Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
I've mentioned it several times before: Slim are great at the slim client, but they need to sell the server option too. How about a fully-configured NAS machine with a CD-ROM drive and a Mac/Windows installer that sorts everything out for you (anyone with Linux would probably be happy to do it themselves!) - detects the NAS, configures its SlimServer for your network etc. Also, some way to configure the SB3 for your wireless network (once you have got the above installation sorted) by plugging it in wired and sending the info would be nice - rather than having to enter a megadigit key! (Not sure if this is possible though) I think the form factor/quality/price balance of the SB3 is great, but it does need a geek. Not a problem for me, but it does limit SD's ability to take over the world. They don't need to create an SB4 yet, or even a hybrid TP/SB - they need to make their current devices able to work for networking and computing novices. Oh and a nice two-way communicating remote (or several options, including knobby ones) would be the order of the day. Could just package up a Nokia 800 with a nice skin. Adam -- adamslim SB3 into Derek Shek d2, Shanling CDT-100, Rotel RT-990BX, Esoteric Audio Research 859, Living Voice Auditorium IIs, Nordost and Anti-cables http://www.last.fm/user/AdamSlim/ adamslim's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7355 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
adamslim;196991 Wrote: (anyone with Linux would probably be happy to do it themselves!) nah, don't be too sure 'bout that, I would be happy not to :) Otherwise I agree with your points: I would call it something like streamlining the product. Take for instance one common use case related to artwork. Currently basically all methods for adding a new album w. artwork relies on some user interaction. This makes it difficult to always get the artwork in place before rescanning. Things are certainly not helped by the fact that in order to do this in retrospect one must to do a complete clear/rescan...aarghh. (There are a number of forum threads on this issue) It's certainly not a showstopper for me, rather a minor annoyance. However when adding up small quirks like this, it all of a sudden becomes interesting to check out other products. Moreover I do not feel that I can recommend the SB to people without mentioning theses things (In general I find the server side handling of the music library a bit cumbersome compared to itunes/rhythmbox/banshee). -- bhaagensen bhaagensen's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7418 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
adamslim wrote: I've mentioned it several times before: Slim are great at the slim client, but they need to sell the server option too. How about a fully-configured NAS machine with a CD-ROM drive and a Mac/Windows installer that sorts everything out for you (anyone with Linux would probably be happy to do it themselves!) - detects the NAS, configures its SlimServer for your network etc. Also, some way to configure the SB3 for your wireless network (once you have got the above installation sorted) by plugging it in wired and sending the info would be nice - rather than having to enter a megadigit key! (Not sure if this is possible though) I think the form factor/quality/price balance of the SB3 is great, but it does need a geek. Not a problem for me, but it does limit SD's ability to take over the world. They don't need to create an SB4 yet, or even a hybrid TP/SB - they need to make their current devices able to work for networking and computing novices. Oh and a nice two-way communicating remote (or several options, including knobby ones) would be the order of the day. Could just package up a Nokia 800 with a nice skin. I'm counting on either a self-contained server or a smart remote as the next new SD product. I wouldn't buy the server myself, but I probably would buy a smart SONOS-like remote especially if it would be hackable enough to make it control other things. Counting on that, too! Regards, Peter ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
I nearly went the olive (over here in europe its marketed as hermstedt hifidelio)but the cost put me off. That and the fact that at the time you had to use a proprietry usb harddrive which was more expensive than the usual off the shelf ones. Instead went for sb3 and been very happy. -- davidcotton davidcotton's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4588 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
A refurb Mac mini with an external 500gb drive, a SB3, and I have a music and video server, as well as a CD and DVD player, virtually no configuration/installation issues, and comes in under $1,000 - I know that many of you could build something a little cheaper and a bit more capable, but I'm very happy, and would highly recommend this set-up to anyone - -- bolfings bolfings's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4440 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
There are plenty of HTPCs out there. Many are quite affordable - cheaper than the latest TIVO and no subscription fee: http://tinyurl.com/2s7nuz -- Pale Blue Ego Pale Blue Ego's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=110 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
[slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
I consider the Squeezebox to be immensely successful product. It brings network-based music server concept into the mass consumer market. Its adoption of FLAC lossless compression gains acceptance by the audiophile market. The competition is not sitting idle. Olive (http://www.olive.us) has come up with similar product plus additional useful features at very competitive price. The built-in hard disk even though small in storage capacity is no doubt useful. I find having a small collection of favorite music in local hard disk useful because I do not have to keep my SlimServer running all the time. Some other features are quite neat too. I hope Slim Devices are keeping tab of the competition and respond with better products. Not that the Squeezebox is bad. But there are competitions out there constantly trying to out do the Squeezebox. Keeping up is the only way to survive. -- kbelinski kbelinski's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1039 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
