Sound blaster Live drivers for OS/2
Aris
to create drivers for OS/2 concerning this card.
I think that anyone agrees that this card has tremendous potentials, and it's
a shame if OS/2 cannot take advantage of them...;)))
nospam...@tabi.org
>I think that enough people should send an email to Creative to ask of
>them to create drivers for OS/2 concerning this card.
Oh please, just give it up!
Creative has no intention whatsoever to support OS/2, now or in the
future. They've made their position on OS/2 abundantly clear. They even
went so far as to spread lies about OS/2 just to cover up their
inadequacies.
--
Remove "nospam_" from my email address when replying
Timur "too sexy for my code" Tabi, ti...@tabi.org, http://www.tabi.org
OS/2 page: http://www.os2ss.com/Information/Newusers/index.html OS/2
Programming page: http://www.edm2.com/common/links.html Looking for the
best OS/2 soundcard? http://www.tabi.org/timur/crystalos2.html
u...@40th.com
nospam...@tabi.org? (nospam...@tabi.org?) wrote (Sun, 13 Dec 1998 06:37:50 -0600):
>Oh please, just give it up!
Could be he likes that card and OS/2. He sure won't get far just
wishing to himself.
>Creative has no intention whatsoever to support OS/2, now or in the
>future. They've made their position on OS/2 abundantly clear. They even
They do Windows, that's it. A lot of OEMs only do Windows.
>went so far as to spread lies about OS/2 just to cover up their
>inadequacies.
I think they mean relative the sound support in Windows. I'm sure
the powers-that-be at CL could do OS/2 stuff, but they'd have to do
only what MMOS2 can muster, and it ain't much and sure won't get
better. IBM gave up MMOS2 a long, long time ago. Why not talk
about IBM dropping the ball (I know, "...give it up!").
For reference, this was first announced around the time the AWE64
came out, which was...2 years ago, at least. Taken on the surface
I can see how someone would think CL's reasons are bogus, but I
bet there was more going on than CL would want to say in a PR. As
an example, look at Stardock. IBM stopped returning Stardock's calls
a long time ago. If IBM wouldn't return Stardock's calls, what
do you think they did to CL? Hey, IBM stopped returning mine, too!
http://www.soundblaster.com/wwwnew/tech/faqs/os2sup.html
o Future OS/2 Support
In response to our OS/2 users, Creative has determined that it can not
provide additional support for OS/2. Creative has committed to
maintaining the current level of support for the OS/2 community for
our existing product line. However, we cannot commit to future
releases or enhanced features for new product and technologies.
Currently, OS/2 does not have sufficient multimedia system services to
enable us to deliver drivers that have Full-Duplex audio or software
wave-table & waveguide synthesis.
Additionally, IBM has not announced an OS/2 roadmap that will deliver
the needed system services for better multimedia support. Further, IBM
has not demonstrated that they are very enthusiastic about the future
of OS/2 from a consumer standpoint.
Creative values each of its customers, regardless of OS choice.
However, due to the large cost of creating and supporting products
over a various system configurations, and the continued maintenance of
older products, it is no longer possible to support each and every
consumer choice.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Copyright ©1995-97 Creative Labs, Inc.
Richard Steiner
spake unto us, saying:
>I think that enough people should send an email to Creative to ask of
>them to create drivers for OS/2 concerning this card.
Creative Labs essentially told the OS/2 community to go away and die,
so I'm not certain they're worth asking. We tried what you suggest
once before (when there were more of us), and it fell on deaf ears.
I still like their SB AWE32 cards as DOS game cards, but the company
itself has acted very badly towards us in the past. Badly enough that
it would take a much better product than they currently produce to win
me back as a customer on any platform.
--
-Rich Steiner >>>---> rste...@visi.com >>>---> Bloomington, MN
OS/2 + Linux (Slackware+RedHat+SuSE) + FreeBSD + Solaris +
WinNT4 + Win95 + PC/GEOS + Executor = PC Hobbyist Heaven!
Logic is a way of going wrong with confidence.
