Filed under: Rumors, Mac OS X Server
Rumors abound, Apple working on media server?
Just when we thought we were done with rumors for the day, another one pops up. 9to5 Mac is reporting that Apple could be working on a media server that might rival HP's MediaSmart Server. They suggest the server will be similar to a Time Capsule, only with more functionality. According to 9to5, the new product will include a Dynamic DNS system to tie in with MobileMe; this will provide username.me.com domains for easier access across the Internet. In addition, the device will include AFP filesharing and Time Machine backup stores. The device will not run off of Mac OS X Server, as you might suspect; rather, it would run the same system and processor that the Time Capsule does.
You can read more about this rumor, and read more details about the rumor on the 9to5 Mac website. Do you think Apple is about to jump further into the NAS market with a supercharged Time Capsule?
[via MacRumors]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aaron said 5:40PM on 12-29-2008
that would be amazing... I was just looking for something like this, and if it what the rumor says it is, then I know what I'm buying this year!
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Mike said 6:03PM on 12-29-2008
I was this close to buying this...do I dare wait?
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=205689222
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john said 6:41PM on 12-29-2008
Buying it means Apple will introduce their version. At least that's how it works in my world. :-)
Steven Ledbetter said 6:05PM on 12-29-2008
I've been tempted to check out HP's offering. If this rumor were to be true, I'd be interested.
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mikewhyment said 6:11PM on 12-29-2008
also add wireless streaming of files/photos/iTunes Library to, and backup of my iPhone - I would buy one right away
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Mo said 6:18PM on 12-29-2008
iTunes for Windows (my SAN drivers only run on Windows, sadly) really starts to struggle once you hit a terabyte of content—if they can make this hypothetical device deal with that much content a lot more smoothly, I'd totally buy one.
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David Emery said 6:18PM on 12-29-2008
I think Apple could take a stripped-down version of OS X server, and focus it for more than just the HP Media Server market (I'm not impressed with the ability to -just- AFP file sharing!!.) This would also be good for SOHO situations (e.g. my own, where I have a static IP address and run a couple of non-profit websites, each with its own domain.) At a minimum, such an offering should have the X Server multi-hosting web, Wiki and hopefully Podcast streaming capabilities, as well as providing file sharing and hopefully network accounts (i.e. enough LDAP to allow anyone to log into any machine...)
I've been using OS X Server for this, and frankly X Server as currently configured is both overkill in terms of power, and too complex in terms of deployment, to be effective. X Server is really optimized for a production environment with large numbers of user accounts, pizzabox XServe hardware, etc. But a $200 version of Server Lite that supports the kinds of one-instance things I do would I think be very interesting for multi-Mac households and offices.
Additionally, Apple hardware offerings don't provide a reasonable SOHO server machine. I'm using an old G5, to which I've added a SATA card and 2 more drives. This gives me a total of 4 drives (a pair of RAID Mirrored set, saved my posterior when one drive failed...) The Mac Pro is way too much computation (and heat) for this kind of lightweight server, and neither the Mini nor the iMac provide suitable disk expansion. (A Mini with multiple eSATA outputs would be feasible...)
So maybe Apple has heard my pleas...
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Jason Scanlon said 6:20PM on 12-29-2008
Nice typo, its might not miht
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mentalsticks said 6:33PM on 12-29-2008
no, really? it hougt it was miht.
Gautam said 6:41PM on 12-29-2008
mentalsticks - good job
mungler said 7:08PM on 12-29-2008
Yeah, I think they probably know how to spell 'might'.... sheesh, it amazes me you bothered to post. Im amazed I bothered to reply, too.
chad said 7:12PM on 12-29-2008
Nice typo, it's it's not its
Bosch's Poodle said 1:33PM on 12-30-2008
Your comma should be a semicolon: "Nice typo; it's it's, not its."
john said 6:39PM on 12-29-2008
Yeah. That would be a cool piece of hardware. Seems like the "fix" that Apple TV has needed all the time. Or, better yet, what Apple TV was meant to be when the product designers were dreaming it up.
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timrowledge said 6:56PM on 12-29-2008
An update for TC & iLife that allows one to store iPhoto and iTunes libraries on a TC would be nice. I'd like iLife to make it simple to have private libraries as well as shared ones (a bit like the current sharing but done right) since after all I don't want everyone to see my collection of naked Dr. Cameron pictures.
A bigger more powerful device that adds ATV as well might be sensible. And an espresso maker.
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Unknown said 2:39PM on 12-30-2008
I'm with you on this one. I think they will launch what will basically be an iLife server. If you think about how households with more than one person work you want to share your photos, movies and music from one central location. I think this server will be the central place to store data and the other devices (laptops, ipods, ATV's, desktops) will sync what they want so it is still available on the go.
Kyle said 8:41PM on 12-29-2008
I'm callin it right now...Time Capsule + Apple TV = Apple Home "Vault" MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDARS PEOPLE!
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Aaron said 11:17PM on 12-29-2008
that makes way too much sense, as much as I would like it to be true...
Ryan said 10:13PM on 12-29-2008
WANT
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nz said 1:29AM on 12-30-2008
Just seems like too niche a product...but, I guess you could say the same for Time Capsule and AppleTV.
I think the killers would be:
-Remote iTunes / iPhoto libraries shared across the network (probably limited to the 5 computer limit of iTS to prevent piracy)
-User.me.com for remote access -- especially on the iphone
-Ability to sync directly to the AppleTV
-Smart syncing options -- if I bring my laptop on a trip and listen to some songs / watch a show, I want those song and play counts to update -- treat my laptop like an iPod for all intents and purposes.
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