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Apple Developing a Home Media Server?

do we really need this?

I call this synology ds209+ nas... or am i missing something?
 
HP MediaSmart Owners

HP has just announced that all the features of the new MediaSmart Servers that are coming out in February including Time Machine capability will be available to current owners via a software update .

I picked up an HP MediaSmart EX470 three weeks ago for $320. :D
 
Hmm, this news plus built-in ZFS capability sounds interesting...

Just add a new drive whenever you need more storage...
 
this doesn't need a display and I would guess that you won't even be able to remote into it. It very well could be made to be controlled with a seperate app just like all of the airport devices.
 
It's such a coinkidink that it was today that I was researching the Mediasmart server thinking it looks pretty cool but "if only apple made it".
For me it would have to be Mac and pc compatible and be no more than the price of the Mediasmart servers.
If only they would... it would be great! Come on :apple: - roll on Macworld.
 
Yvan256 said:
IMHO it stopped being a niche market when Apple started to sell TV shows and movies via the iTunes Store. Non-technical users need a way to safeguard those files, and even Time Capsule/Time Machine can't do it if they don't support multiple drives/RAID setups.
Click to expand...
Drobo supports Time Machine (with a few caveats).
 
Boxee feels like a solution that fits into this dialog. They are open (runs on macs, windows, linux, appletv), they support many different media services (hulu, youtube, native files, bittorrent, last.fm, etc.) and are designed from ground up to be controlled and viewed via big screen TV.

Have been playing with the alpha for a few weeks now, and pretty deep and promising, for an alpha.

Here is a post on the media center space, with an apple centered focus:

What it Means to be a "Social" Media Center: Boxee, Apple TV and Square Connect
http://thenetworkgarden.blogs.com/w...enter-boxee-apple-tv-and-square-connect-.html
 
Maybe I'm missing something--but given this recent economy and Apple's sure to be hit guidance for all of 2009==why is this not being discussed as an option for Time Capsule--ala software update? I love my TC but I know these are not selling like crazy and for the average city hipster or small family..this could easily do the job of a "home server" with the right firmware upgrade.
 
Benjamindaines said:
How about not. Can Apple PLEASE go back to focusing on their existing markets rather than always trying to expand? Pro Apps anyone?
Click to expand...

Hahaha, are you one of the people that are still mad that Apple created the iPod and iPhone which gives them the money to do what they do? There's a reason why people with that line of thought don't work at Apple.
 
jaw04005 said:
I'll have to see it to believe it. The home server market is such a niche market.
Click to expand...

+1
This is more of a niche than the netbook market. Not to mention the fact that if apple made it the darn thing would probably cost 1.5x as much as the HP media server.
 
NoSmokingBandit said:
+1
This is more of a niche than the netbook market. Not to mention the fact that if apple made it the darn thing would probably cost 1.5x as much as the HP media server.
Click to expand...
It's a natural progression from the Apple TV - but this opens it up to more people, and continues Apple's focus on tech that encourages downloads from the Itunes Store.

Is there any reason why the existing time capsules or AppleTVs couldn't do this with an update? Both have internet connection, NAS, etc - as long as you have a computer on the network to put stuff on it (or only rely on Itunes Store content...).
 
mmcxiiad said:
yes the way they charge less is to do 4 or less drives. Possibly even 2 drives. Apple has been working on ZFS for quite some time. By using ZFS, you can have raid 5 like redundancy with snapshots without the need of all of the raid headaches.

Furthermore, expandability could be done either add on modules, or USB ( or even firewire or esata, though don't bet on these last two). This would give the use the ability for more storage without having to implement a whole system for it.

I have noticed that apple likes to add capabilities and functionality into products without the need of complexity and unnessary buttons & ports.

My guess it it would look a lot like a larger time capsule - with only 2 drives (dual 500GB or dual 1TB), 2 USB ports, 10/100/1000 Ethernet & 802.11n. It may also have an airport basestation built into it... although that is about a 50%-50% possibility. Don't believe that a device like this will be as feature rich as the windows home server. It will probably more like an appliance vs a computer. It will have a set of features that it does well, with little to no upgradability. New features will either be an OS-type update or done in new versions of buying the whole system. I believe these things because it is consistent with how apple has built its business with ipods, airport networking, macs & its software.

Finally, a device like this probably has a fixed price point that it can successfully be sold at to get both maximum profitability and not out price itself in the market. I highly doubt it will exceed $800 - for that much you can almost get another macbook. I think 2 models at $649 & $799.
Click to expand...

Very much agree.
 
cloud said:
Hahaha, are you one of the people that are still mad that Apple created the iPod and iPhone which gives them the money to do what they do? There's a reason why people with that line of thought don't work at Apple.
Click to expand...

No, I'm not mad that Apple made the iPod and iPhone. I own both and love them. However; there was a time when Apple was a company that catered to pro users rather than just being another "everything shiny is god" electronics company.
 
cloud said:
Hahaha, are you one of the people that are still mad that Apple created the iPod and iPhone which gives them the money to do what they do? There's a reason why people with that line of thought don't work at Apple.
Click to expand...

Or maybe he's one of the people who uses one of the "pro" apps...and realizes that it sucks and that development for it is glacial?
 
Throw in remote access for Time Machine (over IPsec, ie, the same as back to my Mac), and my TC might go on Ebay.
 
I just want a pvr that either has network facilities i.e wifi or and the ability to convert recordings to iphone/ipod format ready to be synced. I want to be able to go away for a weekend and have my recordings all ready for me and also ready for my iphone. Is that too hard to ask for?

and maybe the abilty to transfer my tv signal over the net? at least local wifi range so i can watch tv on my mac. but if i want to record its done on the box not my mac so i can take my macbook pro out if i want to go out etc
 
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