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You're missing the point
Authored by: rsnyder on Nov 22, '04 12:29:20PM

Those of you who don't understand the post are missing the point.

Think of it like Sailing Clicker for a machine out of bluetooth range, where your powerbook is the phone. (BTW, you can use WAP browser with BrowserTune so you can use your wireless networked PDA).

Let me try to explain how I use this software.

I have a desktop system in the basement with about 500GB of drive space. My family's music collection is all on that system. We sync our iPods to that system.

My stereo in the living room is connected to one Airport Express, and a pair of amplified speakers are connected to a second Airport Express in my bedroom.

I have a powerbook that is usually nearby, but not always open (batter life and such). The beauty of SlimServer and BrowserTunes (which I use) is that I if I want to start, stop, or skip or repeat songs, I just open the laptop, go the url for my basement BrowserTunes server, and do so. I can also look for a specific song or play a song list without having to 1) keep my powerbook open the whole time, or 2) go down to the basement to make the changes on the music server.

The second piece that I do need to use is VNC or ARD to take control of the downstairs machine to change the Airport Express that iTunes is pointing to. It would be great if one of these servers added support for changing the Airport Express output.

I know that I could use ARD and VNC to do all of the above, but the web browser is a thiner client and is always open on my powerbook. Also, if someone else is using the downstairs system, I can use SlimServer or BrowserTunes to surf my music without taking the mouse out of their hands or bringing iTunes out of Hiding--except when I need to switch the Airport Express.

So cheers to the original poster, and cheers to the people who have the time to develop such nifty software. I will have to take a look at SlimServer.



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You're missing the point
Authored by: Fofer on Nov 22, '04 01:02:26PM

No, actually, I think it's you who is missing the point of the detractors to particular hint.

Yes, in YOUR case, you might appreciate SlimServer since it allows access to your music library from any web-enabled device. But that's old news and has been around for a long time.

This tip was submitted as a way to allow a wireless PowerBook to playback music that's located elsewhere, via iTunes. The tip discusses making the desktop music accessible to the PowerBook via SlimServer, which in turn is streaming back to the desktop's Airport Express. Convoluted indeed, especially when Apple's software works just fine in this scenario - as is... with no hoops to jump through. It works fine and interaction is instantaneous (unlike the web front-end solution, which has a multi-second lag.) It also has no problem with Fairplay protected iTunes music store purchases.

That said, I am glad that all of these options exist. They allow for lots of flexibility and fun innovations for everyone.



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You're missing the point
Authored by: rsnyder on Nov 22, '04 01:19:23PM

I am not sure where you get the multi-second delay from. In my scenario, using BrowserTunes, it works quickly with no perceptible latency.

Being someone who is looking for a solution in this space (I shelled out for an EyeHome, have a Sailing Clicker license, and purchased two Airport Expresses), this type of software gets me much closer to what I want (the ability to keep the computer in the computer room and play the music in the living room and bed room) than most anything I have tried.

Does everyone have the same requirements? No. However, if someone else has found something that gets me closer, I am all ears.



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You're missing the point
Authored by: sjk on Nov 22, '04 02:02:55PM
Btw, it's Salling Clicker.

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You're missing the point
Authored by: Fofer on Nov 22, '04 11:00:26PM

Well I haven't tried BrowserTunes, but I know I experienced lags from SlimServer when controlling it from a web browser, having to refresh the web pages, and streaming it to another computer running iTunes... *especially* on a WAP enabled cell phone! (My beloved Treo smartphone doesn't support 802.11x, and I'm not sure it will.) It simply did not have the responsiveness of a Bluetooth PDA with Salling Clicker ... or, say, a PowerBook with iTunes and a shared library. I just couldn't get behind the idea of using a web interface to casually browse through and enjoy my music library. Even one additional second here and there is annoying when I want to "scrub" through a song or audiobook. I needed something more elegant. Something easy and immediate.

That said, whatever works for you and makes you happy...

It seems like you are interested in learning about alternative mechanisms though. I agree, Salling Clicker is way cool, and I love the visual feedback on the PDA's screen, allowing me to browse playlists and see what's upcoming. So why not consider increasing your Bluetooth's range?

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how2/article/0,20967,714017,00.html

This is a project I'm considering for my new iMac G5, whose primary focus will be that of home media server.
(I'm not sure how an external USB Bluetooth dongle would work with a machine that had internal BT preinstalled, so I specifically ordered a stock machine.)

If that's not your bag, check out Keyspan's new remote, it comes with an IR adapter that plugs into your Airport Express' USB port:

http://keyspan.com/products/usb/urm17a/



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