Monday, May 16, 2011

queen elizabeth i of england

queen elizabeth i of england. of Queen Elizabeth I of
  • of Queen Elizabeth I of



  • Nomadski
    Apr 13, 07:07 AM
    MagnusVonMagnum -

    - Sonos is not "way better quality" (AppleTV2 output is DIGITAL and so the "quality" depends entirely on the stereo you connect it to. So sorry but you have no point there.

    Unless you've purchased / converted music in Apple lossless format it IS way better quality. Im making the comparison of my situation listening to FLAC vs the masses who purchase mp3s on iTunes. You could rip your music in Apple Lossless for sure, but then your hooked into iTunes, cant play on WMP or most other mp3s other than iPods. Like with a lot of stuff iTunes related, if you go that route, your stuck. Even the all inclusive Sonos S5 sounds better than the best iPod dock on the market (Bose 10 / Zeppelin whichever grabs your boat the most).

    - It may not be better quality, but it IS "way more expensive". AppleTV2 costs $99 (same price as an Airport Express which is "audio only" like Sonos). Sonos OTOH costs $349 for a basic receiver which then still requires to either be connected directly to a router (wired) OR you have to pay ANOTHER $99 for a "bridge" to send a separate wireless signal off your router just for Sonos devices (waste of bandwidth and clutters the band with more wireless signals instead of just using your existing wireless router, which most people already have (how many used a wired only router and if you did you cannot use the Sonos wireless for anything else). So already you are at LEAST $450 in the hole for a single room with Sonos and you have ONLY AUDIO capability.

    Sonos isnt cheap for sure, but that is why I said people who have no shortage of money at the start of my thread. Some people have massive Mac systems, those people shouldn't skimp when it comes to music, if they like music, or video for that matter.

    One of the big features of Sonos which you obviously arent aware of is that Sonos DOESNT hog your bandwidth. It uses its own Mesh network which works independantly of your home wireless network, hence no bandwidth constraints, which is why you can have up to 32 Sonos units all working AT THE SAME TIME on the same or different sources whilst not affecting the bandwidth capability of your home network. Try using even 2 AppleTV2s at the same time and see how much of your bandwidth is left.

    Also, if you live in a large house, or one with thick walls, or you want to listen outside, because Sonos recreates its own Mesh network each time it hits a Sonos unit strength signal on the opposite side of the house to the router is still very high, each Zone Player acts like a new Sonos signal source.

    Yup its expensive but I bought my first Sonos bit of kit in 2006. Since then ive added 3 more units, 2 of which were new redesigned units released a couple of years ago. Ive also added a second controller when they moved to touchscreen 2 years ago. And you know what? It all works seamlessly with each other. Old hardware, new hardware, built up over time. New features added over time (for free) seamlessly updated into even the oldest bit of hardware with a firmware update, they even added full Touch, iPhone and iPad control options so I could use any of them to control the audio around the house. Can you integrate AppleTV2 with 1? Can you honestly say in 5 years time your money spent will still work with the rest of your AppleTV system as they upgrade and add new features? When 3 year old sounddocks wont even charge new ipods I would hazard a guess...no.

    -But then I would be forgetting you need a SOURCE of music. You tout the use of an NAS, but most NAS devices aren't exactly cheap or anything. For all intensive purposes they are a just a headless computer and most run Linux. AppleTV2 is out of the box a PITA if you don't want to leave a computer on, but you can put XBMC on it which will use any NAS or networked source. You then have the same functionality as Sonos BUT you also have full video capability. You could instead get a cheap Netbook for $250 (cheaper than most NAS devices) and connect a hard drive to that and run iTunes and the full Apple interface if you'd like and still have XBMC available as well. Personally, I just use an old PPC G4 PowerMac as a server and 24/7 Internet terminal. Intel machines can also be set to Wake On Lan, so you can have your machine sleep while AppleTV is not in use. In short, NAS isn't as great as you make it sound (most are also dog slow compared to a real computer) and there are alternative options even with Apple software like a cheap Netbook as a server.

    NAS or WHS arent cheap but youve just contradicted yourself.

    Sonos will also play from any networked PC, MAC, External hard drive on Airport, netbook. To use a NAS you dont have to install XBMC on it, it works out of the box from any source you want. That PPC G4 would also work with Sonos, or you could play Last.FM, or Pandora, or Spotify, or Napster, or unlimited internet radio (you can even add your own internet radio addresses).

    Best of all, you DONT have to use iTunes. You can if you want, but you dont have to.

    Sonos also gives you multi room grouping. Group 2 or more zones together and enjoy synced music wherever you want it. Not miliseconds out syncing like Sony or Logitech but 100% synced. Dropping zones can be done at the flick of the controller.

    Read a review of a new album in the newspaper? Listen to it 5 seconds later on Sonos.