Richard Steiner
spake unto us, saying:
> Currently, OS/2 does not have sufficient multimedia system services to
> enable us to deliver drivers that have Full-Duplex audio or software
> wave-table & waveguide synthesis.
This was a false statement on CL's part -- it's my understanding that
there were multiple cards at the time that supported full-duplex sound
under OS/2.
--
-Rich Steiner >>>---> rste...@visi.com >>>---> Bloomington, MN
OS/2 + Linux (Slackware+RedHat+SuSE) + FreeBSD + Solaris +
WinNT4 + Win95 + PC/GEOS + Executor = PC Hobbyist Heaven!
heh heh heh heh heh COOL!
u...@40th.com
Richard Steiner? (rste...@visi.com?) wrote (Sun, 13 Dec 1998 08:05:26 -0600):
>Here in comp.os.os2.multimedia, u...@40th.com (u...@40th.com)
>spake unto us, saying:
>
>> Currently, OS/2 does not have sufficient multimedia system services to
>> enable us to deliver drivers that have Full-Duplex audio or software
>> wave-table & waveguide synthesis.
>
>This was a false statement on CL's part -- it's my understanding that
>there were multiple cards at the time that supported full-duplex sound
>under OS/2.
It reads, "...to enable us...". If you know much about SBs, then you
know that the SBs have to be hacked to do full-duplex, which meant one
DMA channel had to operate in 8-bit mode, and the other in 16-bit mode.
If you don't write SB device drivers, you aren't in a position to say
what's what. Sure, you can read what other people say, but what do they
really know? A lot less than they'd like you to believe. In the end, it
doesn't matter since the outcome is the same: no more OS/2 drivers from
CL (and about 9 out of 10 other OEMs). Another truism: IBM won't be
enhancing MMOS2. Going by recent fixpacks, they'd rather it not work at
all. If you want to rattle sabers, go after IBM.
I could have written this two years ago and nothing would have been
different...except my sig and the dates.
______________________________________________________________________
Corne1 Huth http://40th.com/ Bullet database engines/servers 3.0
______________________________________________________________________
Richard Steiner
>Richard Steiner? (rste...@visi.com?) wrote (Sun, 13 Dec 1998 08:05:26 -0600):
>>Here in comp.os.os2.multimedia, u...@40th.com (u...@40th.com)
>>spake unto us, saying:
>>
>>> Currently, OS/2 does not have sufficient multimedia system services to
>>> enable us to deliver drivers that have Full-Duplex audio or software
>>> wave-table & waveguide synthesis.
>>
>>This was a false statement on CL's part -- it's my understanding that
>>there were multiple cards at the time that supported full-duplex sound
>>under OS/2.
>
>It reads, "...to enable us...". If you know much about SBs, then you
>know that the SBs have to be hacked to do full-duplex, which meant one
>DMA channel had to operate in 8-bit mode, and the other in 16-bit mode.
Ah, so they were limited by their own design. That's what I suspected,
but there isn't anything at all to prevent them from redesigning their
cards to not have such a limitation, is there?
>If you want to rattle sabers, go after IBM.
I've been doing that for almost eight years. Save your lectures for
someone else, please.
--
-Rich Steiner >>>---> rste...@visi.com >>>---> Bloomington, MN
OS/2 + Linux (Slackware+RedHat+SuSE) + FreeBSD + Solaris +
WinNT4 + Win95 + PC/GEOS + Executor = PC Hobbyist Heaven!
For Sale: Parachute. Only used once, never opened, small stain.
u...@40th.com
Richard Steiner? (rste...@visi.com?) wrote (Sun, 13 Dec 1998 09:35:01 -0600):
>Ah, so they were limited by their own design. That's what I suspected,
The SB/AWE design goes back to the 80s. The Live (see Subject:) is their
first new design since then and the only CL card that's worth anything
if you ask me. Can I use it in OS/2?
>but there isn't anything at all to prevent them from redesigning their
>cards to not have such a limitation, is there?
Nope, sure isn't. But, you're too late because they already did that
(see Subject:).
>I've been [rattling sabers with IBM] for almost eight years
>[so] Save your lectures for someone else, please.
