PDA

View Full Version : DOS question!!!



bertie
06-06-2004, 09:24 AM
hi Bob,

if SAWStudio would run in dos mode is it possible to run faster?!
and
if yes, can you be able in the near future to make SAWStudio run like
an OS (running in top of the dos mode like second OS without having windows installed thus making SAWStudio engine using more PC sources)

thanks
Bertie (lifetime SAWStudio user)

TotalSonic
06-06-2004, 12:38 PM
I'm not Bob - but I can state that SAWStudio relies on the Windows NT engine to work and won't work over only DOS - and that it would be silly to give up all the past 10 years of hardware and software development to create a port just to see whether a tiny bit of performance gain could be had. SAW does however bypass a lot of Window's cludginess in order to give us the great performance we're used to from it already.

It's pretty interesting to check out Bob's design for SAW's predecessor SAC (Software Audio Console) which was designed to run on DOS - as a lot of the basic elements actually are part of SAWStudio now:

http://www.rmllabs.com/SAC.htm


Personally I'd love to see someone port SAWStudio over to Linux or to something like a "BobOS" because then the OS could be streamlined for best DAW performance - and I see a lot of things in Microsofts direction, such as the recent XP activation scheme or the general bloat of their OS - that I think are negatives for future DAW users. However this would take so many hours of coding and development that Bob would either need someone to volunteer to do this or end other developments of SAW's features in order to spend all his time porting it.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Bob L
06-06-2004, 12:44 PM
I think Steve said it all. :)

No intention of going back to DOS... would not have any useful purpose... and hardware would need to be specifically designed to work with the code... there would be no drivers with any new piece of hardware we buy that would work...

Nope... not even a viable conversation unless I was worth Hundreds of Millions of dollars and not a care in the world except to get up each day and fritter away my time creating the DAW OS of the future... then try to convince every other manufacturer that my way is something they should support... yeah RIGHT!!!!! :) :) :)

Bob L

TotalSonic
06-06-2004, 01:27 PM
Bob -
I think with things like the development of the JACK & ALSA driver protocols - which allows Linux users the ability to use pro cards with very low latencies from a growing list of manufacturers such as RME & Echo - that Linux DAW is very soon going to be a very viable alternative. Check out http://www.ardour.org/ to check out a Linux DAW app that I think actually could eventually be competition for Win & Mac based apps.

I do in fact think a Linux port would attract a huge amount of interest to SAWStudio, as let's face it - MS simply making some plans right now that don't seem to be in the interests of DAW users - and people out there are definitely interested in alternatives. It'd be great if you found a coder who took on a port as a volunteer project - it's too bad that I just seriously doubt there's anyone out there with the knowledge and time out there right now to do this.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Bob L
06-06-2004, 02:01 PM
I've considered Linux and the Mac a few times in the past, but every time I jumped in to look at the development tools... they were seriously lacking in so much of what I have become used to be able to do in the Windows Graphical environment, that I decided to wait.

Also, the Linux driver model for audio was seriously lacking... hopefully it will continue to evolve into something that will be able to handle what I have become used to with SAWStudio in the Windows environment.

I'll definitely keep an eye on it... I also looked at QNX OS but again, graphics, audio and video were seriously limited.

So, for now, we continue to tweak Windows into supporting our needs... and I must say, I am constantly amazed at what we can do already, and what we couldn't do last year, and can do this year... its pretty fun stuff.

Bob L

AudioAstronomer
06-06-2004, 03:42 PM
ONLY reason linux is not on every last one of my computers is because I use sawstudio. It's a sad thing to see sometimes :)

Oz Nimbus
06-06-2004, 05:38 PM
It's just too bad that BeOs didn't take off. That would have been a great DAW platform.

-0z-

Bob L
06-06-2004, 06:50 PM
BEOS... not necessarily for me... it was all written in C++ and all the functions and interactions with the OS were designed to be in C++ also... it was a bit of a go-around to write in assembly langugae which would have made SAWStudio quite a different beast.

Bob L

Oz Nimbus
06-06-2004, 08:53 PM
Ok, I stand corrected then!

-0z-

mghtx
06-06-2004, 09:10 PM
Bob, please don't ever say "Mac" again! :D Personally I like the way it is now though Linux doesn't bother me. Whatever the future may hold it has to be user friendly.

Naturally Digital
06-07-2004, 01:51 PM
BEOS... not necessarily for me... it was all written in C++ and all the functions and interactions with the OS were designed to be in C++ also... it was a bit of a go-around to write in assembly langugae which would have made SAWStudio quite a different beast.

Bob L

Wow! Did not know that. Thanks for educating us Bob. Man, I never would have bought stock had I been armed with that info!!

Dave.