Hi
Hope they’re aren’t too many newbie questions here. I’ve been reading around a bit and this is where I’m up to -
I intend playing the same lossless files via one Mac and 3 Windows pcs in 4 adjacent rooms, connected via a shared router to a 'master' external drive.
Then a same sized 2nd storage device as a backup.
(The lossless format will almost certainly be ripped by Max, and as I will use iTunes, probably into Apple lossless. Any better suggestions, please go ahead . .)
Initially I thought - have the two hard drives in one box, but I don't need RAID. Then I thought go for 'server' cases with 2 bays, for expansion capability.
But a router with spare ports may be better . .
Backup from the “audio server” to the backup device can be by 1394 FireWire / USB.
I also thought the *backup device should have a spare bays: though that would limit choices & add cost. However each added “audio server” can have its own backup device, added as a pair is needed, buying later when prices will be lower.
* Can iTunes or another audio player, seamlessly read from multiple external networked drives?
(And would the drives be better formatted by Mac or Windows?)
I started looking at online pc mags, some contenders
- the HP Media Vault (but the larger drive option is 500 G, I think minimum 750 may be more sensible with current Gb pricing),
- the WD MyBook 2 (slow, but backups can be done without me there) are its *seek times likely to be ok?
- the Seagate FreeAgent Pro (not networkable).
SAN/ NAS/ “media server”? or are the terms blurred - just go for appropriate attributes, price and reliability?
In which case, I thought the WD MyBook 2 (up to 1 Tb, networkable) may have had the edge. But it seems to have a lot of problems:
http://www.cnet.com.au/desktops/storage/0,239029473,339275060,00.htm CPU and HD fan noise wont be an issue, as it can be placed in a cupboard. But unless the problems mentioned in the link have been addressed, MyBook still seems buggy
Bottom line – is my plan ok, and what do you recommend?
Thank you
Richard
