ExpressCard X-Fi for 9262

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=209&subcategory=669&product=16642&nav=1

In the specs for the product they list optical out, but say you need the added docking hardware to get 5.1/7.1. Does anyone know if you can get 5.1 via the optical out, or do you really need the docking hardware?

 

when I read your initial post, I read it to mean that you would have to carry around the additional hardware, and that your question was if you absolutely had to take the additional hardware with you. However, it appears that my assumption was incorrect. This is directly from the product page:

"*Get 5.1/7.1 surround sound with the Surround Sound Upgrade kit (sold separately) "

So, not only will you have something else to carry to get 5.1/7.1, but you'll have to pay more for that option too. However, this all pales in comparison to the shock that I intially had that Creative got off their asses long enough to make any product that rides the PCI-E bus, for any product. They've said over and over that they would see such products as being too expensive in R&D and likely not a lot of market for it. Their contention was that the PCI bus does not introduce as much latency for the DSPs as the PCI-E bus does, so they saw no reason to do it. This is very interesting. Although, if memory serves correctly, they've had a really low end (basically a codec based) PCI-E card for almost a year now...maybe it was someone else. I think that card was like $35.99 or something, for desktops.