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Maintaining Huge DVD-RW Media Libraries Using Linux?
jdclucidly asks: "I am faced with the problem of storing a huge high quality audio library in a portable format (i.e. I need to be able to be at a party to DJ within an hour's notice). Being the minimalist that I am, I'd also like this solution to also empower me to listen in my own leisure time wherever I go (i.e. car/home). So, it needs to be lower power, low cost, and able to interface with existing stereo equipment where ever I go. With over 6000 CD's in my possession, storing CD audio on 9.6 GB DVD-R in the open FLAC codec with fully searchable META data was the logical conclusion. Problem: The portable DVD-R/W drives exist, but the host hardware isn't portable enough. I have concluded that a laptop is too bulky for car use and too expensive to risk taking to parties. Instead, what I'd like to do is to port FLAC to the ARM architecture on Linux and use the 106 mHz processor on board the Zarus PDA to power my media library. However, there are two problems in this solution: 1) UDF packet writing/reading, which is required for DVD use, is still very much in it's infancy in Linux; 2) I don't know of any PDA that supports the USB 2.0 or Firewire that portable DVD-R/W requires. Does Slashdot have any ideas for accomplishing a portable media library for under USD$1000 or am I getting a little ahead of the technology here?"
Is the way to go. Definetly.
If you think $1500 (latest Fujitsu sub-notebook with internal DVD reader, does 10h on max batteries) is too expensive, then youre in the wrong game, honestly. Buy a few 32GB 2.5" HD's if the 20GB included isnt enough, and simply use the audio-out. Buy a Pro-quality type-2 audio card if you want quality, but dont bother using lossy compression in that case.
Unless ofcourse, you needed to burn the DVD-R's when you went out for your gigs. But uh, I thought DJ's were the ones that supplied the music, no?
Anyone who considers arithmetical methods of producing random numbers is, of course, in a state of sin.-John von Neumann
http://thinkgeek.com/stuff/computing/5868.shtml
Cappuccino GX-1 Mini-PC
$999
Sweet Mini Book PC!
They're back!! Now with 256MB and a DVD Drive!
This sweet mini PC is similar in size to a CD player and weighs only 1.9 pounds! It's powered by a 1Ghz Pentium III processor and 256 MB of ram to tackle most any application. The Cappuccino GX1 also includes all standard I/O ports such as parallel, serial, video, network and 2 USB ports. This is one hot little PC!
Cappuccino GX1
* Features an Intel 810 motherboard, click here for full MB specs
* 1 Ghz Intel Pentium III processor
* 256MB 144-pin PC100 RAM
* 20 GB internal hard drive
* 8x DVD-ROM drive
* Built-in 10/100 base-T ethernet (RJ45)
* Internal 56K V.90 modem
* No operating system installed.
* All standard I/O ports built-in
* Dimensions: 5.8" x 6.1" x 2"
* Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
"The Most Fun Possible on 4 wheels" is at SunBuggy in Las Vegas
It has integrated firewire, in addition to all the other goodies.
No, it has integrated iLink, not integrated FireWire. FireWire (the name, I mean) applies to the six-pin implementation of IEEE 1394; FireWire can carry power as well as data on the cable.
On the other hand, iLink applies only to the 4-pin implementation. Data only on that cable, no power. That's a big problem for laptops; why else have an IEEE 1394 connection at all if you can't send power over it? It's useless unless you're near a wall socket.
Kind of a shame, really. Other than this fact, it's a fairly decent looking laptop. Bluetooth has definitely got "ooh, neat!" going for it.
Wearables Central is a good place to start. People lookinto wearable computers have been looking for hardware that is both small and low powered. Plus many of them have been interested in sound. Something about needing it for speach recognition and sound output. You don't have a much space constraints so you could go with a dedicated sound board. I'd look into PC-104 based single board computes then add a sound board. For the screen, choose one from those supported by the SBC. For harddisk I'd use two laptop drives used in mirrored mode. That way if one fails, the other can take up the task. Case wise I'd get one of the standard PC-104 extruded AL cases, and add rubber bumpers. Power can come from a wall brick. Check out DigiKey. Personally I'd expect one of them DVD-RAM drives to die from vibration long before a good laptop HD would.