[nmkramer]

My heading says it all...

I am a first-time Mac user, so my question may make some of you or .

I will soon be the proud owner of a new 15" Superdrive Powerbook, and I would like to purchase surround sound speakers to watch movies, listen to music, and occasionally (yes, I'll admit it) play a few games.

I know that desktop PCs usually need sound cards installed in a PCI slot to enable audio. How does this work with OS X, and do I need any additional equipment?

I notice that G5 Towers do not come with sound cards, and instead has something called "optical digital audio in/out. I must be missing a longstanding and significant bit of knowledge that I am sure even the most naive Mac user has. I also caught a slight detail on the Powerbook... the 17" model comes with this optical audio, while the 15" model only has a headphone out. Did I seal my fate already?

Any input on how to enable 5.1 sound (if it's even possible) from this new toy of mine would be helpful. Thanks!

[Brad]

5.1? How about 7.1?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_u...er-main-1.html

[nmkramer]

I'll assume by your reply that surround sound is not a feature inherent in that model Powerbook...

In any case, that was exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[Brad]

Well, the 17" is the only model with the optical out, which does the 5.1. The headphone jack on the 12" and 15" models will only provides two channels for regular stereo sound. So, you're not going to get surround from your 15" PB unless you add some hardware.

The G5 towers (like all Macs since the original) have audio ports built-in on the motherboard. There are PCI sound cards available as well as USB adapters like the one above for people who want more audio options, but the vast majority of users are satisfied with the standard options.