    So the kids can listen to their own music streamed in their rooms upstairs, my wife can be listening to the TV, or some music in the living room, and I can be in my little den listening to my music whilst enjoying near full speed wireless capability on my pc or mac, or maybe my wife likes a song shes hearing upstairs and links zones so she can hear it downstairs.

    You can buy a standalone unit which sounds better than the B&W Zeppelin, or get the amped unit for attaching to any speaker system you want, or get the small unit for use (as you do) with your existing stereo system. You can add these anytime you want, building up your Sonos system over time, without the fear it will be redundant over time.

    Its a high end multi room music system vs a limited single streaming unit.

    -Now I come to the heart of the matter...VIDEO. You suggest a Popcorn Hour in ADDITION to the already out of this world priced Sonos system. They start at $179 and go up to $299. That brings your total minimum price for a wireless system for a single room to $629 AND you have to switch between two separate devices to listen to audio and/or watch videos. With AppleTV you have all your movies, tv shows, photos, music, music videos, YouTube and Internet Radio (plus the options of XBMC with a quick hack including non-Apple formats) and your TOTAL COST for **one** room wireless using an existing wireless router is $99. $629 versus $99...Hmmmmmm. And then there's the matter of Popcorn Hour's crappy interface versus Apple's polished one. XBMC makes Popcorn Hour look bad as well. Bugs or popcorn? :confused:

    Cost seems to be the big issue with you, so I wonder if you own a mac mini as opposed to 3 macbook pros, an imac, apple tv2 etc etc as many posters here have? If so, Sonos etc wont be for you. If you do own multiple Apple systems why are you so concerned with price? If you want the best you got to pay for it.

    With Apple TV you DONT have all your movies or music or internet radio. you have limited experiences with all 3. No 1080p, no DVD images (Popcorn will load your dvd image in exactly the same way your dvd player would), wont play .mp4 .m4v .mkv .wmv .avi .aac .divx, doesnt have full support for all subtitle formats, wont play FLAC or anything else outside of your iTunes library audio wise and its internet radio function is gimped.

    Its sure nice to have it in one box, but *it* is very very limited. Dedicated systems will always trump jack of all trade systems.

    The interface is nice on AppleTV2 for sure, my popcorn looks better though with my skin on it. The default layout looks boring ill agree.

    So for the price of your ONE room audio and video, I could have SIX rooms using AppleTV2 with both video and audio and still have $29 to spare

    Except you couldnt do that could you? Your wireless network would be crippled with half that many running at the same time. I can assure you I can play a 1080P movie AND have 3 other Sonos units streaming at the same time. Try that sometime with 4 AppleTVs...

    With XBMC installed, it can play any format (just like Popcorn Hour).

    No, no it cant. DVD isos? All subtitle formats? 1080P? Also your slightly expanded feature set (not out of the box) is achieved by essentially hacking your AppleTV 2, so good luck on the next firmware update.

    Hell, I can even buy a cheap 3.5" internal hard drive and slot that into my popcorn hour if I want to store the films locally, what sized hard drive does Apple TV2 have? Oh wait.

    Your not seeing the advantages with zero configuration audio system, and a play all with no hassles video system? The only mucking about in my system is if you want a nice shinier interface with Popcorn Hour. You have to convert audio, replace (essentially) the OS to XBMC, have a linux system and a Crystal card to play 1080p on an OLDER Apple TV (your not factoring in this stuff with your price or integrated system arguments are you?) and you STILL have a far more limited setup.

    Reading thru your post I guarantee you your costs are higher than $99 and in about 2 years time your system will be redundant.

    Im not saying the AppleTV 2 is useless for everyone, for many of the dumb masses who are locked into iTunes already its probably the best thing since sliced bread, and really its only advantage is a cheap price and movie rentals, in glorious 720P, but if I want to feed my 42" 1080p plasma with subpar 720P video I could use the xbox or PS3 sitting under the TV, which I also dont bother with. For audiophiles or moviephiles it doesn't cut it.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Elizabeth I of England.
  • Elizabeth I of England.



  • leroypants
    Apr 28, 04:17 PM
    Don't worry, Windows 8 will be even better. Its going to have a built in PDF reader called "Modern Reader." Too bad Linux and OSX have had built in PDF readers for a decade now. Typical Microsoft, "if you can't beat them, copy them!"

    ROFLMAO

    Another nickel in the bank.
    http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2009/11/9/129023086802465617.jpg





    queen elizabeth i of england. Images of a Queen
  • Images of a Queen



  • dornoforpyros
    Oct 12, 07:38 PM
    haha, those store employees don't look to impressed. I imagine it's a "shut up and keep quite" moment while the celebs are taping. ;)





    queen elizabeth i of england. of Queen Elizabeth I of
  • of Queen Elizabeth I of



  • Slix
    Apr 22, 11:48 AM
    Awesome. I want a current MBA, but they're a tad too much right now. This will lower those prices.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen-Elizabeth-Ii-Of-England
  • Queen-Elizabeth-Ii-Of-England



  • firestarter
    Apr 11, 07:32 AM
    blackNBUK - thanks for the correction!





    queen elizabeth i of england. queen elizabeth 1 of england.
  • queen elizabeth 1 of england.



