They will maintain Windows 10 for some years yet, and progress is inevitable, otherwise we'd still have DOS 3 or Windows 3.1 (and be driving T-Model cars).
Nothing will stop such progress, but there is a choice: get on the bus, or stay at the bus stop. Ultimately, it's a user choice.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Exactly why I like being a boat rocker, Trev. I believe the only boat that doesn't rock is the one that's dead in the water.
Eddie, c'mon ! I've never known you to be rock the boat! What gives?
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Thanks, everyone, for chipping in on that MS Paint situation. I have been working with Paintdotnet; so I do appreciate those suggestions and will dig in. When Illustrator went to the cloud, I figured it was time to bow out. I have irfanview loaded and working. So far, so good.
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
I just took a look at windows 11. On the surface of things it is not a huge change. Who knows what will happen if you install it.
Ugggh, the guy said they are taking ability to start with a local user account away. That's something I like to do as I try to avoid all the Microsoft Store. We'll have to see if they can be created after initial Windows setup. They are integrating store stuff more and more with each release, making it more difficult to avoid it.
If I have to log in with a Micro$oft account, it's absolutely time to turn to Mac. That is too controlling for me. It's bad enough they phone home so often to check my license key. Time to move on.
EDIT: Correction since publishing: You can sign into Windows 11 using a local account (although it's not quite as intuitive as you might think!). When it asks for your Microsoft account details, click "sign-in options" and then select "Offline account".
Correction since publishing: You can sign into Windows 11 using a local account (although it's not quite as intuitive as you might think!). When it asks for your Microsoft account details, click "sign-in options" and then select "Offline account".
Is this true for Windows 11 Pro and Home? Last time I checked for Windows 10 this was only allowed in the Pro version.
All. heres a rare "mini rant"/thoughts from me on how us consumers of tech can protect ourselves in the coming years. (like many pg users i worked in tech for a few years) 1. win 11. if its user friendly and doesnt get in my way i'll probably upgrade after waiting awhile to see if it causes any user issues..particularly for recording rigs like mine that are kept off the net because i want my rig kept clean of stuff or any possibility of viruses etc. if it boots fast i'll be interested in win 11 and IF particularly it helps recording rigs run better. my recording rig boots fast in 5 secs or so cos its not loading all the security stuff // anti virus etc that my pc on the the net does...however if win 11 is very intrusive and wants to control my life...forget about it. in this case i'll again buy refurb pc's with win 7 or 10 on. for many years now day in/out ive done songs useing refurbs with nary a problem. with no bloatware either and never a crash. if i'm really pushed i'll find a way to do songs useing linux on refurb pc's/. and as i do now use my cheap 80 buk amazon tablet for the net/surfing/researching stuff. love it. 2. Apple. i would love an m1 mac like an imac. but i quell my lust for one by asking myself how long before its obsolete and replaced by an m2 imac ? for me as a consumer the price of an imac is not trivial, and i have other family commitments. just simple stuff like paying the never ending monthly utility bills. i feel my whole darn life is bills and taxes. my main concern with going to mac is how long will my financial investment last ? before a new model comes out ? maybe in a couple of years buying a refurb m1 imac with warranty is a shrewder approach ? save money and any tech kinks ironed out ? my overriding concern is...is apple (like the iphones) adopting a strategy to tempt mac users to buy a new mac model every year or so ? if thats the strategy..sorry ..no can do ; i have other financial priorities. if however there was an upgrade path for existing users of m1 mac hardware...depending on pricing...i would probably be more interested. another strategy is just buy older powerfull mac refurbs that are cheap with warranty. there are lots. 3. in closeing i'm watching carefully developments on the raspberry pi computer thats sold now apparently over 30 million units worldwide. and is attracting many devs to it. if i'm pushed now that pi runs reaper and traction daws, thats another possible future option. particularly as its 80 buks. if the pi gets a 3ghz processor i reckon things will get very interesting. cos more developers will get attracted to the platform.
why is it i get the feeling a lot of big organisations try and control my life these days ? its tiring and i'm fed up with it. i'm sure lots of others feel the same.
best oldmuso
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
oldmuso, I was long a hardware geek with PC's I swapped out cpu's, changed ram & HD's, video cards, overclocked, even watercooled. I don't do any of that anymore.
my take on mac hardware is much simpler: I buy a current model new with near maximum hardware configuration and it lasts me a decade without modifications.
My current macbook pro is almost 10 years old and works fine for biab and Logic Pro. Both of those apps are reasonably resource intensive. I have not thought about upgrades or tweaking during the period. It just chugs along. No drama
The new Mac Mini with the M1x chip interest me. Hopefully we'll see those by years end. I expect a maxed out config to come in around $2k. About half what I paid for my Mac 10 years ago. Good value to me.
My MacBook pro may still be worth $500 or so on the used market also. Bonus.
biab2025(Mac) Latest Build Mac OS (Latest) Apple Mac Mini M2 pro 32GB Ram Logic Pro (latest or pretty close) Heddon Super Spook XT (Mullet)
mrgeeze. 1. re keeping a computer for 10 years. yeh i get it. but unfortunately i dont have your patience. lol. what the heck happened to moores law that said "power would double every 18 months" ?. it seems ages its taken to get to 3/4ghz processors. laws of physics of course. 2. paying 2k for computer. this is where i get in a quandary. i can get dual xeon refurb "beasts" of pc's for 600 bucks with all the trimmings (eg hp z ). OR if i'm tempted to pay 2k to 3k for a pc ; i would have to consider one of the custom pc's from custom builders of turnkey recording pc's that the big recording studios buy. just pure dsp beasts that run huge trak and plug in counts. eg...check these out.... purrfect audio, rok box, adk pro audio, scan.co.uk etc eg this very extreme pc up to 384 ddr4 of ram and xeons all the way. wowser. https://silentpc.com/daw/studio-digital-audio-workstation the above really cranks me up. gotta win the lotto lol.
best oldmuso
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 06/19/2106:15 AM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean