"Bill" wrote:

Having done some DX'ing with a
small Sony SW radio for ten years,
I would like to buy a better one,
connected to the pc. I was thinking
of the Ten-Tech RX320D. (snip)


I considered buying one of those types of shortwave receivers before.
However, I changed my mind after weighing all the possible long term
implications. A good, well-built, standalone receiver can be useful over
many years. Indeed, among my radios, I have a twenty-five year old Kenwood
that is still performing like a champ. A computer-based receiver, on the
other hand, is clearly dependant on the computer for continued use. Given
the speed in which computer technology advances and today's technology
becomes obsolete, a computer-based receiver clearly has a limited lifespan.
Further, after a lessor number of years, when a new OS has replaced the OS
needed to operate the receiver's software, any resale value would be sharply
reduced. Of course, one can hope the receiver's manufacturer will release
new software as operating systems change, but even they will eventually drop
this model with a newer receiver with support for older models eventually
ended. I'm not trying to talk you out of buying that receiver (since I don't
know you, I have no real interest in what you buy). Instead, I just wanted
to add this to the general discussion of this newsgroup.

Stewart