Mac user looking for perfect solution...

[pbwalker]

Morning!

I'm looking for some suggestions and wanted to solicit the Mac folks to see what they do!

I'm looking for a central box (server, NAS, external drive) and I have the following requirements:

1. Central iTunes library
2. Central iPhoto library
3. Space for Time Machine backups

That's really it. I know the iTunes and Time Machine pieces are the easy part. iPhoto...well, I am not too sure. I'm trying to avoid duplicates between my Macbook and iMac. So I am looking for a sort of centralized CMS that all my machines can hook in to for their data.

The devices that will be using this would be a Macbook, iMac, Apple TV, iPhone, and eventually the iPad.

I've been looking at the Synology NAS solutions, but am not 100% sure they are the ones. Though they make a good case...

Thanks!

[PJK]

Best solution I can think of is what many of my friends and I have. Get yourself a Mac Mini, and put a 500 GB USB drive on it (or any size that fits your data needs). You can then make that your primary iTunes and iPhoto machine by using the new sharing that Snow Leopard has built in. You can hook the Mini to a large screen TV with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Kick back on the sofa and use Safari, iTunes or iPhoto in HD.

The next thing you want is an Apple Airport Extreme as your wireless router. First it has dual radio antenna's so you can connect machines at both Wireless G & N at the same time. It has a USB plug on the back made just for shared Time Machine backup drives. Plug in a 1.5 TB USB drive and set all of your time machines to backup to this one drive. Now you have all three machines being backed up there.

Mac Mini $499
Airport Extreme $299
500 GB USB Drive $119
1.5 TB USB Drive $169
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse $79

Total $1,165

[davidtx]

I use a 1TB TimeCapsule. It has the backup drive and the wireless router combined. I used to have a MacMini connected to the TV, but replaced it with an AppleTV. Neither one is perfect, but for my uses, the AppleTV works better. My iTunes and iPhoto library is automatically synched to the AppleTV.

[grumble]

I use a 1TB TimeCapsule. It has the backup drive and the wireless router combined. I used to have a MacMini connected to the TV, but replaced it with an AppleTV. Neither one is perfect, but for my uses, the AppleTV works better. My iTunes and iPhoto library is automatically synched to the AppleTV.

Time capsule works great, and I can access it from pretty much anywhere as I have it set up with back to my mac.

Making a "shared" iPhoto library (between 2 computers) isn't that easy, but can be done. There are a couple of links on macrumors.com and/or apple knowledgebase on how to do it.

Here's the link: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's the only way unless something new has come about.

I love my time capsule - "it just works"

[chabouk]

Good thread. My lovely bride bought me a 27" iMac for Christmas, to replace my very kludgy hackintosh, which was a temporary replacement for my 1999 B&W G3/350, which was waaaaaay past its useful days.

I haven't set up a Time Machine drive yet, but I need to do so.

[gigag04]

I used to run a windows network back in the day...the music side of me got me into mac....and I'm a die-hard mac fan now...got the iPhone week 1 of it's existence...Im going to get an iPad, my laptop, etc...all mac.


All of the solutions mentioned so far would work great. All my really important data I also burn to a hard copy as well...I always preached a 3 copies rule when I worked IT.