just the little things really impress me.

[mantis]

Hello all,
First off I know this isn't a big deal but every now and then it gets to me. I was sitting on the couch relaxing from my long day ( yeah I know I play all day with gear so don't judge me LOL) and listening to my system. I was using my Apple Tv which all of my music is recorded mostly from Disc's in Apple Lossless which I love. I decided to look for some 80's music and I noticed I was missed a few good songs and Albums. I went to itunes right from the Apple TV, found what I was looking for , downloaded it and within minutes I had a full Album. Amazing!!! I listened to it and after a few songs I was just in Awe how today you don't have to leave you're listening chair and get music. Not only can you store all your music on hard drives and replay them at will but if you want something , you have have it right now. That is so impressive. I know most of you reading this might think "big deal I do that all the time" but I come from old school where you had to go to the music shop and find a Album you wanted , sometimes they didn't have it and you had to go look for it elsewhere. You had to drive around and you might now even come home with it that day.
Today's ease of content is exciting. Netflix , Pandora , Apple all these things are exciting. You just gotta love technology.

O by the way I did all that with my iphone , that's even more amazing. I was texting someone , playing Risk on my iphone , surfing and controlling my Apple TV , buying music just loving life.

[packetjones]

It is pretty amazing now days. I love the fact that i have gigs of music at my finger tips. I have people come over and they ask if i have a certain song/group. Within minutes it is playing. there are also times that they come over with their HDD and we combine music in a few minutes. Nothing like adding 1000's of songs to your library in a few minutes.

I would never go back to the old days...

[cnh]

I understand what all of you are saying but for a "collector" this is a bit 'depressing'. I like seeing the physical objects I have taken the time to buy; storing them, perusing them, feeling them. The same is true for what is even more important to 'me', i.e., my library--built over 3 decades or more lovingly....many hours in used bookstores the sheer joy of the 'book' the 'find', the search. Sometimes being able to do everything instantaneously cheapens the experience and actually makes it less meaningful..at least for the 'book'. But then again...books are, in a sense my profession. I will NEVER get used to e-books and internet content alone. Nor will any serious scholar.

How sad it would be to sit in an office with a large capacity hard drive and not one book anywhere therein. Now that's a 'STUDY'! What an inspiration for a writer that WOULD BE!

cnh

[venomclan]

Cool stuff Dan. Just curious, which Dac are you using with the ATV?

[polkatese]

I've been contemplating Apple TV as something that can be very handy to have access to streaming news, youtube, etc. off the net without the hassle of hooking up laptop.

Dan, I know you've been happy with yours, did you have wireless keyboard and mouse too?

[cfrizz]

I understand what all of you are saying but for a "collector" this is a bit 'depressing'. I like seeing the physical objects I have taken the time to buy; storing them, perusing them, feeling them. The same is true for what is even more important to 'me', i.e., my library--built over 3 decades or more lovingly....many hours in used bookstores the sheer joy of the 'book' the 'find', the search. Sometimes being able to do everything instantaneously cheapens the experience and actually makes it less meaningful..at least for the 'book'. But then again...books are, in a sense my profession. I will NEVER get used to e-books and internet content alone. Nor will any serious scholar.

How sad it would be to sit in an office with a large capacity hard drive and not one book anywhere therein. Now that's a 'STUDY'! What an inspiration for a writer that WOULD BE!

cnh

Well I'm happy for you and all of those that have the SPACE for all of those books. For most of us, that space is at a premium and it just is NOT there.

So for those of us who value the actual READING experience more, Ebooks are a godsend.

Since I downloaded the Sony software in December, I have purchased & downloaded 60 books, and have read 55 of them!

I wouldn't trade these 60 ebooks for all the paperback books in the world which would have to be stored on the floor since I ran out of bookcase space years ago. It certainly wasn't cheap to buy these books, and spending hours of joyful reading time that I haven't done in years is PRICELESS to me.

For me, it's about the reading & the music, rather than the format the material comes in. It's sad if you think the only way to PROVE that you are scholarly is to have a study that is floor to ceiling with books.

Some people always try to look for all kinds of reasons to look down thier noses at new technology, rather than embracing change. Life is built on change, and 9 times out of 10 it is for the better.

I think it's sad that people would rather restrict themselves to just ONE way of doing things when there may be lots of other faster, convenient, choices available for the same experience.

