Windows vs MAC for DJing…what are drivers?
So its time I buy a new laptop, and I dont want the only reason to buy a MAC be because of DJing…
I was thinking of getting an Alienware M14x which costs the same as a Macbook Pro…(Im also a gamer)
Im not sure what drivers are, but Ive heard that macs dont need to upgrade drivers, and windows have to? please enlighten me on this…what are drivers and how do they work? how do i download the latest drivers?
computers have little minions that operate it like a vehicle. they must update their driver’s license ever so often.
Windows machines require 3rd party ASIO drivers to be installed in order to get low-latency audio suitable for DJing.
Macs have low latency CoreAudio drivers natively built-in that work for many sound cards.
You update drivers by going to the manufacturer’s website, finding your product, and looking at the available downloads.
is it hard to find a driver update? cause i spent a long time trying to find the right drivers for my hercules RMX…
will pioneers DDJ SX have easy to find drivers?
hmm ok
I’m on the pioneer website, and it shows
[QUOTE]DDJ-SX
Performance DJ Controller
Product Information- Firmware - UpdatesManuals[/QUOTE]
does firmware mean driver?
1st result on Google for “hercules RMX driver” brings you straight to the correct page.
Same for the DDJ-SX
perfect thanks
lol, wouldn’t put it past apple if they could find slave labour tiny people - they probably have them in development
There are games you just can’t get on a Mac. That was a deal breaker for me. I just went with a cheap ass laptop and spent the rest on a lobster dinner and a cool pair of sunglasses.
Firmware----drivers that go inside the actual hardware
Drivers----lets the computer talk to the hardware, yes even on mac you will need these, they are always free and take less than 2 seconds to install.
Wow…no one really knows what any of these terms mean.
If you use and like Windows, use it. It’s fine.
The issue comes with finding the right computer to use for audio thanks to the way the Windows Kernel schedules tasks. Audio processing has to happen in real time and Windows is set up so that other things (usually power management drivers) can run amok and take so much CPU time that you get audio glitches & dropouts because there’s just nothing left for what you actually want the computer to do.
And, really, the only way to check on that is to start searching around to find people who have tried using the computer you’re thinking about with audio software and written about how it works. If it doesn’t work well, look elsewhere.
Couple questions, though…why are you using a laptop for gaming? And why Alienware?
Most class compliant gear (DDJ SX, CDJ 2000, Vestax VCI, Mixtrack Pro etc.) does not require any drivers to be installed for Mac systems. “Drivers” for Mac usually mean control panels for adjusting IO/latency settings outside of your audio application.
Using a laptop for gaming is far more trouble than it’s worth. You can get at least 2 or 3 times the processing power in a desktop for less money.
Alienware is the biggest waste of money you can buy…
You really shouldn’t be gaming on a laptop in the first place. For 800 bucks you can build a much stronger desktop build and still have 1k or so for a nice laptop for DJing.
Nope.
A driver is a piece of software that controls a device that’s attached to a computer. The driver files sit on your computer’s hard drive and basically tell the operating system what the device is and how to control it.
Firmware is code that’s present on the device itself. For example, you might buy a CD deck that has upgradable firmware and an upgrade may fix a bug, improve performance, or add a new feature.
With a Macbook, because of what Mostapha said, you are less likely to have issues generally speaking. With a Windows laptop, you may get one that runs DJ software as well as the Macbook for much less money, or you may find that you have issues with DPC latency and the laptop is either crap for DJing or offers worse performance than the Macbook.
The majority of Windows machine vendors don’t help the situation either, as they load up their machines with crapware. They get paid to do it, which means they can sell their products cheaper, but that often drags the performance of the machine down. The best starting point for a Windows-based machine is a vanilla install of Windows, fully updated via Windows Update, with the latest drivers for your hardware installed. But it’s not always easy to do that as rarely are you actually given a Windows install disc with a pre-built PC. Most of the time they come with a restore disc that can be used to get the PC back to factory settings, but that includes all the crapware.
Drivers in OS X are usually called kexts, they are preinstalled for a bunch of stuff but that doesn’t mean they aren’t needed or you won’t have to install/upgrade some of them.
Class compliant devices are what used to be called Plug&Play where the hardware works just fine with the generic ones provided by the OS. In this case, updates are handled by the OS.
You could always make a wrapper for the game if you want a quick fix or simply make a bootcamp partition to prevent performance drops.
That being said, let’s not turn this into yet another Win vs Mac thread folks, otherwise it will get locked.
I dont want to buy 2 differnt machines…I just want ONE machine, for DJing, and for Gaming.
What do you suggest?
Samsung Series 7 Gamer seems to get decent enough reviews. Try and find someone using it for DJing (online) or find a store that carries it so you can try it out.
Intel 4000 is going to struggle with intense 3D programs.
I honestly think it’s a terrible idea to ever build a powerhouse laptop, but if you absolutely must have it all in one laptop, get a Samsung ^. HP Envy is supposed to be decent, but I hate HP build quality. ASUS also makes excellent laptops.