By contrast, musicians require from their PC almost continuous streaming of audio data, coupled with almost continuous CPU calculations for real-time plug-in effects and virtual instruments. This was largely because most mainstream applications, such as those for word processing, accounts and Internet browsing, generally involve a burst of CPU activity followed by some idle time while the user considers what to do next, so it made the most sense for Windows to react as fast as it could to user input, but hang on until the idle times before updating files on the hard drive and so on. It's not hard to see why musicians search for tweaks for Windows XP - after all, its predecessors (including Windows 95, 98, ME and 2000) often needed serious tweaking before audio applications would run smoothly with them. Nevertheless, many musicians are obviously still convinced that XP will benefit from such snake oil, and since I prefer not to have to send SOS readers and forum users elsewhere for advice, I decided to write this feature, which will explain in some detail the tweaks that work for musicians and why they do, as well as covering the ones that are unlikely to make any difference - including those that are potentially dangerous unless you really know what you're doing. You'll certainly be able to find lots of web sites offering Windows performance tweaks, many written for mainstream users and a few specifically for musicians, yet many of the tweaks they offer will result in no measurable improvement in audio performance, and some may make your PC unstable or even prevent it from booting up. Nevertheless, musicians still regularly ask me for a comprehensive list of 'go-faster' tweaks, and look elsewhere when I don't offer one, determined to make their PCs run faster by fiddling 'under the bonnet'.

Unlike previous versions of Microsoft's Windows, Windows XP works pretty well straight out of the box with audio applications, and I only recommend three essential adjustments. Windows XP works better for audio than any other Windows OS so far, but musicians still seek those ultimate go-faster tricks, so this month we bring you a guide to those that are worth doing and those that are worth avoiding. In this split personality screenshot, will the left-hand or the right-hand Windows setup run faster? Or will it not make any difference at all with a modern PC? Read on to find out.

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