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1. Sound is a stream of numbers that have to be passed to the sound
card very quickly, 44,100 means 44100 samples per second, so 88300
bytes per a second (two bytes per a sample)

2. The sound api basically allow access to the stream (or streams) and
allow the streams to be shared between multiple applications. (This of
it like a mixing desk)

3. There are about 15 different api and they all do slightly different jobs.

4. Some of the api are very simple, low level but fast so you get
direct access to the stream, others give libraries for doing
"standard" stuff and give a more "high level" approach. so gstreamer
takes mp3 or ogg files and plays them, as does phonon, where as pulse
or portaudio take raw bit streams and though them out and expect you
to handle any decoding your self.

5. Volume and mixer levels are delt with sepately from the standard
input/output and not all of the simple api deal with them at all.

I'm currently studying Jack think this might be the best of a bad bunch.

Peter.