I have no idea what that means. I admit I don't recognize your name, but
I've only been doing OS/2 (full-time) for four years. Are you someone I
should recognize for moving and shaking IBM in the right way about OS/2?
If so, I want to know what's been done and what went wrong.
Richard Steiner
spake unto us, saying:
>I've been doing that for almost eight years. Save your lectures for
>someone else, please.
I lied -- it's only been almost seven. :-)
--
-Rich Steiner >>>---> rste...@visi.com >>>---> Bloomington, MN
OS/2 + Linux (Slackware+RedHat+SuSE) + FreeBSD + Solaris +
WinNT4 + Win95 + PC/GEOS + Executor = PC Hobbyist Heaven!
Data not found; make it up as I go along? (Y/n)
Richard Steiner
>The SB/AWE design goes back to the 80s. The Live (see Subject:) is their
>first new design since then and the only CL card that's worth anything
>if you ask me. Can I use it in OS/2?
Not to my knowledge.
>>I've been [rattling sabers with IBM] for almost eight years
>>[so] Save your lectures for someone else, please.
>
>I have no idea what that means. I admit I don't recognize your name, but
>I've only been doing OS/2 (full-time) for four years. Are you someone I
>should recognize for moving and shaking IBM in the right way about OS/2?
No, probably not. I can't move IBM. :-)
My point is that some of us have sent snail mail and e-mail notes to
people at IBM about various things for years and years (I've been an
active online home/hobbyist OS/2 user since 1992), and historically
we've not seen much response. It's certainly not for lack of trying.
--
-Rich Steiner >>>---> rste...@visi.com >>>---> Bloomington, MN
OS/2 + Linux (Slackware+RedHat+SuSE) + FreeBSD + Solaris +
WinNT4 + Win95 + PC/GEOS + Executor = PC Hobbyist Heaven!
Unable to locate Coffee -- Operator Halted!
nospam...@tabi.org
> Currently, OS/2 does not have sufficient multimedia system services to
> enable us to deliver drivers that have Full-Duplex audio or software
> wave-table & waveguide synthesis.
But this IS the lie that Creative was spreading! MMPM can do full-duplex
and wavetable. There are several OS/2 drivers that do both.
u...@40th.com
nospam...@tabi.org? (nospam...@tabi.org?) wrote (Sun, 13 Dec 1998 13:06:16 -0600):
> CL press release:
>> Currently, OS/2 does not have sufficient multimedia system services to
>> enable us to deliver drivers that have Full-Duplex audio or software
>> wave-table & waveguide synthesis.
>
>But this IS the lie that Creative was spreading! MMPM can do full-duplex
>and wavetable. There are several OS/2 drivers that do both.
That's obviously true, so why do you think that's what CL meant? It reads
"...to enable us...". As for wavetable, there's no patch/cache-loading API
that the AWE needs (just one thing the AWE needs). Sure, CL could hack up
all new stuff, like I did for MIDI (OS/2 MIDI is just lacking -- no, it's
pathetic), but they sure can't afford to do that (and shouldn't have to --
that the whole point of this type of OS).
And, as that same PR said two years ago and as is true today, IBM has given
up on MMOS2. CL could have always gotten back into OS/2 at anytime, but
they didn't and it doesn't look like CL ever will. Why not? The low count
of OS/2 users (esp. WRT soundcards), and IBM's absolute-zero interest in
advancing MMOS2.
Getting upset/angry/hostile at CL over this is like killing the messenger.
People do that, commonly, but only because they don't really know better.
nospam...@tabi.org
>That's obviously true, so why do you think that's what CL meant? It
>reads "...to enable us...". As for wavetable, there's no
>patch/cache-loading API that the AWE needs (just one thing the AWE
>needs). Sure, CL could hack up all new stuff, like I did for MIDI (OS/2
>MIDI is just lacking -- no, it's pathetic), but they sure can't afford to
>do that (and shouldn't have to --
>that the whole point of this type of OS).
But OS/2's MIDI and audio capabilities are no better or worse than Windows
95 without DirectX. Yet, Creative was able to write drivers for Win95
that do all the things they say that OS/2 cannot.
Win95's audio driver model is pretty much just like Windows 3.1.