[Danny Tse]

cnh and Cathy,

You guys are talking about 2 different experiences....enjoying the content, be it the music, literature, etc., and collecting that content, including the physical medium that the content came in. Mantis has a point about the technological advances that basically changed forever how intellectual content are being distributed. It's really amazing when you think that one can have access to so much information at the tip of his/her fingertips, at almost anywhere in the world. Just go back 20 years and I'd think most people couldn't even dream of the kind of accessibility we have today.

However, I also agree with cnh. As a vintage CD collector. like any vinyl record collector, the "hunt" for that one elusive disc is part of the "journey". There's something special about holding a physical media in your hands and seeing my collection on a bookshelf gives a certain amount of "pride of ownership" (I agree also about the pain of running out of bookshelf space). For me, the music is just part of the entire package.

[mantis]

Cool stuff Dan. Just curious, which Dac are you using with the ATV?

192 kHz / 24-bit DAC Wolfson WM8740 DAC

[mantis]

I understand what all of you are saying but for a "collector" this is a bit 'depressing'. I like seeing the physical objects I have taken the time to buy; storing them, perusing them, feeling them. The same is true for what is even more important to 'me', i.e., my library--built over 3 decades or more lovingly....many hours in used bookstores the sheer joy of the 'book' the 'find', the search. Sometimes being able to do everything instantaneously cheapens the experience and actually makes it less meaningful..at least for the 'book'. But then again...books are, in a sense my profession. I will NEVER get used to e-books and internet content alone. Nor will any serious scholar.

How sad it would be to sit in an office with a large capacity hard drive and not one book anywhere therein. Now that's a 'STUDY'! What an inspiration for a writer that WOULD BE!

cnh

I completely understand your points. I actually share a lot of them but for when you are tired , worn out from the day and just want to hear something from your past you somehow overlooked in your physical collection( which I'm proud of mine) there is nothing like being able to have it right now. I think you need a Apple TV and a Ipad in your life just so you can sample both sides. Life is to short to close the door on technology. Keep your standards but man live life once in a while and experience the digital world.

You deserve to treat yourself.

[mantis]

I've been contemplating Apple TV as something that can be very handy to have access to streaming news, youtube, etc. off the net without the hassle of hooking up laptop.

Dan, I know you've been happy with yours, did you have wireless keyboard and mouse too?

Of course , I got an iphone which I can control it from anywhere in my house. I also have a full house audio and video system. I'm soon converting to Control 4 so then I will be able to fully control my entire house with my iphone. I'm also picking up a ipad for that very reason. Control 4 build a great app that is beautiful on the ipad.

But my man I have never ever steered you wrong in the past , I must say just get up off the chair and go buy yourself a Apple TV. Your wife and family will love the Pictures on the TV. We have most of our pictures on ours and everyone loves it. Give them a iphone ,ipad or itouch and watch magic happen in your room. I have seen wives I have Installed Apple TV's in there systems go to tears with joy. That alone tells me the product is fantastic.

[mantis]

Well I'm happy for you and all of those that have the SPACE for all of those books. For most of us, that space is at a premium and it just is NOT there.

So for those of us who value the actual READING experience more, Ebooks are a godsend.

Since I downloaded the Sony software in December, I have purchased & downloaded 60 books, and have read 55 of them!

I wouldn't trade these 60 ebooks for all the paperback books in the world which would have to be stored on the floor since I ran out of bookcase space years ago. It certainly wasn't cheap to buy these books, and spending hours of joyful reading time that I haven't done in years is PRICELESS to me.

For me, it's about the reading & the music, rather than the format the material comes in. It's sad if you think the only way to PROVE that you are scholarly is to have a study that is floor to ceiling with books.

Some people always try to look for all kinds of reasons to look down thier noses at new technology, rather than embracing change. Life is built on change, and 9 times out of 10 it is for the better.

I think it's sad that people would rather restrict themselves to just ONE way of doing things when there may be lots of other faster, convenient, choices available for the same experience.

Have you checked out the book reader on the Ipad? I bet you would love it. It looks like real book pages and it has this cool bookshelf you store your books in. It's fantastic. I'm not a big book reader but I enjoy a good book from time to time. One of my favorite parts of the Ipad is the books. It's so cleverly done. Having that many books in your lap is amazing. Then you press one button and it flips the bookcase around like Batman or something and your in the Book store. I love it.

