Posted by: "Philip Tyler"
> I don't find it a problem to play AAC files in Windows
> as long as any file with the extension .m4a is changed
> to .mp4 they play in Windows Media Player for me and
> in iTunes. But not any files purchased from the iTunes
> store as these have the DRM built in.
As I've noted we play .m4a on the Sony PC without changing the
extension. I also do have windows media player on my mac for the very
rare times I run in the windows specific video files, don't care for it
at all.
> To my ears AAC at the lower bit rates is more pleasing
> and less tiring for me to listen to than mp3's of a
> similar rate. So I find 128kb AAC acceptable but not
> mp3's and I certainly tire very quickly when listening
> to 128kb mp3's.
>
> Move up to the 192 / 256 area and agreed I don't think
> there is much to choose between them.
That's my reaction, minor improvements. At least it did not get worse!
> My main computer is a Mac and have been a convert for
> many years, well I say convert I started on a Mac
> before I ever met a Win PC. I do have a PC now as I
> decided that it would be a good project to build one
> and help keep the old grey matter active. Plus I use
> PC's all the time at work as we use Audition heavily
> and so I thought it would be good to have Audition at
> home as well.
I started on mainframes, punched cards and all.
The mac was a step down (at the time) from a LISA.
I can work with anything in the way of computers I choose to. I prefer a
computer that's as transparent as possible. I mean I have to do as
little that's computer specific as possible while getting on with the
real use of computers, working with photos, audio, text, data storage,
etc. That's why I'm still using macs.
> But in the future it looks like a Mac will do it all
> for me, especially with Parallel which will apparently
> now allow you to run some windows programs without
> having the windows desktop active.
I have the latest parallels on my MacBook Pro to run the few PC programs
I have that have no mac equivalent. You do still have the windows
desktop where the windows programs run. You can either have it in a
window on the mac desktop or you can switch to windows full screen
(there's a simple key command to switch between). It still has some
problems with USB connections with some software. Otherwise it's better
than virtual PC. Windows is just as nasty as on a separate PC.
> QuickTime on a PC is fine, I have found, as long as
> you don't let it take over the machine. Only have it
> play those specific QT formats leave Windows Media
> Player as your main default player. Likewise if you
> install Real Player be careful not to let that take
> over either and just let it look after the those Real
> Player specific formats.
This has become true in macs too, you can't just blindly install things
anymore. We badly need a major shift in attitude of those who write the
programs and OS we use. They need to learn that the wishes and needs of
the end users are priority one.
Walt
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