Hi Andy: Can you just freeze, disconnect and use as-is? Get another computer for interwebs-required tasks. You can probably do with a cheaper laptop, and you'll probably like having a dedicated machine for just local audio stuff anyway. John Chester's posting about disabling auto-run on USB drives is important if you go the stand-alone machine route. For $700 savings, I'd try the stand-alone option first and see if it works. Maybe just try it out for a month near the end of 2013. If it really sucks for your workflows, then you have time to decide on another course. -- Tom Fine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Kolovos" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 9:34 AM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Audio workstation recommendations? > Hey all-- > > My primary software is Adobe Audition 2.0 and 5.5. I also run Diamond Cut 7, but use it very > rarely. > > There's also a gaggle of smaller applications I use: e.g. BWF Metaedit, NCH's Switch, Nero Burning > Rom (can't remember the version), Better File Rename, the software for my thermal CD/DVD labeling > machine, as well as Access, Excel, etc--as well as drivers for my steadfast USB Plextor Premium > burners, the DAL CardDeluxe. I'm pretty sure the thermal labeler is not supported past XP, and > that's one thing I still really need. > > MAC is probably out of the question due to my need for PCI/PCIe slots--especially since the new > Mac Pro no longer seems to have them, not to mention we could not afford one regardless. > > My plan was to go with a fuller version of Win 7 rather than 8. I also have a Mac Mini with XP > installed on a Bootcamp partition--and I might just move that to a VM using Parallels or VMWare > Fusion. > > The only real bummer to me in all this--outside of the irritating recalcitrance of Microsoft in > general--is Apogee's lack of FW 400 support for the Rosetta past XP, which will now require me to > spend at least $700 on a D-sub interface and cables so I can keep using the hardware. > > Thanks, > > Andy > -- > Andy Kolovos, Ph.D., MLS > Co-Director and Archivist > Vermont Folklife Center > 88 Main Street > Middlebury, VT 05753 > (802) 388-4964 > http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/archive/ > >