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schatzy;267036 Wrote: > Others already do. But are you willing to pay the price? > > Request Audio > http://www.request.com/products/musicservers.asp > > Starting at $2500.00 up to over $18,000 and that is only for the server > you must still buy a monitor (touch screen prefered)and other > accessories. And these have fans so thery are not totaly quiet. > > Yamaha > http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/MusicCast/ > > Start at $1999.00 > > Olive > http://www.olive.us/home.html > > Start at $1099.00 to $4000.00 > > I could build a very nice totally quite server with Linux, two 500GB > drives and get a few SB3 or Duets for these prices and have a system > that is easily upgradeable. > > Schatzy I think Schatzy's got it right. I made the happy decision to get an SB3 after nearly popping for one of the Olive appliances that does a lot very well: 1. Small box 2. Functions as a CD player plugged into your hifi 3. Automatically asks whether you want to rip any CD you insert to become part of your permanent collection on the enclosed hard disk 4. Rips to FLAC (or MP3) without any further ado 5. Provides access to your entire collection with a menu like SB's It's a real consumer appliance. Drawbacks that drove me to SB3 plus as-yet-unresolved mass storage: 1. No built-in backup 2. Very expensive for the amount of storage 3. Provides access to my FLACs right where I station it, but does not serve any other location 4. Not as versatile a CD player as $180 Oppo (doesn't do SACD, DVD formats) 5. Not the greatest audio quality when used as a CD player The SB3 does what it does very well. I am currently running SlimServer on my main PC and having a ball. But I really need a box with more capacity that can serve the SB3 regardless of what I'm doing on my main PC [sometimes intensive sound recording applications that do not appreciate a whole lot of extraneous activity going on at the same time]. I have not yet achieved the functionality of the Olive product, because I do not have a dedicated storage device. For all the reasons that have been voiced in this thread about the NAS approach, I figured I would either add a Linux or Windows system as a server. The Linux approach is very appealing but I don't have the time for another hobby just now and, regardless of what anyone else's mileage may be, that looks like a real undertaking, valuable, to be sure, in terms of learning, but very time-consuming for someone who last dealt with Unix in 1982. Ubuntu looks great; I've speeded through Ubuntu 7.10 Unleashed [a great introduction], studied the Slim Devices forums, and believe that is a great approach for those who already have the knowledge or can devote the time. But my real priority is to deal with the back end to my SB3 quickly and return to enjoying music as quickly as possible. So, I am presently leaning toward a HP Mediasmart Microsoft [yes, ugh] Home Server appliance precisely because it is dumbed down to the appliance level [with some very clever home network backup capabilities, a fabulous form factor, room for 4 drives, etc.]. I am completely lacking in kneejerk anti-Redmond attitudes. [Microsoft SQL Server is a brilliant piece of work. Microsoft Word will never get fixed.] I have watched a couple of people on the forums struggle with problems implementing Slimserver on the HP unit, but they appear to have been resolved when, for example, a defective switch got replaced. The Linux approach may still win me over; but I don't see anyway to put together a box with parts from Newegg that approaches the incredibly compact formfactor of the HP with room for four drives. The ability of a Linux box to do a whole lot more than serve files to my SB3 (and possibly Duet to come) and my network of PCs isn't relevant to my needs. I readily admit that the HP is pricey ($750 with 2 500gig drives) but it looks like it would take a couple of hours to set up (upgrade RAM to 2 gig), load Slimserver or SqueezeCenter, plug and go. The automatic backup networked PCs and automatic duplication (like RAID in function but simpler and in some ways better, IMHO) are icing on the cake. Anyhow, I've found this thread very interesting. I wish I could join the Linux crowd this year, but I can't really spare the time. [I am gonna replace that router with one that will support DD-WRT though.] -- tedf ------------------------------------------------------------------------ tedf's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=15232 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=43198 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
