Complete PC beginner

[peter p]

Totally new to pcs so please excuse the dumb questions
1) What form of data do usb ports output, eg sound, visuals, etc
2) which would be more robust and reliable for playing music in mobile dj applications:rackmount pc or laptop?
3) Are there any sound cards available that have XLR and/or 1/4 inch jack outputs for audio?
Thanx

[Budfred]

I can't answer 2 and 3, but the answer to 1 is yes...

USB is for transferring data of any kind, it just depends on what type of device is hooked up to it. USB 2 moves data a lot faster than plain old USB...

[mjc]

For #3 you are looking at studio grade stuff...and it will be $$$$. One that I saw was in the $600 range. (can't remember the name right now...)

#2...yes, either can be up to the task. I would lean toward the rackmount with mobile drives (laptop drives with isolation mounts).

[peter p]

do series and parallel ports also output audio signals?
What about removable card in laptops, do they also output audio? thanks