Hi,

Is anyone running a dedicated music machine on a 7" netbook with Win CE as the operating system? With an ARM processor?

Is this enough to reliably handle Winamp, and have the USB running the RF receiver?

I'm currently using my EEE PC 10.1" , but it might be nice to do all out of the smaller unit.

Thanks,

Jimmy

Jimmy, I am currently using a Acer Aspire One netbook (8.9" display, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 1.6gHz Intel Atom processor, Win XP) and it runs my music. I was using Sound Commander on it with a Griffin AirClick USB. I have since switched to using iTunes with the same remote. (Sound Commander ran into a glitch when I updated JAVA on the netbook and Steve is trouble shooting it.)

Before I bought Sound Commander, I did experiment with Winamp and had no problems with it. (The AirClick USB drivers have been updated and will control Winamp without modification.) The reason I dropped Winamp was because I really didn't like the interface. I didn't spend enough time on it but I'm a Mac user normally and didn't want to have learn all the intricacies of Winamp. The user interface was really clunky for me.

That said, I would think you would be able to run it on any reasonably equipped netbook.

Michael

Hi Michael, everyone

Yeah, I'm using my eee pc 1000HA for it currently, and it works flawlessly, without any glitches. Seriously. I know my way around PC's, and I love all of the things that are available to the PC user. I talked to a guy locally who sells these, and he advised against the ARM processor, and against WinCE.

I would rather run a program like Winamp that has glitches and problems worked out over the last 20 years than someone's own program that would be susceptible to changes in the industry like flash, java and security programs/AV. Oh, and Winamp is free. Tough to beat.

For a single button push to fade and cue to next track, I use Hot Keyboard Pro to set up a small macro that I use to make it possible to use a two button RF remote. A common sense solution to a not so simple situation in Winamp.

I have a guy selling me a used 7" Netbook with the solid state drive. This should, theoretically make it even more reliable and efficient in battery life.

He said that he has a shaved down version of XP that will fit on a gig and a half of space, leaving me with plenty of space for Winamp and Hot Keyboard Pro. A Celeron 900 processor to run the USB smoothly enough. $175

I'm getting the Keith Rubow RF remote control. I like the idea of a 100'+ range.
Also, I like the 6 buttons, just in case I want volume up/down and track fwd/back.

I know, I'm saying I want Winamp for the large reliability and glitchlessness, and yet I choose the Rubow over the mass produced Powerpointers. I just need more range. And the low price of Rubow's at $65.

So, I've set up the whole music machine with remote for a total of $245.

I think that Kelly Duro saw the inevitability of obsolescence of the controllers, and the cheap availability of laptops, and got out of the business before he found himself pushed out by cheaper, more powerful solutions. He's a really smart guy. He had a great run.

From a standpoint of price, compact size and availability of cheap/free software, I feel that the Mac option is not viable. The budget conscious, dedicated controller will be these netbooks with XP, Winamp and the RF remote used with a USB receiver. On PC. It can be done on Mac, but it's going to cost you at least double, and the resulting machine is going to be much larger with less battery life.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Jimmy Fingers.

Okay, this gets easier and easier...

The "Next on Stop" plug-in at http://nunzioweb.com/daz/nos.html

It overcomes the necessity to use the Hot Keyboard Pro and macro workaround.

Upon stopping the currently playing song in any way, it cues to the next song on the track list. It even does this with the Fade to Stop command. Perfect!!!!!!

JF

Excellent find, Jimmy!

Kelly might have been pushed out of business in the long run because of these lower-priced alternatives but that's not why he went out of business. He had some business issues that forced him out.

I agree with most of your thoughts. I wouldn't use my MacBook for my music system because it's too big to transport to smaller shows (i.e. birthday parties, libraries, etc.) Winamp works fine. I just didn't like the interface.

I am using iTunes right now because it was easy to set up and I can work on play lists in both my MacBook and my Netbook. (I actually use the Mac to set everything up and the copy it over to the Acer.)

I've also begun using an iPod Nano for my smaller shows. I found an inexpensive remote that is working very well and I'm able to go back and forth between netbook and iPod without any issue since they both use the same playlists.

Michael

Credit Gothike for that one, it's buried in the Café under other stuff!!!JF

Seems like it is coming along. I am still trying to figure if netbook/remote is he way to go.
One question is why Next on Stop is important. Wouldnt you still want to just fade to dummy track or next track to a blank track? I use blank tracks and found it allows you to use just one button for most of the show- the next track button.
Can you explan the benefits of stopping vs 20 min silence track?