I like that the squeezebox does not have a harddrive. I mainly use it for the squeezenetwork, thus a harddrive is not required. It thus uses less electricity and makes less (none) noise. -- mortslim mortslim's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=11039 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
kbelinski;196788 Wrote: ... Olive has come up with similar product plus additional useful features at very competitive price. Without getting into all the features, just checking on thier price list: Olive MUSICA 160 GB - $1099 Olive MUSICA 250 GB - $1499 The most expensice 90 GB I have ever seen (in the last 5 years). -- slimkid The sound stage will open up, bass will tighten and the imaging will improve. DVD performance will also increase substantially. slimkid's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=8881 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
slimkid;196805 Wrote: Without getting into all the features, just checking on thier price list: Olive MUSICA 160 GB - $1099 Olive MUSICA 250 GB - $1499 The most expensice 90 GB I have ever seen (in the last 5 years). Geez, for those prices you can make a wicked fast server with 500 GB of storage. It will be able to do other tasks as well, plus it's far more flexible. There are lots of people running down the Slim architecture lately, but IMHO it's their greatest strength. Take advantage of relatively cheap mass-market computer hardware! Computer hardware will always be cheaper than specialized audiophile hardware, and with SlimServer/Squeezebox the audio playback hardware is in the player where it belongs. The Olive Musica is apparently a low-power, inflexible PC running Linux with local storage. I guess a lot of people like this? That's not a more advanced product, just a less flexible and substantially more expensive one. Also the Olive Musica is nothing new - it's been out for ~3 years. -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
Mark Lanctot wrote: slimkid;196805 Wrote: Without getting into all the features, just checking on thier price list: Olive MUSICA 160 GB - $1099 Olive MUSICA 250 GB - $1499 The most expensice 90 GB I have ever seen (in the last 5 years). Geez, for those prices you can make a wicked fast server with 500 GB of storage. It will be able to do other tasks as well, plus it's far more flexible. There are lots of people running down the Slim architecture lately, but IMHO it's their greatest strength. Take advantage of relatively cheap mass-market computer hardware! Computer hardware will always be cheaper than specialized audiophile hardware, and with SlimServer/Squeezebox the audio playback hardware is in the player where it belongs. The Olive Musica is apparently a low-power, inflexible PC running Linux with local storage. I guess a lot of people like this? That's not a more advanced product, just a less flexible and substantially more expensive one. It's not that bad though. You have a place to put your CD's in... (I miss that - very rarely). I think I dislike the tiny display most of all. Regards, Peter ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
But the biggest impediment to mass acceptance is the fact that a squeezebox needs a geek. Judging by the olive prices, lack of a geek costs about $700. :-) -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
These one-box systems are all very well as 'lifestyle' accessories, loaded up with a few 100 tracks. The real asset is your library of ripped tagged music; no way would I allow the lock-in from a vendor with my 1,500 albums on their closed system. -- amcluesent amcluesent's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10286 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
That's all well and good, but no one is really in any serious way packaging a one-stop-shopping squeezebox box. The ones I've seen so far are as expensive as the olive. Is the Olive proprietary? I've never really looked at it. -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
You know, that pico-ITX board (even a nano-ITX board) as well as a 3.5 HDD would fit very easily into a Transporter chassis. If the second screen were eliminated you could probably also fit a CD-ROM drive, possibly even full-size. If the internal electronics were downgraded to Squeezebox specs and the knob and maybe the buttons were dropped, it could compete price-wise with the Olive units. It'd be far more powerful because it could serve as a SlimServer for other players. It'd also be much more open. Run it on DSL much like SlimCD - all you need apart from SS is samba and a method to upgrade SS. I probably wouldn't be interested in it, but based on the interest in this thread and in the forum in general there does seem to be a demand for it. In the past I've downplayed this idea but the Transporter chassis looks like it was made for this purpose... -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
Oh, no, don't drop the knob! -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
Michaelwagner;196916 Wrote: Oh, no, don't drop the knob! :-) I agree that the knob is cool, but I don't use it all that often. I have read comments from others wondering about a Squeezebox-class device in a Transporter chassis, minus the second screen and the knob. -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
Really? I don't have a transporter (too poor), but on my Audiotron and on a VCR I had once that had a knob on the remote, they were the most often used controls on the whole setup. -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
Michaelwagner;196920 Wrote: Really? I don't have a transporter (too poor), but on my Audiotron and on a VCR I had once that had a knob on the remote, they were the most often used controls on the whole setup. I use the remote almost exclusively. Some have suggested a knob in the remote. I would use that for sure, but then again I'm using a universal remote so...? -- Mark Lanctot Mark Lanctot's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2071 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
Re: [slim] Squeezbox and other new breed of music server solutions
The knob is a great feature. If you doubt that, look at last years april fools announcement. http://www.slimdevices.com/au_press_kronos.html -- Michaelwagner Michaelwagner's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=428 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34696 ___ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss
