Totable hard-drive based system

[tyrion]

I'd use VNC to manage it, and get an ipod touch + signal to control itunes, instead of getting a monitor...wait, not only would I, it's what I did . Unless you plan on using it for more than just media duty.

I use my Samsung Blackjack with Salling Clicker to control itunes via bluetooth. It works with a bunch of cell phones.

[ojnihs]

I use a nokia 770 instead of the touch, and modified signal to work better with it, but that's not an option for most people

very nice! you using that to control your tunes at home or has it become moot since you got rid of your aex?

[grawk]

very nice! you using that to control your tunes at home or has it become moot since you got rid of your aex?

My mini is where my airport was, so yes, I still use it at home. Works like a champ. The big advantage it has over sailing clicker etc is full access to the playlists, and displays album art, etc. I absolutely love signal. I'm seriously considering an ipod touch because of how much better it's supposed to work, too.

[ojnihs]

My mini is where my airport was, so yes, I still use it at home. Works like a champ. The big advantage it has over sailing clicker etc is full access to the playlists, and displays album art, etc. I absolutely love signal. I'm seriously considering an ipod touch because of how much better it's supposed to work, too.

i should try that with my iPhone sometime, haven't really had time to check out vnc with it

[JBLoudG20]

very nice! you using that to control your tunes at home or has it become moot since you got rid of your aex?

I see daft in your sig :prettyprincess:

[aardvark baguette]

I've never tried 'signal'. I do have an iphone though.

I have 2 picos on order, but I could sell them and get the duet, but wouldnt bother unless it's DAC section was better. (Is it?). And if the Pico wasnt compatible w/ mac.

I think I'd be more comfortable sorting though hundreds of gigs of music on a monitor, but signal does sound interesting.

Of course, I guess hypothetically I could sneak into the office on the weekend and install this:

Who knows what kind of video card horsepower would be needed though.

One panel for album art, one for lyrics...

[ojnihs]

I see daft in your sig :prettyprincess:

oh most definitely my good sir

[kpeezy]

This is a cool thread..

I'm going to be doing the same thing when I get a laptop and have been looking at this same topic.

I think I'm just going to have a USB powered external drive > laptop > aliendac/mini^3 in a single case. I don't really have the budget for most of these portable setups (and I don't even comprehend these cell phone setups).

Edit: That's actually going to be my entire digital setup since I do most of my listening via records now

[ojnihs]

I have 2 picos on order, but I could sell them and get the duet, but wouldnt bother unless it's DAC section was better. (Is it?). And if the Pico wasnt compatible w/ mac.

i believe grawk said that the dacs are very much comparable, it just depends if you need portability and whatnot. i'm sure tyrion has some insight into this as well.

[grawk]

I'd get a pico and a duet, rather than 2 picos or 2 duets, personally. Then you can decide for yourself.

[aardvark baguette]

The reason I had 2 picos on order is I had originally ordered a gs1, but changed the order several months into the wait, having read all the positive pico reviews. I figured ordering two would be at a closer price point than asking for a partial refund so far into an order.

[grawk]

The reason I had 2 picos on order is I had originally ordered a gs1, but changed the order several months into the wait, having read all the positive pico reviews. I figured ordering two would be at a closer price point than asking for a partial refund so far into an order.

If you're close to getting the picos, I'd still get them, then sell one and buy a duet

[aardvark baguette]

I hope I'm close. I have no idea though. I ordered from email, and never used a headfi name, so I'm not on the web list.

I think I originally ordered the GS1 back in september. I assume changing the order later moved me to the bottom of the list, as if I just ordered that day. Which is fine.

I probably will sell one. No need for two, unless I want a bedside rig 5 feet away from my computer rig at home

[krrm]

I have 2 picos on order, but I could sell them and get the duet, but wouldnt bother unless it's DAC section was better. (Is it?). And if the Pico wasnt compatible w/ mac.

The Pico worked perfectly with my ancient (ppc) miniMac when I tried a couple of days ago.

[Dusty Chalk]

I probably will sell one.

