WWDC keynote: June 5th, 1pm Eastern, 10am Pacific (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

Here ya go Sam. In case you want proof. As you can see, I originally created the media volume over 9 years ago. Of course, the actual drives have changed many times since then, but I've been doing it this way for that long, and it works GREAT. I think I have a little experience dealing with a large quantity of media in iTunes. This volume is ONLY iTunes files. Currently it's an 8TB and a 4TB, with another 4TB waiting in the wings, when it's needed. And it's all backed up, because that's 9 years of compiling stuff I don't want to have to do again.

(I don't know why I took a photo instead of just doing a screen capture. Sheesh.)

 

[Sam Posten]

I didn't say it was impossible, just a bad idea. Can you hack it to work? Yes but it's decidedly outside the mainstream and isn't directly supported by Apple

 

[JohnRice]

I didn't say it was impossible, just a bad idea. Can you hack it to work? Yes but it's decidedly outside the mainstream and isn't directly supported by Apple

You still haven't said why it's a terrible idea. And explain to me what I did to "Hack" it? The "Hack" involved telling iTunes where I want the media files to be stored. Since it's one of the options Apple has built into iTunes, I have no idea how it "isn't directly supported by Apple". There's a big old button that says "Change". Apple put that button, and the option to use it in iTunes. I have no idea whatsoever what you're talking about.

Do you really think Apple limited iTunes to accessing ONLY media that's stored on your boot drive? It actually has, officially built into iTunes, the ability to spread the media over multiple drives, but that brings with it the potential for problems. Still, it is officially an Apple sanctioned feature of iTunes.

I'm done arguing this with you. What you are saying simply is not based in reality. Hopefully some others will gain some information on exactly how flexible iTunes is. It's a great system that integrates with ATVs, iPads, Macs, Airport Expresses, and can be streamed a multitude of ways. I can use the Remote app on my iPad and have any music I choose streamed to all the audio systems in the house. I can start watching something on one TV, stop it, and finish it on another TV, and it knows where I stopped. It remembers what I have and haven't watched, and I can reset it if I want. It's a great, smooth running, integrated system.

 

[Sam Posten]

Alright, apparently things have changed since I last researched it. Used to be that the drives spinning down wouldnlose sync and crash the library. Carry on.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

If you arent gaming, VR or editing video the base model is fine. If doing any of those 3, consider the 580.

Sam,

This is right up your alley so I am going to ask you....

I might dabble in VR.

Can the older Macs support it hardware wise?

I have the first generation 27" iMac with i7 processor and the 2016 maxxed-out Macbook Pro.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron, I'm not super familiar with security camera systems so I don't doubt what you've written, but going to the HomePod, they tout how HomePod integrates with Home App (and by extension HomeKit enabled accessories). I screen capped the Home App supported devices and it shows this:
View attachment 38548
And security and cameras are listed in there. I would think if support isn't super robust right now, Apple has plans to grow it. I can't imagine they stuck an A8 chip into each HomePod just for music/Siri.


I'm not sure if HomePod will work in this way, if I'm reading your sentence correctly. You want it to act like a speaker for your TV? That might be more Sonos, or dedicated TV/Home Theater soundbar, functionality which I'm not sure Apple is targeting. Though details are sparse right now as to what HomePod will be able to do once it launches in December.

Carlos,

No doubt, the HomePod is the better music system and it has access for security hardware.

However, where the Amazon Echo Show beats the pants out the HomePod is its screen....

For my purposes, I can sit in my living room or bedroom (as I ordered two Echo Show devices) and tell Alexa to bring up any of my security cameras for viewing. If the front doorbell rings, I can just tell Alexa to bring up the RING DOORBELL on the screen where I can see and communicate with the person at the front door.

That is something the HomePod cannot do right now.

 

[DaveF]

My $0.02, which is exactly what it's worth...

Consider going SSD and ONLY putting OS and Apps on it. Put everything else on an external drive. That's what I've been doing for about 3 years. For most people, a 256 GB SSD is more than enough doing it this way. It will run significantly faster than a fusion drive, and you know that everything on the SSD is running and loading as fast as possible. Of course, my ideas seem to be ridiculed, so do what you want.

So you're essentially recommending the Fusion Drive: OS, applications and key files on a fast SSD and data and music and non-essentials on a big spinning drive. (Only with fusion, the OS auto-manages what's on the SSD based on actual usage, and I don't have to think about multiple drive volumes, configuring apps, or hoping I know what I really need on the SSD vs Spinning.)


I have to check my storage usage this weekend. But everything fits in a 640GB drive, so it might all fit on a 512GB SSD. And all my apps and user data (sans music and video) might even fit in a 128GB Fusion SSD slice. TBD.

My HTPC has 500GB SSD for OS and apps and a 15TB RAID for media. For my desktop I prefer the simplicity of a single drive.

