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In Reply to: Re: Why? posted by digepix on August 31, 2006 at 07:10:47:
The Squeezebox is different from hooking your laptop directly to your stereo/DAC. The SB allows you to stream your music, using wifi, to your stereo/DAC. This way you do not have to run a cable from your laptop to the stereo. In addition, you can have your laptop in your lap or on a table next to your listening chair and don't have to worry about a wire running across the floor that people/animals can trip on. I stream my music to a SB2 from my office computer and use a wifi PDA to browse music and control the SB. This way I can walk around the house with the PDA in my pocket.The disadvantage of the SB is that it will not plau those annoying windows sounds. In addition, you can not stream the audio from games.
Follow Ups:
> > In addition, you can have your laptop in your lap or on a table < <But the point is that you can buy another cheap "second" laptop as a dedicated feed to your DAC connected to your Home Stereo. The laptop would archive the music files with a USB hard drive hard wired to that laptop through usb.
Your "normal" main laptop can stay with you to play those same files accessed wirelessy while you listen with the headphone. You'd be connecting to the cheap dedicated laptop wirelessly with the normal laptop.
The cheap dedicated "second" laptop would stay hardwired with your home stereo permanently.
If laptops new or used get cheap enough, then Squeezebox devices have a harder time competing unless their price is dropped. I guess that was my point.
Yes, your two laptop rig will work. But, do you really want to have a laptop sitting on top of your stereo? Hey, if this works for you, then go for it.
A laptop can be used for numerous other multimedia functions such as ripping and incoding and even video capture.They are getting smaller as well.
I'm running a laptop these days, relegating the big 'ol tower PC to the garage these days. With the laptop, I run the software-based version of the SB2, Softsqueeze, to my Presonus Firepod audio interface. In addition, I use my SB2 connected to my systems in the garage where I work on speakers, etc.A couple of differences to note:
* SB2 via SqueezeNetwork: I generally release control of the SB2 so that it operates directly off the internet using SlimDevice's SqueezeNetork site. This allows my to have the bits directed straight to the SB2 rather than having to route everything through my laptop. There are times when what I'm doing on the laptop causes dropouts if I try to route everything through it.
* The amount of memory you'll need in a laptop will probably not come standard with those low-end versions: Not that the SB software needs it, but the more things you want to do with the laptop at the same time will definitely have an effect on playback streaming. I'd suggest that you add up the incremental cost of a memory upgrade to the cost of the laptop to compare more apples-to-apples. While you're at it, add on the cost of an outboard DAC of some sort.
Your point, however, is well taken. Why purchase a dedicated and engineered device when you can purchase a more general purpose device that *could* do the same thing? Even today, I'd still consider the SB2 mainly because its so flexible for its intended use and I like the fact that they're constantly updating the software, too.
Cheers,
I do agree there are advantages to a dedicated device like SB. I was just trying to point out an alternative solution.
Laptops are marvelous and they are indeed getting cheaper but I doubt they'll be a major factor in any competitive pricing changes that Slim Devices makes.Laptop computers are designed for computer tasks - typing, mouse use, display of info on screen, etc. While they will certainly do what you say they will in the music delivery department that is not the focus of their design.
It reminds me of those "7 in 1" tools with screw driver, hammer, pliers, etc. They work, but are hardly as convenient as the proper tool dedicated for each job.
The Squeezebox is small, good looking, unobtrusive, has a remote control and responds well to remote power-on from the server software. Unlike a laptop, the analog output from the Squeezebox is also quite good - actually much better than one would expect.
Squeezebox has competition and I'd bet they are going to get more in the future, but I don't think cheap laptops are going to be a thorn in their side, save a small minority of hobbyist types.
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