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New Technology From Apple Makes It Easier to Enjoy Music and Video on Computers Anywhere in Your House

Posted on: Saturday, 8 April 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Julio Ojeda-Zapata, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Computers make fine media jukeboxes. They'll play all your digital tunes, run your movie DVDs, show photo slide shows and serve up your home videos -- right there on the monitor.

The problem: That computer display isn't in your living room, where your friends and family members can enjoy all that media goodness on your comfy couch, but isolated in your home office. And what if you want to buy music downloads on one computer in the den but play them from another computer in the kitchen?

Some technology firms have liberated the media on computers using networking systems to zap tunes, pics and clips around the home. Microsoft has been one big player in this realm, but it now faces stiff competition from Apple Computer with some new or upgraded technology.

Apple has made it easier to share media over a wired or wireless network on some of its Macintosh computers. And even PCs running Microsoft's Windows can get in on the action, to a point.

There are four key ingredients from Apple to make it work:

-- The iTunes media-jukebox software (www.apple.com/itunes), available for both Macs and Windows PCs, with the ability to play video as well as music.

-- The iPhoto software (www.apple.com/iphoto) for organizing digital pictures on a Mac.

-- The upgraded Front Row software (www.apple.com/macmini/frontrow.html), which lets Mac users access media via a single screen.

-- The Bonjour networking technology (www.apple.com/macosx/features/bonjour), which makes it easier for Macs and PCs to find each other and share files.

I tested the four together by creating a wireless network with Apple's Mac Mini desktop computer, a MacBook Pro and two Windows-based laptops: an Alienware Sentia and a Toshiba Qosmio.

Once all the computers were tied together via my Linksys Wi-Fi-wireless router, the media-sharing bonanza began. It worked best Mac to Mac. Because iPhoto builds in network-sharing features, one Mac could easily access albums on the other Mac and even move photos from machine to machine. With iTunes, one Mac could play (but not copy) music and videos located on the other Mac. Then, I added Front Row for a more living-room-like experience.

Front Row's simplified screen doesn't duplicate the sophisticated media-playback and sharing features of iPhoto and iTunes, but for quick access to the media, it works reasonably well.

My PC laptops had iTunes already installed, so they could share music and movies with the Macs and each other. Even copy-protected songs, music videos and TV shows purchased on iTunes.com could be accessed over my network.

But a Windows version of iPhoto doesn't exist, so I couldn't use the Bonjour technology for photo sharing. And PC-to-Mac music and movie sharing worked imperfectly, too. Neither of my Macs could always find tunes or clips stored on the other laptops.

Still, Apple has gone a long way toward making media sharing a snap in homes with two or more computers. Even TVs can be added to the mix. Apple has designed the tiny Mac mini to easily hook up to a big-screen LCD or plasma set (you may need to buy an adapter; get details at www.apple.com/macmini/accessories.html). Then sit back with the white remote in hand to zip through Front Row menus.

But how does the Microsoft media-sharing experience compare? Both of my PC laptops use Windows' Media Center with its clicker-controlled media screen that functions much like Front Row. Only one of my computers, the Qosmio, has a tuner for recording television. To view the shows I recorded on my other PC, I tinkered with Windows' folder-sharing features. With a bit more fiddling, I even added the Qosmio's TV-recordings folder to the Sentia's Media Center interface, which made the files much easier to get at.

This all works quite well -- if you know what you're doing. (For detailed Media Center networking instructions, go to www.microsoft.com/win dowsxp/mediacenter/using/laptoptv.mspx.)

Microsoft also has helped create simplified Media Center Extender hardware and software to let TVs and Xbox videogaming consoles access media content on Media Center PCs via home networks. I've dabbled with various Media Center Extender setups and generally liked them.

But Apple has really impressed me with Front Row and Bonjour (formerly known as Rendezvous). They just work.

I've also admired Microsoft's Media Center approach, which is slick and user-friendly with TV-recording features not yet fully duplicated on the Mac. But I'm glad Apple is giving Microsoft competition. Consumers will ultimately be the winners.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata can be reached at jojeda@pioneer press.com or 651-228-5467. For more personal technology on the Web or via RSS, go to TwinCities.com and click "Business," then "Personal Tech."

Mac Mini and MacBook add-ons

If you recently bought one of Apple's Mac mini desktop computers or a MacBook Pro laptop, you're likely on the prowl for add-on products. Here are two I mostly liked:

Mac mini external hard drive. A Mac mini doesn't provide massive amounts of hard-drive storage -- only 60 or 80 gigabytes. So if you plan to do video editing or other media chores that tend to gobble up drive capacity, add a miniStack v2 drive from NewerTechnology (www.newertech.com/ministack).

The hard drive physically mimics the mini. Place your computer atop the drive, and you'll hardly know it's there. But it gives you between 80 and 500 gigabytes for between $129 and $439. The mini accesses data on the v2 via either a high-speed FireWire or Universal Serial Bus connection. The v2 also serves as a USB hub, adding ports for peripherals.

And though the v2 is cosmetically a mini add-on, it will work with any recent Macintosh or Windows machine. But you may experience delays in accessing data -- par for the course with many external hard drives.

MacBook leather shield. The aluminum MacBooks Pros and their precursors, PowerBooks, don't scratch as easily as Apple's iPods and iBook laptops. Still, the pro portables need to be protected.

Over the Wall's Hardcover Cases accomplish this, simply and elegantly.

These leather products aren't "cases" in the usual sense, but folder-like sleeves. Once fitted around a laptop, the sheathes add a protective layer without impairing access -- simply flip the sleeve's upper layer upward and begin working.

This product has one flaw: The Velcro pieces that are supposed to anchor the computer to the sleeve's bottom layer are too small, so your laptop may continually break free. Solve this issue with bigger Velcro strips from a craft or hardware store. (If you don't like Velcro, these sleeves aren't for you.)

Learn more about the $40 Hardcover Cases at www.hardcover case.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

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