I HATE Creative

JavaFox · May 10, 2002, 01:23 AM

I will never buy a Creative product again.

It is becoming increasingly evident that that company is utterly incapable of producing decent drivers. Why does it take half an hour to install (okay, maybe not in WinXP...) a SBLive! even when you select "Drivers only"? Why does the installer have to go through that slideshow and why does Creative automatically put that stupid EAX animation in my Startup? I hate the way this company makes drivers. Why can't Creative learn something from nVidia's Detonators or VIA's 4-in-1s?

The straw that broke the camel's back, though, was when I discovered that the Creative drivers for a simple onboard audio chip were 60MB! Ridiculous and unecessary.

Until that company learns to write a driver that isn't so bloated and pretty and time-consuming, I'm content to buy Cmedia or Cirrus Logic based products.

Jeff · May 10, 2002, 03:03 AM

Oh I don't know, I can live with it, not a big deal for me, as I love the quality of the Audigy hardware. I think if the next card has Firewire like this has it is going to be a must for me. I love this thing. Just wait for the drivers, and ENJOY. I admit the startup thing is stupid, but i can live.

As for the 60mb, Its also understandable, it comes with a bunch of crap software you don't need.

Whatever, my next sound card will probably be a Creative as well. Just because I like there strategy on the hardware itself. I stood by ATI through crappy drivers, might as well give Creative the same support. The hardware makes up for it for me.

/CYBORG

digitalwanderer · May 10, 2002, 03:14 AM

My SB-live 5.1 has never given me a lick of problems, but I was fortunate enough to have an awful lot of expert guidance in setting it up right from the start. (Big thanks as always to all the fine folk over at Rage Underground for getting Bubbles set up right and for helping me get Blue fixed up.

)

I picked up a Hercules Fortissimo II for my other box when I upgraded it and must admit that I like it a LOT better than my SB. I didn't have any help in setting it up, but I didn't need it either. The sucker just takes whatever I throw at it and comes grinning.

After all the horror stories I hear about Creative, there is almost no way I will be picking up another of their products. (CHARGING for drivers?!?! Pagh!)

Jeff · May 10, 2002, 03:29 AM

Charging for the drivers is a bit much. But oh well. I can live.

(BTW Did you get my drift about wanting to heat up this flamewar a little)

JavaFox · May 10, 2002, 08:07 AM

That, sir, sounds like an excellent idea. (Heating things up, I mean).

Well, not only does Creative SUCK MAJOR ASS at writing drivers, they simply cannot put together a decent piece of hardware. I have three dead SoundBlaster Lives! at home. What killed them, I'll never know, but I've never had any other card DIE on me before. That is how utterly horrible these cards are. Similarly, the only CD-ROM drive I've EVER had die on me was a Creative INFRA.

Speaking of the INFRA, that drive is so utterly lame. It has the same bloated, morbidly obese drivers/software that ALL Creative products seem to have. Not only that, but this lame ass drive doesn't always run at the full advertised 52X -- you have to hit the Turbo button. When's the last time you saw a Turbo button on computer hardware? The engineers must be braindead. And on top of ALL OF THAT, the software that the INFRA drive installs has a voice! Everyime you put a CD in or try to use the included remote, some lady TELLS you exactly what you are pushing! Who the hell thought THAT was a useful feature? It's about as cool as the typewriter sound effect in the bastardized AOL version of ICQ.

Speaking of which, I remember when ICQ was 400K! Some Creative software people must've had at it.

At any rate, in the interest of flaming, I declare, sir, that you are a complete buffoon for supporting a company that puts out inferior products and writes Drivers From Hell -- the bane of every computer technician. Not only do their cards have the lifespan of a fruitfly, they are also coupled with the absolute shittiest drivers that THIS fox has ever had the extreme displeasure of installing. You, sir, make me ill.

Filburt · May 10, 2002, 10:59 PM

You guys ought to check out my post in the news section...then you'll REALLY hate Creative.

Also something to note. The Audigy nets about the resolution of a 14bit/32khz sound card in terms of reproduction quality. It's got about an 84db SNR, and a 16khz frequency range. After 16khz...there is very sharp aliasing and thus it really doesn't count. Very funny for a chip that used to be used in pro-level equipment. The Audigy is bastardizing an E-Mu 10K2, which is a 24bit, 96khz DSP. Funny thing is...in analog mode, the Audigy can only do 16bit, 48khz. The 24bit basically ends up just being internal and then gets downsampled to 16bits on analog output. Also the 96khz samplerate is only achievable thru the digital out...which is stupid because then the decoding is done by your receiver...not the Audigy itself. I believe the reason for the deviance between the theoretical power (24/96) and the actual (14/32) has to do with massively poor PCB and interconnect design. As well as abysmal RFI filters, drivers, layout, and connectors. The SBlive actually gets in the mid-70s as far as SNR goes...which means that an SB64 and 128 both perform better than it by quite a margin. I wouldn't buy Creative products just on the fact that they are so incredibly incompetent. The E-MU 10K1 processor in the Live was equally bastardized when Creative got to it. E-Mu used to be a pretty well respected DSP company...but got bought by Creative Labs. Add their drivers into the mix...and it's just horrendous. Anyway read that article for other evil things Creative has done.

illiterateSneak · May 11, 2002, 06:24 PM

You can't flame when EVERYONE hates the company! SHIT!

