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'Home on iPod' Patent Surfaces
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Flowbee said:
I'm guessing the above post hit the nail on the head as to why it took a bit longer to get out the door {edit(if they DO/CAN overcome the mentioned issues in a manner that makes it do what I would want in a way that is elegant)}:
amols said:
crees! said:
This??
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/GPT-on-x64.mspx
or maybe I'm way off?
http://www.gpt.org/
authentication
I'm wondering how they'll work out the authentication issues. Such as:
Where is the authentication stored? (iPod or local system)
What happens to computers that are set up with OS X server to be network/mobile accounts?
I'm pretty sure there's some admins that don't want random people with iPods logging on to their machines...
thats a whole can of worms that makes my head hurt
I'm wondering how they'll work out the authentication issues. Such as:
Where is the authentication stored? (iPod or local system)
What happens to computers that are set up with OS X server to be network/mobile accounts?
I'm pretty sure there's some admins that don't want random people with iPods logging on to their machines...
thats a whole can of worms that makes my head hurt
crees! said:
Intel macs use new partition format called GUID Partition Table or GPT. PPC Macs use Apple Partition Map or APM. Open Disk utility and click on your startup disk. At the bottom, you'll see what partition scheme your mac has. The problem is that Intel Macs can see APM formated drives but can not boot from them. PPC Macs are even worse. They don't work properly with GPT formatted drives under Tiger and not even supported in Panther and below. Most guys don't know about this and Apple isn't generous enough
http://db.tidbits.com/article/08405
What would actually be nicer is if the iPod could view the files in my home directory, maybe even edit some of them.
Another option I would like to see is, the same thing mentioned, but with a MacBook (Pro). I could use the MacBook when I'm out, and then, dock it back with a Mac Pro. If all the software worked the same, and I could save my "sessions", then you get the best of both worlds. I'm too mobile not to use a MacBook, but I do a lot of heavy lifting.
P6
Another option I would like to see is, the same thing mentioned, but with a MacBook (Pro). I could use the MacBook when I'm out, and then, dock it back with a Mac Pro. If all the software worked the same, and I could save my "sessions", then you get the best of both worlds. I'm too mobile not to use a MacBook, but I do a lot of heavy lifting.
P6
I can see this as being a nice selling point for Leopard and/or a way to convince people to upgrade their macs to the x86 architecture (e.g. say that this feature is only available to Intel-based macs).
I said it on AI and I'm'a say it here:
This feature would be MUCH more useful if there were more "panther-equipped" (leopard, now, if anything) Macs lying around. Macintosh presence is spotty, even at the library and college campus and even if they are present, are rarely running the most up-to-date operating system. IT departments that run both PCs and Macs take a look at Jaguar, say, "still no virii!" and put off updating macs for another year.
The only widespread (if you even want to call it that) use for this technology is if you are lucky enough to have a Mac at work. So, not very widespread at all.
It's cool though. I'd use it... if I had a use for it, that is.
-Clive
This feature would be MUCH more useful if there were more "panther-equipped" (leopard, now, if anything) Macs lying around. Macintosh presence is spotty, even at the library and college campus and even if they are present, are rarely running the most up-to-date operating system. IT departments that run both PCs and Macs take a look at Jaguar, say, "still no virii!" and put off updating macs for another year.
The only widespread (if you even want to call it that) use for this technology is if you are lucky enough to have a Mac at work. So, not very widespread at all.
It's cool though. I'd use it... if I had a use for it, that is.
-Clive
The real question is: Is the user account on the iPod authorized to play purchased items on any computer?
Oh, and I also want to add that a patent grant rarely means anything anymore... and I find it amusing that so many of you "otomatically" think this feature will now show up in Leopard. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I'm just saying... Apple abandoned it for a reason. It didn't appear in Tiger, either. What makes you think it's going to appear in Leopard? A patent grant? Pfft!
As a note, the iPod scroll-wheel interface was being used LONG before a patent was attained. Also, if this Home on iPod technology HAD been adopted in Panther, it, too, would have been in use for a long time before earning the patent. That's why I think it would be a rash conclusion to assume that now, since there's a patent, there will be a product. Patent =/= product!
Pfft again! Pfft!
-Clive
As a note, the iPod scroll-wheel interface was being used LONG before a patent was attained. Also, if this Home on iPod technology HAD been adopted in Panther, it, too, would have been in use for a long time before earning the patent. That's why I think it would be a rash conclusion to assume that now, since there's a patent, there will be a product. Patent =/= product!