 

[DaveF]

FYI: it appears 16GB RAM to upgrade the new iMacs is $136 from Crucial, compared to Apple's $200.
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/apple-memory/crucial-16gb-kit-(2-x-8gb)-ddr4-2400-sodimm-memory-for-mac-p-ct2k8g4s24am?cm_cr=No+CampaignWeb+Activityus-mfr-apple-popularoem_apple_compatibleupgrades_midCrucial+16GB+Kit+(2+x+8GB)+DDR4-2400+SODIMM+Memory+for+Mac

Could I replace one 4GB chip with a 16GB chip for $125 for 20GB RAM at less cost than the 2x8GB upgrade?
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/apple...-Crucial+16GB+DDR4-2400+SODIMM+Memory+for+Mac

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Speaking of 16GB....

I am amazed with the Kaby Lake refresh on last year's Macbook Pro that you still can't go beyond 16GB memory.

There was such an uproar about this when the Macbook Pro was released and everyone thought Apple would rectify the situation with the refresh. I appears, no.

I wonder how much performance I would gain by selling my 2016 Macbook Pro and going with the 2017 Kaby Lake?

 

[JohnRice]

Alright, apparently things have changed since I last researched it. Used to be that the drives spinning down wouldnlose sync and crash the library. Carry on.

Sam, I specifically said it's important the drives are spinning when the system is awake. I don't really care about the tiny amount of power consumption of that, plus there's a valid argument that drives spinning up and down actually shortens their life over them just spinning 24/7. There are media/NAS drives which are specifically designed to run 24/7, plus with the special needs of media, you can use shingle (SMR) drives, which are inexpensive and very low power consumption. Now, maybe iTunes has gotten more patient about waiting for drives to spin up, but I just use an enclosure that keeps them spinning. Some do, some don't. Spanned drives take even longer to spin up, since they seem to spin up in sequence, not all at once.

If iTunes gets impatient, it does NOT "crash the library", but it does think that one file isn't available, until you either quit and restart iTunes, or manually locate the file. In any case, it's a pain, but easy to eliminate.

BTW, this has worked and hasn't changed in the 9+ years I've been doing it. I learned early on about the drive spinning thing, and found the obvious fix.

 

[JohnRice]

So you're essentially recommending the Fusion Drive

Do what you want, but I think you know I'm merely suggesting an alternative to a Fusion drive, that I prefer. If you want everything in one drive, the fusion drive is the best way to go. That is not my situation or my preference. I have FAR too much data stored to do that, so I can assure myself that the computer is running as fast as possible, by absolutely knowing without a doubt that my entire OS and all my apps are on flash storage. Having everything on one drive is impossible for me, unless someone makes a 24TB drive I'm not aware of.

 

[Mark Booth]

I see HomePods in at least 3 of the rooms in our house in the future. And maybe a 4th for portable roaming between garage and patio?

Mark

 

[Carlo_M]

Carlos,

No doubt, the HomePod is the better music system and it has access for security hardware.

However, where the Amazon Echo Show beats the pants out the HomePod is its screen....

For my purposes, I can sit in my living room or bedroom (as I ordered two Echo Show devices) and tell Alexa to bring up any of my security cameras for viewing. If the front doorbell rings, I can just tell Alexa to bring up the RING DOORBELL on the screen where I can see and communicate with the person at the front door.

That is something the HomePod cannot do right now.

I'll fully admit I don't know a thing about home security, since I live in an apartment complex with secure entry and a mindful full time landlord who lives on the premises and who's only job is building security and maintenance (and luckily I'm on great terms with many neighbors who all keep an eye out for each other).

I'm not sure if Apple even has a desire to break into that market if it requires a screen on the speaker, as they probably are viewing the iPhone/iPad as the "screen" portion of the Apple HomeKit ecosystem. The presumption being that most HomePod purchasers will have one or both. Again, I don't know if that's a fact since I don't use any of those camera devices, just a guess.

 

[JohnRice]

Can you guys who are so excited about the HomePods and the Amazon version explain to me what I'm missing? It just doesn't appeal to me. I have an ATV connected to every TV/sound system and an airport express in the living room, which doesn't have a TV, so I can watch and listen to a variety of stuff and it provides whole house music I can control with an iPad. What is it these "assistants" do that you like so much? I really want to understand.

 

[Carlo_M]

I don't have an ATV connected to every part of my house (or even one).

The HomePod will fill one very specific niche. I'm an HT/Audiophile. If I'm "seriously listening" to music I love, I'll play my HD FLAC/DVD-A/SACD out of my high-end system. Or cue up an LP on the same system.

