Computer / Software

Clicks or pops in your audio? The cause may be hardware devices taking more than their share of interrupt time. Now there's a utility that checks for this, and a PC Notes survey amassing results that could help you track down the source of your problems.

There's no lack of new Apple products to discuss this month, with a revamp of the company's portable line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and the iPhone SDK that will enable developers to create applications for what Apple hope will become the next significant platform.

The focus this month is on checking and improving the performance of your PC, with a new benchmark test just released and news of a useful tool that could help you pin down the source of latency-related problems.

Have you ever wondered why Power PC plug-ins can't run in Intel applications, or why your 32-bit plug-ins won't work in 64-bit applications of the future? Apple Notes explains all.

Vista's now a year old — but is it loved or loathed by musicians?

As weeks go, the first couple in January were pretty good for new Mac hardware, with Apple introducing updated Mac Pros and Xserves, along with a new stunningly thin MacBook. We dissect the potential of Apple's new offerings with a musician-shaped scalpel.

Are you stuck on the PC upgrade bandwagon? This month, PC Notes discusses whether it might be possible to step off it, as computer power finally starts to catch up with the needs and aspirations of musicians.

With Apple opening a new retail store in Exeter, and speculation as to when new Mac Pros might be released to take advantage of Intel's latest Penryn technology, welcome to the first (and possibly last) West Country-themed Apple Notes.

Faulty capacitors can leak toxic fluid and eventually disable your PC altogether. We investigate, as well as attempting to untangle the thorny world of USB terminology.

Leopard is finally with us — but while it promises improvements for general Mac users, will it offer anything to musicians and audio engineers other than incompatibility?

You might think you can hear that one sequencer sounds better than another, but are you fooling yourself? Your PC can help you find out. But first, if you're thinking of building a new computer, read on...

GarageBand is perhaps the most successful entry-level music software ever created, and this month we take a closer look at the latest version supplied with iLife '08.

Your digital audio's passage through the PC may not leave it unscathed: even if you avoid Windows performing sample-rate conversion behind the scenes, other factors can compromise 'bit transparency'. We explain.

Apple renewed their commitment to music this month, both for those who listen to it and those who create it. We examine the latest developments, and take a more detailed look at the new iMac, which could offer enough power to be considered more than just an entry-level machine.

Have you ever had a VST plug-in 'go missing' when you've installed an update, or conflict with another that's been newly added to your system? PC Notes explains why it happens and offers some solutions.

A recent Apple special event saw the launch of a new iMac, a new version of GarageBand and a new iWork suite — plus a new Mac Mini is waiting in the wings. Read on for more...

Many of us need to regularly use virus checkers, but we don't want them interfering with PC music performance. Fortunately, there are ways to make sure that doesn't happen.

Widgets are everywhere, from the new iPhone to Macs running OS X Tiger. But while the iPhone is picky about the Widgets it will run, your Mac is open to a world of musically-related Widget curiosities...

Will you notice a big improvement in software performance if you switch to a multi-core processor? And will performance suffer if you switch to Windows Vista? Find the answers to these and many other questions in this month's PC Notes...

Apple CEO Steve Jobs outlined many visually interesting features this month for the next major version of OS X. However, it's perhaps the features that lurk beneath Leopard's glossy exterior that will prove the most useful to Mac-based musicians and audio engineers.

This month we examine reliable ways of reducing computer boot-up time, so you don't have to wait ages for your PC to let you get started when you want to make some music.