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The Home Server Cometh

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the where-you-keep-your-treasure dept.

narramissic writes "Apart from Apple's 'I'm cooler than you' ad campaign, you don't hear much about the Windows versus Mac battle these days. The reason: Today's battle isn't about 'what brand of computer sits on the desk in your spare room, or even what operating system it runs, it's going to be about who gets to dominate the market for home servers that will control your entertainment, television, telephony, and your home automation system,' argues Dan Blacharski in a recent article."

7 of 253 comments (clear)

  1. you don't hear much about the Windows versus Mac.. by harrypelles · · Score: 5, Funny

    [...] you don't hear much about the Windows versus Mac battle these days. [...]

    These guys must not read slashdot... wait...

  2. Re:Cooler than me? by errxn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Thank you. That annoying ad campaign has done more to turn me off to the idea of buying Apple products than anything else. I'd like to get an iPod, but I just can't bring myself to do it because of the prospect of joining the legions of annoying faux-hipster Apple fanboys out there. Worst. Ad. Campaign. Ever.

    --
    In Soviet Russia, Chuck Norris will still kick your ass.
  3. Notnooz by Stringer+Bell · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've been hearing the same "the future of computing is home automation" line for at least 15 years. Yeah yeah, the computer's going to turn on the coffee maker in the morning, shut off the back porch light at night and keep tabs on who called during the day.

    I call fluff piece. Weren't we supposed to be vacationing on the moon by now?

  4. Re:Then Sony is well positioned? Or Charter's cabl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    *fade into the server room, 2017*

    Network Administrator, BOFH, is monitoring the networking from his Nintendo console. The screen gleefully displays the Mii's of all of the network users. LameUser253 tries for the 3rd time to post his personal information on a phishing site despite the warnings.

    The Administrator locks onto LameUser253's Mii with the Wii-mote and administers a fierce wacking with the nunchuck.

    This ... doesn't sound half bad :).

  5. Re:With the introduction of AppleTV... by k_187 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, but to show them on the AppleTV you'll have an extra step of reencoding the files that the EyeTV spits out. You can't send the MPEG2 that the EyeTV makes to the Apple TV. Same thing with ripping DVDs.

    From the AppleTV tech Specs page: Video formats supported: H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): 640 by 480, 30 fps, LC version of Baseline Profile; 320 by 240, 30 fps, Baseline profile up to Level 1.3; 1280 by 720, 24 fps, Progressive Main Profile. MPEG-4: 640 by 480, 30 fps, Simple Profile

    --
    11 was a racehorse
    12 was 12
    1111 Race
    12112
  6. Re:With the introduction of AppleTV... by markk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What home market? That market doesn't exist yet. It has been crippled by proprietary standards and DRM. When there is a setup where I can stick all my DVD's in like itunes with CD's, where I can load in my photo's easily and its all available on my TV, then we'll have something. I'll be able to check the latest online videos as easy as I check things like blogs.

    I kind of think that is where Apple TV is a start (just a small piece). There will have to be a "media server" with a LOT of storage in the background. then on the one hand the interface to the large components - the TV and big speakers - that is Apple TV, on the other hand an interface to handheld devices - which the iphone is the start. That is where a tablet or really a good reading device would come in - the new newspaper - wirelessly attached at home or away - with stories and video. The computer kind of dissappears in this - the old "ubiquitous" computing stuff from long ago finally realized (forget the phone and look at the other features of that Apple product). That might be part of the reason for "Apple Inc" now with Apple Computer gone..

    I talked Apple, but Microsoft could be coming at this from the angle with the Xbox and Zune front end, back end Vista server. Its just that a large part of their earnings are from business software - which is really a different market altogether that right now happens to use the same equipment.

  7. Re:Interoperability and market dominance by homer_s · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Theoretically free market should react and break it up

    No, the free market is just that - people acting freely and spending their money however they want. 'It' has no free will, nor does it act in any certain way. People acting freely will make good and bad choices (btw, who defines what is good and bad?) - some people will buy Hondas and Toyotas, others will buy *some bad car*.

    The trouble starts when someone says "oh my, people are spending their money on X, which is clearly bad. Let us regulate these imbeciles."