But there are times when I just want music as background while I do something else (usually work from home). I do that way more often than I have time to do serious listening. But just because it's background noise, I don't want it to sound like crap (Alexa). I want it to be easy, and I want it to be portable (in case I want to listen while I shower) and I don't want to go through the whole "start up multiple devices like an Apple TV, a TV, a laptop/iPhone for my music collection, and my sound system". Plus I'll come clean: I have too many remotes. I just want to tell Siri to play a song, or genre, and have it happen. And I don't want to go through a 3rd party app like Sonos (though I love the sound of the Sonos, and apparently the HomePod betters that).

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Can you guys who are so excited about the HomePods and the Amazon version explain to me what I'm missing? It just doesn't appeal to me. I have an ATV connected to every TV/sound system and an airport express in the living room, which doesn't have a TV, so I can watch and listen to a variety of stuff and it provides whole house music I can control with an iPad. What is it these "assistants" do that you like so much? I really want to understand.

John,

Let me take a stab at this....

I own the Amazon Echo. I have two Amazon Echo Show devices arriving at the end of this month when they are released.

I have had an Amazon Echo in my home since it was in beta about three years ago. Since then, I have added several Amazon dots around my home.

So, what do they do for me?

If I am cooking and need a timer, I say "Alexa, set a timer for xx.minutes".

If I need an alarm set, I say "Alexa, set an alarm for 10am"

If I need news, weather, sports scores or the like, I simply ask the Echo device.

Since I have added Philips Hue light bulbs around my home and lighting strips in my Home Theater, I can tell Amazon Echo to turn on a specific light in a specific room. Since I have the Nest Thermostat, I can tell Alexa to set the temperature to a desired degree.

So, all these things can be done just by voice commands.

As I stated in a post above, the Amazon Echo Show adds a screen. This will allow me to tie into Nest and Ring Doorbell cameras so all I need to do is tell Alexa to switch to a certain feed and I can SEE what is going on. It will also allow video calling without me having to take a phone out of my pocket.


Now, as I also stated, the HomePod is the same but different. It puts music first before assistant. It is something that I would definitely choose over a Sonos system. However, what it lacks is the ability to tie into video feeds so you can be in any room and see what is going on in the other, or, who is at your front door. I would also think that the Amazon Echo Show will allow you to communicate with the person at the front door from its console. Still waiting to see if that's possible, but it should be.

So, Apple rules on the music and smart speaker device. Amazon, on the other hand, rules in the visual smart speaker and music device.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Having everything on one drive is impossible for me, unless someone makes a 24TB drive I'm not aware of.

Seek and ye shall find …

ZDNet: 'World's largest' SSD revealed as Seagate unveils 60 TB monster
http://www.zdnet.com/article/worlds-largest-ssd-revealed-as-seagate-unveils-60tb-monster/

Never mind compatibility … if you have to ask how much this one is, you can't afford it! Maybe in another 10 years a SSD like this will migrate downwards from the data center market to the consumer space.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Rave reviews on the HomePod's Audio Quality

 

[Cranston37+]

If I am cooking and need a timer, I say "Alexa, set a timer for xx.minutes".

If I need an alarm set, I say "Alexa, set an alarm for 10am"

If I need news, weather, sports scores or the like, I simply ask the Echo device.

Since I have added Philips Hue light bulbs around my home and lighting strips in my Home Theater, I can tell Amazon Echo to turn on a specific light in a specific room. Since I have the Nest Thermostat, I can tell Alexa to set the temperature to a desired degree.

So, all these things can be done just by voice commands.

Let me play devil's advocate on this...

For me, a wearable like the Apple Watch still makes the most sense for this kind of functionality.

It's one device vs. multiple devices to do the same job. My problem with Echo is in order to speak commands wherever you are in the house, you have to buy a device for every room, but with Apple Watch you buy one device that follows you wherever you go (and it has a screen, too). And are you outside in the yard and want to check a score? With Alexa you'd have to run back in the house, with the AW you just ask. It goes beyond the house too. Alexa is stuck in your house, but AW is an assistant that will follow you to the grocery store or another state.

There is a security/privacy aspect at play here, too. If you receive a text, the best a speaker could do is shout it out for the whole house to hear, but the AW will show it to you and you alone. Or what about the co-worker who sneaks into another room during a party and asks Alexa to read back all texts you sent to your boss, or to show them all photos you've taken of your wife?

I would also argue that a personal device is inherently capable of more, potentially life saving things. An Echo isn't going to be tracking your calories burned or blood sugar level. It also can't potentially call 911 for you if it senses your heart has stopped beating while mowing the lawn.

Discuss

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Patrick,

Good points.

However, not everyone owns an Apple Watch.

Also, I am not wearing my watch 24/7 as sometimes it has to charge.

Finally, this device also works well for my elderly Mom who doesn't have a watch.

So putting the Apple watch in this discussion has true merit, but only if a person owns it or it is being worn 24/7.