Creative Technology: Difference between revisions
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Since the release of [[Windows Vista]] in January of 2007, there has been a failure by the company to deliver "working" audio [[device drivers]] for many of its Sound Blaster Audigy series set of sound cards for [[Windows Vista]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&message.id=18380|title=Creative discussion forums criticism|last=|first=|work=creative.com forums|date=}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&message.id=25341|title=Creative discussion forums criticism|last=|first=|work=creative.com forums|date=}}</ref>. As a result there has been much outcry from customers. |
Since the release of [[Windows Vista]] in January of 2007, there has been a failure by the company to deliver "working" audio [[device drivers]] for many of its Sound Blaster Audigy series set of sound cards for [[Windows Vista]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&message.id=18380|title=Creative discussion forums criticism|last=|first=|work=creative.com forums|date=}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.id=Vista&message.id=25341|title=Creative discussion forums criticism|last=|first=|work=creative.com forums|date=}}</ref>. As a result there has been much outcry from customers. |
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Since the release of Creative Zen in 2007, the company failed to provide working device drivers for Linux, there has been much outcry from costumers regarding this and the droping of UMS support. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 15:04, 1 November 2007
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| Company type | Public SGX: C76 , Nasdaq: CREAF |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 1 1981 |
| Headquarters | Singapore |
Key people | Sim Wong Hoo, Founder & CEO |
| Products | Multimedia, IT, MP3 players |
| Revenue | US$1.2 billion (2005) |
 US$0.6 million (2005) | |
Number of employees | 5000 |
| Website | www.creative.com |
Creative Technology Limited (SGX: C76 , Nasdaq: CREAF) is a listed manufacturer of computer multimedia products based in Singapore where the firm was initially founded by Sim Wong Hoo (born 1957) on July 1, 1981. It has more than 5,000 employees worldwide. Sim is the CEO and the Chairman of the company. The US subsidiary of the company is known as Creative Labs, Inc.; this name is commonly (but incorrectly) used to refer to the entire company.
Historically, Creative is most famous for their Sound Blaster line of audio cards. At present, they are best known for their line of portable multimedia players. Creative has also gained some attention for a legal battle with media player rival Apple Computer.
History
Creative began as a computer repair shop, where Sim developed an add-on memory board for the Apple II computer. Later, they started creating customized PCs adapted for the Chinese language. A part of this design included enhanced audio capabilities, so that the device could produce speech and melodies. The success of this audio interface led to the development of a stand-alone sound card.
In 1987 Creative released a 12-voice sound generator sound card for the IBM PC architecture, the Creative Music System (C/MS), featuring two Philips SAA 1099 chips. Sim personally went from Singapore to Silicon Valley and managed to get RadioShack's Tandy division to market this card. The card was however not successful and lost the competition against the AdLib card which was using the Yamaha YM3812 chip (also known as OPL2). In addition to being a capable gaming card, the AdLib version was also a passable music synthesizer, which was a task the C/MS could not do.
Later, another attempt was made with the Sound Blaster, a card featuring the same chip as found on the AdLib card and with additional digital audio capabilities for playing and recording digital samples. Creative used aggressive marketing, like calling the card a "stereo" component even though the C/MS components offered stereo, or calling the sound producing microcontroller a "DSP", hoping to associate the product with a digital signal processor. This card soon became a de facto standard for sound cards in PCs for many years, mostly by the fact that it was the first to bundle what today is considered as part of sound card functionality: digital audio, onboard music synthesizer, MIDI interface and a joystick port.
Present day
Creative's most lucrative products are the Creative NOMAD/Creative Zen digital audio players, which is in the same market as the iPod and other portable music players. The Sound Blaster line still exists with products such as Sound Blaster Audigy, Sound Blaster Audigy 2, Sound Blaster Audigy 4, and Sound Blaster X-Fi. The soundcard market continues to be a solid performer for Creative even with the inclusion of onboard sound on most PCs, some even featuring 7.1 surround sound. The continued success is due in part to the better sound quality and richer features of an "add on" sound card. In fact, Creative's Audigy 2 line featured the first sound card to be "THX" certified. The X-Fi line was launched in 2005, with four variations of the product, including X-Fi Xtreme Music for entry level, X-Fi Platinum, X-Fi Fatal1ty which is named after professional gamer Johnathan Wendel and features 64MB onboard RAM, and X-Fi Elite Pro which is Creative's flagship product and features 64MB onboard RAM, an external breakout box, and the highest audio fidelity in the history of the Sound Blaster line.
The modern Creative Technology has diversified considerably; Their products include large lines of MP3 players, speaker systems, webcams, video cards, networking components, and even a Liquid crystal display (LCD).
Creative have promised a pioneering range of mobile wireless headphones using electromagnetic induction technology since at least 2004, and delivered in early 2005. The product has received positive reviews. [1] [2]
As a corporation, Creative has recently met with some stiff competition. In July 2005, Creative Technology's shares plunged to a new all-time low of $6.25 per share [3] as a result of poor sales in the 4th quarter of 2004 / 1st quarter of 2005 despite a US$100 million campaign to take on Apple Computer and the highly-successful iPod range. This represents a significant change from the $50 their shares commanded in 1998. In August 2005, it was announced that Creative's losses for that quarter amounted to US$31.9 million, going into the red for the first time in three years. Q3 FY2006 losses were US$114.3 million[4]. In June 2006, their stock price was $5.22 per share (up from a low of $4.64).
In May 2006, Creative sued media player rival Apple Computer, alleging patent infringement [5]. Apple quickly filed a countersuit [6], following the suit again in early June with a second countersuit [7].
On August 23rd, 2006, Apple and Creative settled all their patent lawsuits out of court; with Apple paying Creative $100 million to licence a software patent, and Creative signing up to Apple's Made For iPod programme. [1]
Products
Creative is most well-known for:
- Sound cards such as the famous Sound Blaster for the PC.
- Gaming sound systems
- CD-ROM and DVD players and controller cards
- Graphics cards
- Web cameras
- Digital audio players (MP3 players) under the name of Zen and MuVo.
- Prodikeys, a computer keyboard-musical keyboard combination
- Optical Mice and Keyboards
Criticism
Since the release of Windows Vista in January of 2007, there has been a failure by the company to deliver "working" audio device drivers for many of its Sound Blaster Audigy series set of sound cards for Windows Vista[8] [9]. As a result there has been much outcry from customers.
Since the release of Creative Zen in 2007, the company failed to provide working device drivers for Linux, there has been much outcry from costumers regarding this and the droping of UMS support.
See also
References
- ^ "Review on CNET for Creative's wireless headphone".
- ^ "Review on BBC for Creative's wireless headphone".
- ^ http://fyad.org/bdt9
- ^ "Creative Announces Q3 FY06 Financial Results".
- ^ Welte, Jim (2006-05-16). "Creative sues Apple over patent". mp3.com.
- ^ Welte, Jim (2006-05-19). "Apple bites back at Creative". mp3.com.
- ^ Welte, Jim (2006-06-07). "Apple sues Creative again". mp3.com.
- ^ "Creative discussion forums criticism". creative.com forums.
- ^ "Creative discussion forums criticism". creative.com forums.