Wednesday, July 4th 2007
Creative Sells ALchemy Audigy Edition at $9.99
It seems that Creative Labs is now selling ALchemy Audigy Edition for $9.99 (USD). As you may know the ALchemy project enables DirectSound3D audio to be processed by your Sound Blaster Audigy and deliver EAX effects in Microsoft Windows Vista. Without Creative ALchemy, most DirectSound games running in Vista will be reduced to stereo output without any EAX effects. This project is available freely for Creative X-Fi owners. For unknown reasons Creative Labs has decided to sell this wrapper to Audigy owners. Here's the link where you have to buy the software in order to use EAX effects in Vista with your "old" Creative Audigy Series/Audigy 2/Audigy 2 ZS/Audigy 2 ZS notebook or Audigy 4 sound blaster.
Source:
NGOHQ
37 Comments on Creative Sells ALchemy Audigy Edition at $9.99
Yet another Vista problem, I just don't know, this software still should be in the beta stage, so many problems.
I didn't even pay for it and I still hate it, I feel bad for the legit owners.
That will be the last Creative card I buy.
appz, gamez, muzicz, ebookz, driverz.
Vista introduced a new audio driver model which is why there are so many driver issues. Its now very similar to OS X's CoreAudio in that the OS handles a lot more of the work differently.
Creative's EAX I think used features/work arounds of the old windows model, which was fixed/changed in Vista so they have to make a new solution from scratch.
If you do that, every vendor would just sit back and say "use the compatability", instead of seeing improvements from the audio subsystem rewrite. :laugh:
don't even care about the customers only about the $$$.
Vista brings no functional improvements that an end user would /desire/.
All Vista brings are technical changes that really aren't all that useful for an end user.
XP brought:
Stability
Networking
Networked printing, sharing
USB support
Media support
All most users will see about vista is...
Pretty.
Bloaty.
Pretty.
Bloaty.
Likes to question ones actions.
Incompatabilitys.
Microsoft needs to simplify their menu'ing and structures... Now its turning into re-learn how to use a computer, which is unacceptable for the general public. PERIOD.
Vista also brings better multi-core support to the table, better security (and no, I don't mean UAC), a much better network stack, DX10, much better search functionality, and generally better usage of the mass amounts of resources it consumes. It by no means is any worse off than when XP first released.
We now have an OS that has all of these functions.. so the upgrade is going to be a hassle rather than a convenience. This driver example is just another of the problems a user will face. Wheres the real motivation to upgrade? Forcing direct X down a users throat is not the way.
From now on I'm taking a zero-tolerance stance against flaming in the news section, people.