Pfft again! Pfft!
-Clive
You can already boot from an external HD if you have an image of your Macintosh HD on it (starting from the OSX installer disc and running disk utility). But this takes hours and has no incremental synching. I love the idea to connect my iPod to any Mac running Leopard, an BOOM, there's the login screen with my name and picture popping up and I can login as I would on my home computer.
The only big problem is iPods are not made to be used as a system drive. Those small hard drives don't like read/writing non-stop. And Flash memory (which is still kinda expensive for a reasonable amount of storage) has limited read/write cycles. But you could jus sync some folders the way you sync playlists in iTunes...
The only big problem is iPods are not made to be used as a system drive. Those small hard drives don't like read/writing non-stop. And Flash memory (which is still kinda expensive for a reasonable amount of storage) has limited read/write cycles. But you could jus sync some folders the way you sync playlists in iTunes...
Clive At Five said:
I agree. I think Apple started to think about the potential problems it would create, encouraging people to hammer iPod hard drives in a way that normal use (as an mp3 player, it's always throwing data into flash memory) wouldn't. Bear in mind it doesn't have the appropriate cooling to deal with constant access either. The iPod has been designed to be thin rather than cool.
I think this is a ditched feature. They'd rather not have to deal with the backlash if the hardware started to give up under the conditions that Home on iPod would create. And yes, I know you can do it already in one way or another, but that's very different from encouraging use of that capability. Ditto on ditching firewire (which would be much more suitable for sustained data transfer than USB2).
Didn't people copy files onto portable devices and "sneeker net" them around, in like the 1960's and 70's? Back then the devices we used were bigger (14 inch disk platters and reels of 1/2 inch tape) but the idea was the same -- I could take my whole environment with me. Later in the 1980's we had computer networks and could keep UNIX home directories on a file server and then there was no need to move the physical media - the file server wuild export your home directory to which ever computer you logged into
bigandy said:Me likey. I really hope it does get included this time, it's something I've been waiting for too.
As with previous comments, USB2 bad for this. Tooooo sloooow. 40Gb 3G iPod? Perfect
Firewire is slower on current MBP 15" and MB than USB2.0 which is 480Mbps. Anyway, it won't matter unless the iPod has 10,000 RPM drives that can achieve 50 MB/s (400 Mbps) sustained speed.
wow, that would be an amazing feature and will help me avoid buyig a laptop.
sweet bring it on!
I wonder if the long rumored video ipod will take advantage of this capability.
sweet bring it on!
I wonder if the long rumored video ipod will take advantage of this capability.
That patent was filed nearly four years ago, so it is pretty meaningless now other than showing what Apple were working on back then. Just because its been made public now doesn't mean anything and definetly doesn't mean the products / technologies in the patent are going to be released.
Any recently filed patents won't of been made public yet, they're the interesting ones that would give some indication as to what Apple are currently working on.
Any recently filed patents won't of been made public yet, they're the interesting ones that would give some indication as to what Apple are currently working on.
Are people misinterpreting the "home on iPod" idea? It was to let your home directory be on a portable device, not to let you use your home directory from the portable device (without your Mac). You would not log into your iPod and see the Finder or run your apps. The iPod would merely be the external device used to store your home directory when you log into your Mac.
At our school, we already have home folders stored on a server, so that students can sit at any Mac and log into their account. This is the same idea, but with a portable storage device.
At our school, we already have home folders stored on a server, so that students can sit at any Mac and log into their account. This is the same idea, but with a portable storage device.
The way I understand how this works is that you sync the ipod your directory with apps, files, etc from your let's say home desktop. bring it with you let's say, the office attach the ipod with a Mac and work out of that Mac using the apps, files, etc stored on your ipod. Then you get back home and sync it back to your original Mac.
That's why I said I would drop of buying a laptop in favor of such a thing, since I have a PowerMac at home.
I love the idea. I hope it's true.
That's why I said I would drop of buying a laptop in favor of such a thing, since I have a PowerMac at home.
I love the idea. I hope it's true.
i thought an issue with this would be writing to and from the ipod's drive for extended periods of time would be A Bad Thing™ becuase the ipod can not dissipate heat properly enough to make it a "working" drive.
?
EDIT. whoops. Dune beat me to it.
?
EDIT. whoops. Dune beat me to it.
