Fingerz...Just re read this. CAN you run an SSD on XP?
Again, just an old PC numpty valve amp jockey askin'!
Dave.
Unfortunately, when it comes to technology, most companies don't seem to care about the older systems, when they come up with fancy, new stuff. I'm old enough to remember the old days of DOS and the first version of Windows that actually was just another software that you'd install on your DOS based computer. Win 95 was the first independent version of Windows.
Most people don't care about the antiquated versions of Windows, when they upgrade to the new fancy stuff. Windows XP has it's limitations and I can't say I like living with them, because I'd much rather take advantage of 64 bit technology as well as the way a newer OS uses RAM, and allows installed software to also use it. That 4 gig limit is a pain, especially when Windows itself uses much of it.
When it comes to an SSD drive, you have limitations, too. But, there are ways around those limitations. Sure, you can't just go out and get any SSD drive, because of how XP can get confused by it. But, Intel is one company that allows for those of us who are limited to XP to upgrade to some of the fancy stuff.
Newer versions of Windows have the TRIM command as part of their normal integration. XP doesn't have that. But, being an old tech, I normally investigate things before I proceed with them, just because XP is so um...basic. You'd think the SSD is just seen as another drive to your computer, but that's not so. In layman's terms, the TRIM command is how the drive tells Windows that certain blocks of the drive are open to be used for new data. So, when you delete something, the computer knows that space is then available for new data to be written on. Without this, your drive would work, but it would soon act like you're running out of disk space, because the drive and computer aren't talking to each other, like they should.
You can install an upgrade program that takes care of the TRIM function, but it's best to have a pretty recent motherboard, so you can enable specific features in the setup to allow said upgrade program to function properly. Even if you don't have a recent motherboard, you can install another package to allow you to use an SSD drive. All of these programs are from Intel.
I was lucky enough to get a recent motherboard, with latest firmware and an Intel quad chip, too. When building the computer, I didn't think about the SSD drive needing special features. I just lucked out, there. Everything kind of took care of itself. The computer saw the SSD drive and enabled the necessary programs to make it work.
I wouldn't advise using some of the newer technology with an older OS, but some things do work. And I wish I didn't have to think about this stuff, when something new comes out that looks inviting. It's partly my recording hardware and partly drivers I have installed that keep me in the dark ages. But, I've added so many things to my setup that I'd actually lose quite a bit. if I decided to upgrade my OS. What I'd gain in RAM usage and maybe some VST programs, I'd lose in recording hardware and my rather large set of VST sounds.
You see, after a while, people tend to give away their old stuff, when it's no longer useful for them to sell it. They see it as making friends with new customers. And people who create VSTs for fun, always like to give them away, just to get people to use them. I've got quite a little setup with my system, when looking at the performing aspect of it.
I first started wondering if Cubase was too much of a memory hog for me and thought about looking at something else to use, but it's so good at allowing multiple VST sound modules to work together, I really would hate to try something new and lose some of what I have with Cubase. Memory isn't that much of an issue, but similar to recording headroom as an analogy, I would like to have a bit of extra RAM space. I'm like everybody else. When I have a good thing going, I just want more of it.
But, I have the potential of running piano, synth, organ and three sets of multiple VST sounds (approximately six sounds in each) all at the same time, if I want. And in each of these, I can tweak all of the VSTs to my liking, group different sounds into ensembles like strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, etc. so I'm more than pleased with what I have, literally at my fingertips.
The piano program has probably 30 preset piano sounds, but I can edit each of them. The free VST synth is very similar to a minimoog, but polyphonic and the organ can sound like Emerson, Wakeman, etc. Each of these freebees can be assignable from my keyboard with 10 banks of 10 sounds each, so I have quite a few options, just in the freebee area.
I also have orchestra VST software that I purchased and most of those sounds I've tweaked, too. The attack and release of the strings for instance, didn't suit me, and I changed that, making it all more realistic. That software is compatible with win7 and 64 bit, but my freebees are all 32 bit.
I do wish my keyboard was more of a midi controller than it is, but I'm thinking about an upgrade down the road. But, even with that, some of those controller aspects run on software and some of them assume you have a newer OS. I do have a lot of control via my keyboard, but still need to keep my mouse handy for changes. So much of what I've acquired isn't compatible with the new and I'm just not ready to lose that for the sake of what I'd gain. I'm an old stick in the mud, with some things and the key word there is OLD.
It's unfortunate that many new things new aren't backwards compatible. Microsoft isn't a company that cares to look back. They are always looking forward and forcing the rest of us to do that, too. But, Apple is the same way. You know that, if you have an iPhone.
Sorry for the length of this. I can type very fast and as you can see, I like to talk. Did I answer your question?
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