[seandaly]

I too am disappointed by Digi's slowness in understanding firewire's advantages, developing OSX (XP...) compatibility, &c.

But for crying out loud, what you can do with a Digi001 & a decent Mac (or a stable PC, if that exists) is MINDBLOWING for an oldtimer like me.

I mean, back in the 80s when I was producing demos and indie records in NYC, master quality studio time was $$$ - so I did preproduction on 4-track open-reel Teacs. And later, multitrack cassette machines, taking a quality hit just for the ease of use - but that didn't matter because master quality was not possible anyway outside a pro studio.

Digi has positioned itself as the leading supplier to pro studios during the digital revolution. Their cautious and conservative approach to hardware / software validation means that they provide the big boys with reliability, absolutely key in a pro environment. But they have also understood that the prosumer market includes pro engineers & producers & musicians with a setup at home, plus a mass market of hobbyists / home recordists (I am now in this category), plus video postprod suites who don't need fullblown multitrack audio capability... all of whom want to function in the SAME software environment as the pros.

I chose the Digi001 not only for its capabilities, which are largely sufficient for my needs (well OK 2 extra mic preamps would have been helpful, and how about firewire?), but because I want seamless compatibility between my home rig and a pro studio. There are two Digi TDM pro studios a five-minute walk from where I live now, and having the flexibility to do basic tracks or overdubs outside and mixing inside is FABULOUS.

The folk & classical stuff I am doing these days with the Digi001, PTLE & a few pro mics & outboard is master quality and easily transferable to any pro studio - I for one am very pleased that Digi made this possible.

Finally, as for Apple, although the theoretical G5 specs look good, I would not be surprised if they waited for the OSX installed base to reach 50% to port their new flavor of Unix to Athlon for example. Creative pros want speed and reliability, and XP is a threat. If OSX could run on cheap Athlon motherboards designed for Mac particularities, Apple could perhaps break out of their 4% market share niche... while concentrating on consumer-friendly gadgets and computers on the other side

- Sean