What color(s) did you get? Depending on the timing (I.E. not now), I may be interested in one.

[laxx]

Me too.

[Dusty Chalk]

In my morning deluge of crap emails I saw this.

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=205714260&adid=17654&dcaid=17654

Seems like a pretty decent deal for 500GB.

Yeah, I'm on the buy.com emailing list and the overstock.com emailing list and the audioadvisor.com emailing list (not that they offer hard drives). This is almost a whole 'nother thread, as to which external hard drive to get. eCost has good prices for externals (500gb and 1tb) up to about 1tb (seems to be the "sweet spot" -- after that, you start paying more for having that much storage in one box), so I don't feel the need to jump on that any time soon. Also going up to a closing CompUSA tomorrow, I'll see what they have left.

[grawk]

Yeah, I'm on the buy.com emailing list and the overstock.com emailing list and the audioadvisor.com emailing list (not that they offer hard drives). This is almost a whole 'nother thread, as to which external hard drive to get. eCost has good prices for externals (500gb and 1tb) up to about 1tb (seems to be the "sweet spot" -- after that, you start paying more for having that much storage in one box), so I don't feel the need to jump on that any time soon. Also going up to a closing CompUSA tomorrow, I'll see what they have left.

I think I'm gonna pick up a newertech ministack v2 and a 750gb pata drive. Stacks with the mini, can more than handle the performance needs of a media server.

[aardvark baguette]

I told Justin black picos were fine, when I heard that clear was not in stock. But I told him if he happened to have any clear knobs, to put them on a black amp. (clear is silver).

Dusty; the Rockville CompUSA? I thought that was turned into a Microcenter. I haven't been that far up the pike in a while though. The only other one I know of was in Columbia Crossing, up in Columbia. Haven't been up there in a while either.

[Dusty Chalk]

Dusty; the Rockville CompUSA? I thought that was turned into a Microcenter.

Yeah, for a while now.

The only other one I know of was in Columbia Crossing, up in Columbia.

Yeah, that one. I was up at the Borders that's right next to it on Sunday, and I saw that they still had the sign up, so I drove by slowly, and they had a big sign that said "Last 8 Days", so...Monday or Tuesday should be it. It already looked pretty devastated, so I don't have high hopes, but ... you never know. I'm going up tomorrow (just got permission to take the day off).

[aardvark baguette]

I looked into VNC and signal; it wouldnt be ideal for my office, mainly because I cant have 'streaming' stuff on the network, or music apps for that matter. For ex. we cant install iTunes or Foobar on the computers because IT thinks we dont know what we're doing (even though I singlehandedly manage 12 societies web sites )

Thats why I am getting my own computer of some sort, completely detached from their precious network. And they can go to hell, and lose out on sharing my music.

[grawk]

I looked into VNC and signal; it wouldnt be ideal for my office, mainly because I cant have 'streaming' stuff on the network, or music apps for that matter. For ex. we cant install iTunes or Foobar on the computers because IT thinks we dont know what we're doing (even though I singlehandedly manage 12 societies web sites )

Thats why I am getting my own computer of some sort, completely detached from their precious network. And they can go to hell, and lose out on sharing my music.

VNC and signal don't actually stream anything, they just control your computer. And if you have the mini create it's own wireless network, it doesn't have to talk on the work network at all. Just have the touch link up to the mini's created network.

[aardvark baguette]

well whatever type of network I had, it couldn't be on their Internet.

So if I had a mac mini all by itself, how would it 'network' without other computers or networks or internet connection? Is it still achievable? If I have to buy a router, I may as well get a monitor instead, I would think.

Are we talking personal area network?

(I'm not much of a network buff, as you can tell)

[grawk]

You can with a mac create a network. It'd be wifi, and then your ipod touch would connect to THAT netowrk (and nothing else, basically) in order to control the mini.

[Contrastique]

Nice! I was thinking about setting up a harddrive system in the future myself. From al the stuff I've seen the Olive Opus 5 750gb comes closest to what I want, well, is exactly what I want. Anybody ever seen it up close and maybe even heard/used it?