Filburt · May 11, 2002, 08:01 PM

I'm flaming creative!

illiterateSneak · May 11, 2002, 08:12 PM

I know, but its not a flame war, everyone hates creative, so no-one gets pissed at other people! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

May 10, 2002, 01:23 AM	#1
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	I HATE Creative I will never buy a Creative product again. It is becoming increasingly evident that that company is utterly incapable of producing decent drivers. Why does it take half an hour to install (okay, maybe not in WinXP...) a SBLive! even when you select "Drivers only"? Why does the installer have to go through that slideshow and why does Creative automatically put that stupid EAX animation in my Startup? I hate the way this company makes drivers. Why can't Creative learn something from nVidia's Detonators or VIA's 4-in-1s? The straw that broke the camel's back, though, was when I discovered that the Creative drivers for a simple onboard audio chip were 60MB! Ridiculous and unecessary. Until that company learns to write a driver that isn't so bloated and pretty and time-consuming, I'm content to buy Cmedia or Cirrus Logic based products.

May 10, 2002, 03:03 AM	#2
Jeff Yarr... I be blind! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 3,190 Rep Power: 74	Oh I don't know, I can live with it, not a big deal for me, as I love the quality of the Audigy hardware. I think if the next card has Firewire like this has it is going to be a must for me. I love this thing. Just wait for the drivers, and ENJOY. I admit the startup thing is stupid, but i can live. As for the 60mb, Its also understandable, it comes with a bunch of crap software you don't need. Whatever, my next sound card will probably be a Creative as well. Just because I like there strategy on the hardware itself. I stood by ATI through crappy drivers, might as well give Creative the same support. The hardware makes up for it for me. /CYBORG __________________

May 10, 2002, 03:14 AM	#3
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,620 Rep Power: 0	Screw Creative. My SB-live 5.1 has never given me a lick of problems, but I was fortunate enough to have an awful lot of expert guidance in setting it up right from the start. (Big thanks as always to all the fine folk over at Rage Underground for getting Bubbles set up right and for helping me get Blue fixed up. ) I picked up a Hercules Fortissimo II for my other box when I upgraded it and must admit that I like it a LOT better than my SB. I didn't have any help in setting it up, but I didn't need it either. The sucker just takes whatever I throw at it and comes grinning. After all the horror stories I hear about Creative, there is almost no way I will be picking up another of their products. (CHARGING for drivers?!?! Pagh!) __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

May 10, 2002, 03:29 AM	#4
Jeff Yarr... I be blind! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 3,190 Rep Power: 74	Charging for the drivers is a bit much. But oh well. I can live. (BTW Did you get my drift about wanting to heat up this flamewar a little) __________________

May 10, 2002, 08:07 AM	Thread Starter #5
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	Hehe, fine. That, sir, sounds like an excellent idea. (Heating things up, I mean). Well, not only does Creative SUCK MAJOR ASS at writing drivers, they simply cannot put together a decent piece of hardware. I have three dead SoundBlaster Lives! at home. What killed them, I'll never know, but I've never had any other card DIE on me before. That is how utterly horrible these cards are. Similarly, the only CD-ROM drive I've EVER had die on me was a Creative INFRA. Speaking of the INFRA, that drive is so utterly lame. It has the same bloated, morbidly obese drivers/software that ALL Creative products seem to have. Not only that, but this lame ass drive doesn't always run at the full advertised 52X -- you have to hit the Turbo button. When's the last time you saw a Turbo button on computer hardware? The engineers must be braindead. And on top of ALL OF THAT, the software that the INFRA drive installs has a voice! Everyime you put a CD in or try to use the included remote, some lady TELLS you exactly what you are pushing! Who the hell thought THAT was a useful feature? It's about as cool as the typewriter sound effect in the bastardized AOL version of ICQ. Speaking of which, I remember when ICQ was 400K! Some Creative software people must've had at it. At any rate, in the interest of flaming, I declare, sir, that you are a complete buffoon for supporting a company that puts out inferior products and writes Drivers From Hell -- the bane of every computer technician. Not only do their cards have the lifespan of a fruitfly, they are also coupled with the absolute shittiest drivers that THIS fox has ever had the extreme displeasure of installing. You, sir, make me ill.

May 10, 2002, 10:59 PM	#6
Filburt DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2002 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 10 Rep Power: 0	You guys ought to check out my post in the news section...then you'll REALLY hate Creative. Also something to note. The Audigy nets about the resolution of a 14bit/32khz sound card in terms of reproduction quality. It's got about an 84db SNR, and a 16khz frequency range. After 16khz...there is very sharp aliasing and thus it really doesn't count. Very funny for a chip that used to be used in pro-level equipment. The Audigy is bastardizing an E-Mu 10K2, which is a 24bit, 96khz DSP. Funny thing is...in analog mode, the Audigy can only do 16bit, 48khz. The 24bit basically ends up just being internal and then gets downsampled to 16bits on analog output. Also the 96khz samplerate is only achievable thru the digital out...which is stupid because then the decoding is done by your receiver...not the Audigy itself. I believe the reason for the deviance between the theoretical power (24/96) and the actual (14/32) has to do with massively poor PCB and interconnect design. As well as abysmal RFI filters, drivers, layout, and connectors. The SBlive actually gets in the mid-70s as far as SNR goes...which means that an SB64 and 128 both perform better than it by quite a margin. I wouldn't buy Creative products just on the fact that they are so incredibly incompetent. The E-MU 10K1 processor in the Live was equally bastardized when Creative got to it. E-Mu used to be a pretty well respected DSP company...but got bought by Creative Labs. Add their drivers into the mix...and it's just horrendous. Anyway read that article for other evil things Creative has done.

May 11, 2002, 06:24 PM	#7
illiterateSneak Resident Hard-Ass Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	You can't flame when EVERYONE hates the company! SHIT!

May 11, 2002, 08:01 PM	#8
Filburt DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2002 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 10 Rep Power: 0	I'm flaming creative!

May 11, 2002, 08:12 PM	#9
illiterateSneak Resident Hard-Ass Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	I know, but its not a flame war, everyone hates creative, so no-one gets pissed at other people! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!