MOTM

I'm glad to hear that it's only an option.
 
I only mentioned floppy diskettes because it's something I'm being asked
to struggle with right now, and simply an example of how in a few short
years, computer hardware (and software) can frustratingly pass into an
extinct state. I realize that it's a storage medium; I wasn't suggesting
that it had a direct bearing on this module.
 
However, a few short years ago, I had a wonderful $1000 rack mounted
audio interface, and when Windows XP came out, I couldn't use it
anymore. The company that developed it went South, and the Win98 drivers
would not work under WinXP. So even though the *hardware* was in perfect
condition, I packed the device into a box and taped it shut, threw it
into the closet, and wrote a check for another $1000 box to do the same
job.
 
And as an early adopter of WinVista, I can bore you silly with the
countless frustrations of driver incompatibilities that I'm
encountering. And of course, on the Mac side, we've seen similar periods
of obsolescence over the years. It's the nature of THAT business, but
now for the first time, we're talking about tying it into THIS business.
 
While these ports may physically exist in years to come, like serial &
parallel ports today, will they actually "work"? I mean, work for the
non-programmer? Sure, someone who knows how to program for these things
will always be able to tinker together their own software, but will the
people who *today* are excited about writing applets for this module
still be updating their generous efforts fifteen or twenty years from
now for us?
 
Don't get me wrong, I was one of the first people who chimed in and said
"USB please!" I'm just commenting that the fears of obsolescence that
others have expressed here definitely resonate with me. I'm the kind of
person who uses "DOSbox" to play games that are twelve or more years
old. And as I say, I want to use my modular a lot longer than that,
so... I'm just saying it's worth stopping to contemplate the problems of
obsolescence on the computer end.
 

________________________________

From: synth1@... [mailto:synth1@...] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:05 AM
To: Tkacs, Ken
Subject: Re: FW: [motm] Cloud Interface Debate



a) floppies are a *storage media*, not a *transmission* media

b) EVERY *transmiision* media used on personal computers since Day 1
(TRS-80 let's say) is STILL available. Yes, RS-232 and parallel ports
have hardware available. My new Dell laptop has serial ports, I can get
a USB to Parallel port cable for $9 off eBay. I can get a USB to serial
converter, too.

c) the programming port is NOT REQUIRED to use the module. Repeat: NOT
REQUIRED.

Paul S.





On Wed Sep 5 7:41 , "Tkacs, Ken" sent:



	 
	If the ICs go out of production, hopefully the device will still
function, though. But if the ability to "talk" to it becomes obsolete,
then the device loses its functionality, no? 
	 
	I hope to be using my modular 20 years from now, but will
personal computers look the same at that point? I'm already having
problems at work trying to find a way to read 5.25" floppies made seven
years ago!
	 
	I never thought of this whole discussion as a "real time" thing.
God, I hope not. It would be nice to hook the thing to a PC to load up
some new scales, but when using the modular, I would hope it would
function independently of a computer.
	 

________________________________

	From: synth1@airmail.net [mailto:synth1@...] 
	Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 9:01 PM
	To: Tkacs, Ken
	Subject: Re: [motm] Cloud Interface Debate
	
	

	a) The ICs on the Cloud Generator will go obsolete before USB or
Ethernet.

	b) THe context of the original discussion was *programming* not
*playing notes*. It never even occured to me to allow note on/off
messages because that implies a whole additional layer of programming
inside the unit that we are not perpared for. That is why I don't want a
MIDI jack on it *just* for programming. People will automatically assume
(rightfully so) that you can hook a sequencer to it. But since it has
Pitch CV inputs, you can sequence it over  midi-cv.

	c) Many companies make USB programming fairly easily on the HW
side. FTDI, SiLabs and others have USB-to-serial chips  that have smiple
interfaces and free USB support drivers for PC/Mac/Linux.

	Paul S.

	
	
	
	
	On Tue Sep 4 6:54 , "Tkacs, Ken" sent:
	
	


		>>>
		How long will all these technologies last?
		<<<
		
		
		Sadly, this is the best argument for MIDI, in my
opinion. Personally,
		I'm no fan at all of MIDI for SysEx and things like
that... I find it to
		be a real bear. The last time I had any fun with
transferring patches to
		& from my synthesizers was using Sequencer Plus Gold
(DOS).
		
		But when you consider that PC interfaces come and go so
quickly, perhaps
		at the end of the day MIDI really is preferable to USB,
&c.
		
		
		
		
		
		
		Yahoo! Groups Links
		
		
motm-digest@yahoogroups.com','','','')">motm-digest@yahoogroups.com 
	
motm-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com','','','')">motm-fullfeatured@yahoogro
ups.com
		
		
		


	---- Msg sent via Internet America Webmail -
http://www.internetamerica.com/  


---- Msg sent via Internet America Webmail -
http://www.internetamerica.com/