iBook audio & PC questions

msfimsfi
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Hi,



I'm looking at purchasing the iBook 12" screen with a combo drive, but I've got a couple of questions before I go to AppleCentre and spend without thought



I'm mainly going to use it for university, but I like to fiddle around with audio as well.



What is the quality of USB audio converters like the iMic? I work at a public radio station and would like to put the iBook in the studio to record in from RCA.



Can you set the DVD to whatever region you prefer? I'm in Australia which is zone 4 but would prefer zone 1.



Lastly, I'd like to share files with my PC. Is this easy to do? my PC runs win98, upgrading to XP later in the year, it has USB but not ethernet or firewire (though I could add them if necessary).



thanks!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    sebseb Posts: 676member
    I've never used the iMic, but I here it works well.



    You can't change the region encoding on the DVD player to my knowledge. There may be a hack, but I don't know about it.



    To network, you will need an ethernet card for your PC, and some network cables. If you go straight from PC to Mac you'll need a 'crossover' cable. You'll also need a piece of software called DAVE. <a href="http://www.thursby.com/default.html"; target="_blank">http://www.thursby.com/default.html</a>;



    Hope that helps a little. People at the AppleCentre should be answer any questions you have. Then again, I've never been to an AppleCentre, so I don't know how knowldedgable they are.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    mithrasmithras Posts: 165member
    Just want to add that you don't need to buy DAVE to fileshare between the iBook and the PC. You do need the NIC and cables for the PC, which should run about US$15 total.



    But after that, in OS X, you can just set up filesharing on the PC, and then connect to the PC via 'SMB' filesharing. Mac Help will tell you how to do it, once you're ready.



    Congrats - it's a great little machine!
  • Reply 3 of 4
    neovirusnineneovirusnine Posts: 65member
    those dinky usb mics are generally crap from my experience. If you have any extra cash or think you could save up there are several options open to you... MOTU sells two firewire audio solutions that are both around 1,000 plus or minus 100 retail. Emagic has a great USB audio interface called the EMI 2/6. MIDIMAN also has a usb interface i think called the quatro... the latter two solutions are around 500. Digidesign also has something called the M-Box which comes with Protools LE i think for about 500 as well also usb.

    <a href="http://www.motu.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.motu.com/</a>; <a href="http://www.midiman.com/products/usb.php"; target="_blank">http://www.midiman.com/products/usb.php</a>; <a href="http://www.emagic.de/"; target="_blank">http://www.emagic.de/</a>;

    <a href="http://www.digidesign.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.digidesign.com/</a>;



    As for the region code... there is a hack I have seen floating around the net that makes apple's DVD player regionless... meaning it will playing anything regarding of region... which i highly would recomend finding because region codes are just one way that megalomaniacle companies try to restrict and control our freedoms and circumvent the government. thats the end of that little rant... thanks.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    serranoserrano Posts: 1,806member
    there are many rca usb audio input solutions, some very nice ones from the same people that make the iMic... check on their website, i believe it's griffin tech but i'm not sure...



    for the dvd region hack check out the <a href="http://www.macdvd.org/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi"; target="_blank">rip different forums</a>, along with <a href="http://www.wormintheapple.gr/macdvd/index.html"; target="_blank">The Mac DVD Resource</a> wich deals exactly with getting around region encoding.



    happy ibooking, excellent machines.



    [ 04-02-2002: Message edited by: janitor ]</p>
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