  • rovex
    Apr 30, 05:53 PM
    A redesign in 2012?

    That seems to align with all the big changes expected for the iPhone, iPad and MacBook pro.





    queen elizabeth i of england. The reign of Queen Elizabeth I
  • The reign of Queen Elizabeth I



  • e-coli
    May 3, 11:38 AM
    Surely I'm not the only one who's noticed that the i7 is slower than the i5, and that the Radeon HD 6970M is slower than the 6750M.

    Whaaaaa? :confused:





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • Northgrove
    Apr 28, 06:09 PM
    Microsoft is doing OK, now with Office and Windows 7. All of these are quite major successes for them. Windows Phone 7 still seems a bit shaky to me, but with the Office suite and Windows doing well now, they're OK. That they're beat by Apple is simply because Apple is doing far better than OK - not that MS is doing poorly. MS has their core products doing well -- Apple is grabbing large parts of markets, hardware (iPhone, iPad) as well as software (iOS). Both at once, when they've been big in neither before. That difference is sure to show up in the revenue. :)





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • NickFalk
    Apr 29, 12:30 AM
    I still don't understand why nobody has managed to make a viable alternative to Microsoft Office, esp. Microsoft Excel. Apple's iWork is fine, but clearly not enough and of course there is no Windows version. Google is too obsessed with the cloud and ad thing and didn't make Google Docs a local app for Windows / Mac / Smartphones with Dropbox like cloud capabilities. :(




    queen elizabeth i of england. of Queen Elizabeth I of
  • of Queen Elizabeth I of



  • TrollToddington
    May 1, 12:00 AM
    I wonder if the base SNB iMac will be faster than the base SNB MBP.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • ClimbingTheLog
    Sep 26, 04:41 PM
    Wrong. Cingular is rolling out 3.5G (HSDPA), and although they only have one phone that currently supports it (the LG CU500, http://onlinestorez.cingular.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phones/cell-phones.jsp?RFlow=A&source=INC230056&zip=10010&q_deviceId=cdsku9870167&WT.svl=dtl), reviewers have been wowed by the download speeds and smooth streaming video performance (download speeds are 1.8 Mbps).

    All the networks are pretty good when you're the only one using it. As you mentioned, there's only one phone that can even use it now and the reviewers got access probably before most of those were even sold. We'll see how things are 2 years from now. Maybe it'll be great.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of
  • Queen Elizabeth I of



  • MacinDoc
    Aug 24, 11:20 AM
    Creative joins the "Made for iPod" program and pays Apple a percentage of the revenue for iPod-only products? Doesn't sound like the kind of terms a confident victor would be making. Sounds more like a company trying to kick up a new revenue source in light of the fact that Zune is about to eat up its music player business.

    The most interesting part is when Zune launches, and how long it will take Creative to sue Microsoft. Apple just turned a 90-lb weakling into a hired assassin!
    These are probably the 2 most important points in all of this. Creative has NOT licensed this technology to other MP3 player manufacturers, and purchasing a license will be prohibitive for many manufacturers. And with Creative joining the Made for iPod program, it will likely soon learn that there is more money in making iPod accessories than in making iPod competitors.

    All in all, this settlement will discourage iPod competitors.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • guet
    Nov 13, 04:44 PM
    the tide is turning against Apple here, they need to clean up their act and get this whole thing working better.

    i understand the walled-garden approach and respect that, but they also need to get the store cleaned up/organized and they need to work better with developers - which might just mean hiring more people to work with them on a daily basis.

    No, they need to ditch the walled garden approach. It has never worked, and will never work, from AOL to eWorld, it'll lead to indifference and hostility from developers, and eventually, users. Throwing more people at it would not solve what is a systemic problem.





    queen elizabeth i of england. as Queen Elizabeth the I
  • as Queen Elizabeth the I



  • aristobrat
    Sep 19, 03:25 PM
    The only downside to the bumped up resolution is the increased download time. Last year, I was able to download Battlestar Galactica eps in about 20 minutes... the other night I downloaded a higher res episode and it took nearly an hour... granted, my DSL isn't the best in the land and the quality was noticably better, although the previous resolution was still fine (I have my iMac hooked via DVI to a 46" Samsung DLP HDTV... front row lets me select and play the shows from my couch) but the extra time caused my wife to say "well, lets just download it overnight and watch it tomorrow"... not a huge deal or anything, but a slight step backwards from the convenience angle. It's too bad you can't choose the resolution you want to download at.
    Maybe they could make iTunes let you start playing your TV show download before it's finished, like they let you do with movies?





