the CD player dies when you go 8 bit. Meaning 2/3 of apps
>don't support it. Maybe I'll just pull my Plus out of the attic and connect
>my CD150 and play some CDs.

    He is talking about using the IIgs to create synthesized music, not
control a CD-ROM drive to play compact discs. Soundsmith, MIDIsynth or
computer independant formats like MOD, can all be played in the backround
while you continue to work with another application.

    I don't know whether a Macintosh Plus can plays MODs in the background,
but even when dedicating 100% of it's CPU to this task, the results are
rather poor. Mono-sound with only 4 channels, each of which are limited to
a maximum playback of 22.0 KHz. MODs aside, the Macintosh Plus cannot do
any form of music synthesis, so there aren't music programs like synthLAB
available, nor will there ever be.

>: An open architecture hackers machine rather than a closed box.  Support for
>: a command line as well as a GUI.  A computer whose OS revolves around
>: multimedia.  A modern synthesizer chip (new Ensoniqs) built in, probably
>: tied in to an ADB based (music) keyboard for composition.
>
>All of which, except for the Ensoniq, exists on Macs which cost the same or
>less than the IIgs did. Mac sound is just as good anyway.

    I highly disagree. With the expection of AV Macs with DSP chips, all 
past and current Macintosh systems have very limited sound capabilities.
Yes, they are able to playback and record 16-bit resolution digital samples
(while the IIgs is limited to 8-bit resolution), but not much beyond this.
In otherwords, the Macintosh can act as a digital tape recorder, recording
and playing back sounds. 

    There are _no_ music synthesis capabilities available! Not even something 
as basic as FM-synthesis, which was popular a few years back on IBM PC with 
cards such as the AdLib and SoundBlaster. Today PC's have wavetable music 
cards, a more advanced version of the Ensoniq the Apple IIgs used. Boards 
like the Gravis UltraSound, or better yet, the Roland Sound Canvas SCC-1, 
are like listening to a *real* live orchestra! What does the Macintosh do 
for music, in say a game? Digitally record real-world music and loop that 
short clip over and over. Or in some cases, just have you insert a compact 
disc and play pre-recorded music off that. No better than listening to a
tape from your walkman to add musical flavor to a game. Music synthesis is 
a hobby and enjoyment of mine, one of the reason I wouldn't be happy with
a Macintosh. I don't believe there is even a decent way to play MIDI files
on a Macintosh, unless you hook up an expensive MIDI synthesis keyboard.
(the extension QuickTime-MIDI, before it's brought up, is quite poor from
what I heard).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca