"Louder!" Eve with yet ANOTHER computer question

OK, I am getting hep to this computer jazz. I’ve even found some sites where I can play music while doing my housework–the best is the Red-Hot Jazz Archive, which contains more than 100 jazz and ragtime songs in “RealTime” playback.

The problem is volume. I click and drag the little “volume” thingie within the RealTime box while it’s playing, and that does make it louder–a little bit. But it’s still so soft that I can’t hear it more than a few feet away, much less in the next room. That can’t be right–this is a brand-new Toshiba laptop, with all the bells and whistles. So where on the computer is the bell or whistle to amplify the sound some more?

On laptops there’s usually a physical dial to roll up or down, or a pair of buttons (one for louder, one for quieter). The Toshiba I have at work (which is several years old, YMMV) has the dial on the right edge of the body, with a little symbol next to it that looks like a ramp.

Note: the whole dial isn’t visible, just the edge of the disk. Kind of like the early portable transister radios.

Try looking at the blue pictures on the F keys. You may need to use the Function key (it’s usually color coded and one key or so over from the space bar) to increase the volume.

Well, there is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that Laptops are notorious for their lack of sound and its quality. This isn’t due to the type or brand you have, but speakers are big and bulky, thus taking up more room in a laptop case.

But the good news is this is a relatively easy problem to fix.

** Have you gone to the control panel (or systray) to adjust the volume of the system? To do this

  1. Click on a small, gray circle next to where your time is displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
  2. Make sure the “main audio” level is as high as it can go.
  3. To adjust it, left-click and hold on the handle while dragging it up.

** Some laptops have external volume control. Try looking around the outside of the laptop, its sides, and around the keyboard for anything that looks like it could be volume control.

** Hook up external speakers for computers that can be bought at any electronics or computer store for less than thirty bucks. Although a better alternative might be headphones.

WAG: is there a tiny yellow icon representing a loudspeaker at the bottom right of your screen, in the command bar? Double click on it: it opens the master Volume Control, which can really increase the volume. You should set both the master Volume Control (the left bar) and the Wave control (through which RealTime operates) higher, or to max, whatever your ears can handle.

Knob above keyboard?

http://www.laptopsagain.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/Toshiba_Systemboards.html

http://www.nctimes.net/news/2002/20020618/51900.html

EDIT:: Sorry, I am on WinXP and forgot that earlier OS’s had the yellow speaker as the volume icon and not the gray one I mentioned before.

And if you don’t have the volume icon,

start menu… control panel… sounds and audio devices*… volume tab… check “Place volume icon in the taskbar.”
*Unless you use category view in Control Panel. Then pick “Sounds, speech…” and follow your instincts.

I’m not playing CDs, but rather the RealPlayer 8 songs on sites.

There are six little silver buttons on the front of the laptop; I tried pressing them all while the song was playing, but nothing got louder (one of them made a Miscrosoft speaker thingie appear, but I am playing in Real Player).

There are also two black buttons next to the on/off switch on the laptop; no idea what they do. I don’t see anything volume-esque on the side of the computer.

Hmmm. Looks like I may need external speakers . . . Can I get them at a speakeasy in the West 40s?

Blueapple, that systray thing did get it a little louder, thanks! But I fear speakers are in my future. Are they hard to install?

You can buy speakers that you just plug in - very simple. Ask in the shop so you know what to do when you get home.

Eve, how do you manage to navigate yourself around the internet, and yet not be brave enough to explore your computer to see how its bits work?

I recommend you do - it’s mostly safe to explore and play around, and you may learn a lot of useful stuff.

No, not at all. They just plug in like headphones.

The only problem is that they won’t transport very well, but you could always the Soundbug (review

Here are the types of speakers I was talking about. You can get some that will travel easier (thin and weigh less than a pound) but they will be mroe expensive.

Try Best Busy, Fry’s, CompUSA or a similar store to browse around at their selection. But consider buying online as prices may be significantly lower.

ugh!

  1. There should be a closed parenthesis after the review link
  2. ‘mroe’ should be more.
  3. Best Busy should be Best Buy.

That microsoft speaker thingie, is the volume settings for windows. hold your mouse cursor over it , and a slidin scale should appear. Adjust as nessesary. Or double click it and have the windows equalizer come up and ajust from there.

Real audio , will get its volume levels from microsoft windows , so you have to adjust the windows first
Declan

Yes, get some external speakers. Then check out http://www.live365.com/ for more music. They have hundreds of stations, quite a few specializing in the '20s and '30s, big bands, swing, and WWII miscellany.

The site they’re featuring right now, http://www.otrnow.com/ , sells CDs of old radio broadcasts.

Eve,

If you look into external speakers (just for use around the house mind you), definatly get a set that plugs into the wall and get’s it’s power that way. The battery operated ones lack volume (in a house type setting), and will have to be replaced often. Just go into Best Buy, or Comp USA, or Radio Shack, and listen to the speakers that they have set up. Find a pair that you like, in the price range you want to spend, and take them home and plug them in. I don’t advise that you get any of the 5.1 systems, that have 5 speakers to plug in, but you’ll probably get the best results from a pair that has a separate sub-woofer with it. It will make a huge difference. Here’s one system although that might be more than you want to pay. Here’s another one that’s a lot less. However, if you’re looking to buy a pair that you’re going to be listening to in your house, for a while, I highly reccomend that you spend a bit more, it’ll be worth in your overall satisfaction.

As another possibility, do you own a home stereo system? I have my home computer hooked up to my stereo, so that I can listen to any mp3’s that way. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to let us know if you need more help.

I reccomend getting Logitech 340 speakers- you should be able to get one for ~$50 at the local Office Depot, or online. My friend has them, they are pretty good. (I have the Logitech 540’s, which are similar, but with four speakers instead of 2.)

Naw, Best Busy works for me. Whenever I’m looking to get an answer to a question, they’re always busy.