Indeed, there have been discussions on this before, and using the exact same title as the one I chose. Blast my 3rd grade searching skills!
Tyler brings up an important clarification I need to make regarding where I'd want to use a Squeezebox Boombox. The key differentiation is Trusted vs Untrusted networks. In my original post I munged them together, so I'll spend a minute here on that. Using a trusted network is today's model for SS/SB. The SB assumes it's on a trusted network (where all devices on the LAN are known and believed secure) such that it can broadcast for the SlimServer and it's IP and port are easily found. A SB Boombox would, obviously, work quite well in this environment as I would see it drawn from the existing SB firmware. The difference here is untrusted networks. This is the idea of using a Squeezebox on a LAN (wireless or no) where the topology is unknown, other devices are unknown, can not be assumed secure, and where the SlimServer may not be (probably won't be) on the same LAN segment. Thus, SB BB needs to be robust enough to persistently look to join the network and find it's 'home' SlimServer. That's why I'd want FQDN referencing for the SS. Here's a usage scenario that illustrates this concept: My good friend is also a SS/SB user, and he lives a few blocks away. We're over to his house frequently to swim or smoke or shoot the breeze. Using his SB on the patio is an exercise in frustration as we have to drag out a pair of powered speakers, string extension cords around, jack stuff in and get back on the network. I works, but it's a task. Say I have a Squeezebox Boombox but he doesn't. I just bring it over, jump on his wLAN and we're done. He doesn't have to leave out, and protect from the rain, an audio rig anymore. I can find his SS and mine both. Another scenario: We've traveled to my Mom's house over a holiday weekend, where she has broadband but no SS/SB. With my SB BB I join her wLAN and I'm in to my SS with instant tunes (my familiar catalog, but new to her) on her deck with one power cable connection. And a third: I'm tailgating at Starbucks with a group of friends on a warm Saturday evening, and I want to play for them the new Chris Isaak album I just added earlier that day. A whip out my SB BB, join the wLAN (using my T-Mobile account, which I might have from a cellular account, or maybe I bought a day pass), and we're off. This is really the problem with iPod ext. speaker discussion. This approach is *still two boxes acting as one*. You have to do this with iPod b/c the very portable nature of the iPod precludes any speaker output (the dock makes it easy, but still). The SB BB would specifically marry these two into one unit. iPods on speaker decks is a static approach. LANs are everywhere, and the Squeezebox makes music access and playback *live* and exciting! -- forddonald ------------------------------------------------------------------------ forddonald's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=11991 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36603 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
