OSS is the older Linux sound system, and is on a usage decline at the moment.
ALSA is the current standard, and seems to work pretty much universally. I have the same nvidia high def mcp51 setup as you do in the other thread, and remember having to wait until drivers arrived in order to get sound on a MSI AMD64 mobo I have at home. And by the way it runs alsa fine. Maybe your laptop has special needs.
PULSEAUDIO seems to be the future, when the bugs are finally ironed out. From what I read, many are still having problems with pulseaudio and are reverting to alsa to get their sound working.
I really don't use audio to a great extent on my computer. I am older and still have record players, 8-tracks, etc. for that. Maybe someday I'll set up a media center, but right now it's to easy to insert a cd into a player next to the computer, than inserting a cd into the computer.

LOL Rubberman, yes the 8-tracks do belong in a museum, but as long as my old Panasonic CD-4 (circa-early 70's) system keeps on chuggin' along I'll keep using it. System has four separate channels and four speakers, the only album I've ever found to make use of those 4 channels is a 'Best of the Doors' album, but it has each member of the group on a separate speaker, quite unique. That album isn't an 8-track, but a Frank Zappa/Capt. Beefheart live album on 8-track is worth keeping this museum piece on my shelf. (Yes, Poofter's Phroth Wyoming plans ahead). I bought a usb turntable to try to move my album collection over to the computer, but haven't found the right settings for the Audacious mixer yet. One of these days.....