Any ideads how I can make a iTunes server from a mac mini?

[newmoomin]

Hi All
Ive been racking my brain how to do this, or if it is at all possible in a not too messy way with the current version of iTunes, but Im a bit stuck, and wondered if you lot have any ideas, or if you do something similar.

What I want is a headless mac mini tucked away somewhere with a 1TB external drive attached (or ideally Apple would make a mini macpro) running iTunes all the time so the Apple TV can play from it (and hopefully soon the iPhone remote app) I would then want my macbook to use the itunes database on the mac mini so that i see all the same content, and can sync tv and music to my iphone, and add new music from my cds.

Trouble is, Apple have not designed iTunes to work like this. iTunes doesnt like its database opened in 2 places else it starts to mess up. Also, its not dynamic, so as iTunes is open all the time on the mac mini, if I was to add a new album or change an ID3 tag on the macbook, this wouldnt get updated on the mac mini unless i restarted iTunes. The only way of me using iTunes on the macbook would be to remote into the mac mini, quit iTunes, then load iTunes on the macbook, then when finished quit iTunes, remote into the server and load itunes up again!

Currently it seems like the Apple ecosystem is based around you owning 1 mac and keeping everything on that mac. This doesnt work well for me as I use a Macbook as amy main machine with a small hard drive which isnt on all the time, and I have an AppleTV which would obviously need the macbook on when being used. I also have an iPhone which I need to sync. Obviously with all the TV, movies and music Apple is selling me, space is getting more and more difficult on the macboook!

We need a Apple home server, but until then, any of you got any ideas?

 

[miniConvert]

I used to access my iTunes library on different machines. It doesn't work well at all.

Now I have iTunes on my Mac mini, with my library shared. I access the shared library on all of my other Macs via the network. The only slight annoyance is that I have to purchase songs on the Mac mini, rip albums to it, and sync my iPod to it.

Once I've got the iPhone 3G it'll be a bit easier because I'll probably buy songs on that and sync them to the Mac mini later.

Generally, though, it works very well

 

[newmoomin]

Yeah, I imagine I may have to give up at some point and do it like you and have a screen on the mac mini and always use that to sync my iphone to. Its the way Apple have designed it, use 1 mac for everything.

Seems a shame though. I feel sorry for poople who only own a macbook air. They would always need to carry an external drive around if they want lots of photos, music, tv and movies. Apple really need a wireless (and gig wired) itunes server so that different users of a household can all have laptops but keep their media on the server in a way that can be read by multiple AppleTVs around the house. I plan on buying an AppleTV for teh bedroom soon, thats only going to complicate things!

Perhaps we will be in luck with iTunes 7.7? Or maybe Apple will bring out a Time Capsule type device but designed around iTunes serving and with usb ports for extra drive space. While you are at it, make it a Time Capsule2 so we can use it for time machine too!