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • milo
    Sep 5, 05:15 PM
    Mmmmm....how much?
    I get unlimited DVD rentals via post, 3 at a time- latest released.
    Add MTR and toast...match that Apple then I'll be interested

    I don't think it's realistic to expect apple to match the "deal" you can get from pirating dvd's. :rolleyes:





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • thejadedmonkey
    Nov 13, 06:18 PM
    Aplenty needs to clean up their act here.
    Rogue isn't a small homegrown company, they deserve to be respected. With policies like this, the App Store might just eventually die.

    I hope it dies. It's an abomination among software development.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Elizabeth I of England by
  • Elizabeth I of England by



  • puckhead193
    Oct 12, 07:02 PM
    from the pictures it looks gotta check it out in person though





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I, circa 1585-
  • Queen Elizabeth I, circa 1585-



  • jasper77
    Sep 5, 05:50 PM
    NOW you're on to something.Let's expand on that ;)

    Where is the video out from the airport going to go ? The TV of course!

    Now..

    Why not just make a Mini type box with 802.11n with DVI/HDMI/S-Video and Digital/Analog out ports.Connect that to the tv then stream from your computer or the movie store.While we're at it toss a hefty HD in the mini for recording.

    It's much more convenient too.Just sit on the couch and surf Front Row for movies then buy it and send it to the tv.POW! one step..

    Apple IS about ease of use..

    ease of use à la apple = buy/download a movie in the itunes movie store and stream it via airport av from your mac to a tv. or take a subscription to a tv show (like Lost or Prison Break) and let iTunes automatically download each new episode (via RSS) to your hard drive and than stream it to your tv whenever you want.

    I don't think recording is the future.





    queen elizabeth i of england. Queen Elizabeth I of England
  • Queen Elizabeth I of England



  • sixth
    Sep 5, 09:08 AM
    damn nothing ;-( wtf!





    chedda
    Apr 19, 12:47 PM
    Another crippling lawsuit?? This lawsuit is crippling Samsung? :rolleyes:


    Okay Vegasman crippling should be replaced by tickling i forgot about samsung heavy industries.





    SuperCachetes
    Dec 31, 05:16 AM
    Obviously McAfee has a vested interest is spewing "fear FUD" such as this. :rolleyes:

    Last month I finally ditched that buggy junk from my Win7 installs. Got tired of having to reinstall it all the time. The auto-renewal scheme was an annoying little booby-trap as well. Good riddance.





    Multimedia
    Sep 13, 12:16 AM
    what's with all the video issues that the old 5gen canNOT be compatible with?? and what's with the pixel number?
    dammit i'm totally ignorant when it comes to tech issues.....

    so can any of you please bother to elaborate about the suitable file types for both the old on and the new one?

    :eek:This Handbrake tutorial is pretty complete (http://www.freesmug.org/tutorial/handbrake/). But you need to substitute the H.264 max dimension of 320x240 up to 640x480 the new MAX. Trouble is, as far as I can tell, the Handbrake H.264 encode to those new dimensions yields files that won't load onto Video iPods. So far only a QT Pro no options fixed iPod export works. But those files are about 150% larger than similar non-H.264 files. I have written the author of Handbrake (http://handbrake.m0k.org/) about this problem. Hopefully it will get fixed in the next month or so - I hope.





    seenew
    Aug 31, 02:03 PM
    There will are not relay organized at AppleExpo

    Wtf does that even mean?!





    drdan
    Sep 13, 10:51 PM
    After releasing updates to every iPod product line at Tuesday's Showtime event he left a very big opening for a major product announcement between now and the holidays. Steve said "I hope this gives you a feeling for what we've got lined up for this holiday season."

    Steve Jobs chooses his words very carefully. If Apple's holiday line-up was now complete - he would have said so emphatically.

    That is exactly what I was thinking. I'm almost certain that Santa has got one more thing in his bag for Christmas.

    1) Isn't Steve Jobs on record saying that a phone is the one thing that you don't have to convince a consumer to carry in their pocket? As in: "the future of the iPod is cell phone integration."

    2) Anyone who listened to Apple's last quarter financial results call jumped when they got to talking about phones - they practically came out and said they were working on one, and trying to get it to market asap.

    3) Apple has been consistently impeccable at timing products to hit the market at the right time (Macbooks for graduation/back to school, new ipod releases for fall/christmas). They know Christmas is the time to release this.

    4) The buzz over this has been growing to deafening levels both from the analysts and the nerds.

    Especially with Steve's allusion to "more to come before Christmas", I'm betting on shiny new iPhones for Christmas.



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