I'm designing a home network in my head, after reading through a product description for a Home Media Server, and thinking about stuff that you mentioned, tommy.

From reading up on Time Machine and the EMC product it seems that backup to hard drive is no longer a thing of the future, but a thing of the present. In addition to presenting space for me to save files on the server I can also present space to facilitate a system backup/restore for either my PC or Mac machine. If that's my goal, would it really matter what OS the server is running? And then I have the option to back the server itself up to a standalone drive or to optical media.

As shared storage goes, is there a way to have multiple iTunes installs pointing to the same library? I'd like my laptop and my desktop to be looking at the same songs, if not also the same playlists as each other. It's all mine, after all.

I guess I could also drop a shared printer off the server, but I'm guessing that hub/switch/router offerings these days are starting to have USB jacks for just that.

Does that sound plausible?

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As shared storage goes, is there a way to have multiple iTunes installs pointing to the same library? I'd like my laptop and my desktop to be looking at the same songs, if not also the same playlists as each other.

I've never tried it, but can't you tell iTunes where the xml database is? If so, then put it on a shared drive and have your multiple PCs point to it. I doubt that you could get a Mac and a PC to share the same database though. Also, you may only be able to connect one PC at a time to iTunes.

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Probably very stupid/basic question but, is there a site that lets you upload mp3s to share that is similar to the way Flickr and Photobucket host pics/video?

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Try box.net.

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is there a way to have multiple iTunes installs pointing to the same library?

I hope so, since it's a good part of my weekend plan.

I've never tried it, but can't you tell iTunes where the xml database is?

Yep.

I doubt that you could get a Mac and a PC to share the same database though.

I'm pretty sure you can -- it's all XML, and I know you can run the same iPod off both Mac and PC, and Mac/PC iTunes copies of iTunes can see each other in the shared libraries in the GUI.

Also, you may only be able to connect one PC at a time to iTunes.

Hope not. This could make our media server much less fun...

eta: old, but should be possible unless they've really changed the server architecture: [link] Versions are all surely out of date, but I think the basics should still work...

etaa: [link] much more recent, same protocols, better front end

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Corwood posted about muxtape.com in music a while back as a way to share mp3s

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Amy, that's brilliant! I'm trying to work out how to inch my way up to just the right home network (instead of just plonking down the money and buying it all at once), and being able to have a Linux box be an iTunes server (above and beyond just a file server) is a big deal. I wonder how that will play with Apple TV?

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You're on your own with the AppleTV -- I've never actually played with one. But we finally dragged my little-used linux desktop across the room and hooked it up to the big TV (after, oh, years of saying, hey, we should set up a home media server! and all we need is these 42 new cards!... no, we actually just needed to drag the damn thing across the room).

But we've got all of our ahemming needs heading straight in to Miro, and all our tunes are already backed up onto that machine, so setting up the networking piece is really all we need to be able to share music across the house.

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It does mention Apple TV right there on the front page--I'm very excited.

Also trepidacious, since I'm a sinkhole of bad computer karma right now, with both my Powerbook and my PC down for the count. Powerbook's in the shop--hopefully it's just a connection issue they can resolve by opening it up and closing it properly again, and I guess it's time to get a new PC. I've been making do with a linux box at home for a desktop server, but it's not viable as a primary box for me if only because I can't remote into work (uhh, I don't think).

So my plan this weekend is to spend money I shouldn't buying a PC with at least 2GB of RAM, room to bump up my graphics card if I don't shoot for the moon the first time out, and decent storage to use as my primary bedroom computer. The Linux box may be reinstalled or may be used as is (Ubuntu 7.something) to serve up iTunes to the PC and the returning Powerbook as well as store files and be backup media.

I'll also need a drive enclosure so I can spin up the unbroken IDE drive (I'm assuming that any PC I buy today will be serial ATA) and grab my data off that and start rebuilding some semblance of a home.

Hmm. Now I'm wondering if I should move the cable modem out into the living room and run wire back into the bedroom, instead of having the router in the bedroom...ah, decisions, decisions.

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if I just want something to play softly next to the bed is this cool or do I need to invest more than $5?

Laga, yes, that will work fine. Be aware, it does NOT come with a power adapter. So you might be using a ton of batteries. Not sure what its consumption rate is.

If you are wanting something simple right at the bed, not a traveling thing, go to a thrift store and buy someones old computer speakers. They have the 1/8" jack on them. Plug in, turn on, tunes! :) That's what I did for the kitchen.

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