[cnh]

I don't disagree with Cathy...or you, Dan. In fact I use google's PS3 media server, lossless storage, and a hard drive for my main Audio room and it is 'very' convenient.

As for the books. I should disclose that I am, indeed, an academic. That I spent over a decade in the city of New York in some of the most wonderful bookstores in the world before they diappeared. That some of my work is 'historical' in nature and that means archival and you are NOT going to find that online probably 'ever'--spending time in archives is something 'very' special. It's not about reading or the joy of reading.....it's about a life that is reading and writing. I even find that I 'write' differently when I use a computer verses a pen and paper. It's not an anti-technology thing at all. In fact I was almost recruited as an Engineer when I was in High School by a number of Universities because of my math and science skills.

I encourage everyone to read...be it ebooks or storebought paper ones. Any 'reading' is preferable to none. It's just that for a scholar there is a kind of comfort, a reminder of all the Great minds in each and every work that are embodied in them. Each book is an extension of the self that wrote it, a piece of them. Since the body is corporeal the text reminds us of the physical being that produced it. But now I'm just waxing philosophical.

The point is I don't really disagree with anyone above. And Danny pretty much got it right. We're just talking about two different things. After you've read several thousand books you get used to your ways. You like to pick them up, write in their margins. Circle pages that you may refer to in something you write later and so on.

Ebooks have content. And real books have 'character'. You can learn and enjoy either in the proper context.

(as a brief example to this problem let me relate a current problem at our college: The Dean a hard experimental Behaviorist has been proclaiming the Death of the Book (mostly to save space in the library and because the kind of information 'he' needs can easily be stored online or digitally--other members of the faculty have tried in vain to explain that some resources 'we' need are NOT available on line and may never be available online because of the great expense it would cost to make them available in this format and because many of them are not in the U.S. or near high tech scanners!--the Dean cannot 'process' this even when a few dozen Ph.D.s remind him repeatedly--books, journals, etc. Are necessary for some things).
cnh

[cfrizz]

Have you checked out the book reader on the Ipad? I bet you would love it. It looks like real book pages and it has this cool bookshelf you store your books in. It's fantastic. I'm not a big book reader but I enjoy a good book from time to time. One of my favorite parts of the Ipad is the books. It's so cleverly done. Having that many books in your lap is amazing. Then you press one button and it flips the bookcase around like Batman or something and your in the Book store. I love it.

Hi Dan. No I haven't checked out the Ipad. I'm sure it is very cool, but way out of my price range.

I now get where you are coming from CNH, makes sense to me.:)

[bigaudiofanatic]

Good points. The only 'problem' is that iTunes does not sell lossless files at this time. I wish they would.

Yep but with fios and faster internet we will get there soon.

[mantis]

Good points. The only 'problem' is that iTunes does not sell lossless files at this time. I wish they would.

So do I. When I want the best possible sound quality I buy the disc and store it Lossless.

[polkatese]

But my man I have never ever steered you wrong in the past , I must say just get up off the chair and go buy yourself a Apple TV. Your wife and family will love the Pictures on the TV. We have most of our pictures on ours and everyone loves it. Give them a iphone ,ipad or itouch and watch magic happen in your room. I have seen wives I have Installed Apple TV's in there systems go to tears with joy. That alone tells me the product is fantastic.

Apple TV is on my list. Waiting for June/July when Apple usually announced their new product. I use iPhone and loving it. Apple TV was last updated in 2008, no?

[mantis]

Apple TV is on my list. Waiting for June/July when Apple usually announced their new product. I use iPhone and loving it. Apple TV was last updated in 2008, no?

I think so , it's been the same for a few years now. They did upgrade the software which is by far the nicest it's ever been coming from front row.

If they release a better Apple Tv , I'm all over it.

[Hillbilly61]

Hello all,
First off I know this isn't a big deal but every now and then it gets to me. I was sitting on the couch relaxing from my long day ( yeah I know I play all day with gear so don't judge me LOL) and listening to my system. I was using my Apple Tv which all of my music is recorded mostly from Disc's in Apple Lossless which I love. I decided to look for some 80's music and I noticed I was missed a few good songs and Albums. I went to itunes right from the Apple TV, found what I was looking for , downloaded it and within minutes I had a full Album. Amazing!!! I listened to it and after a few songs I was just in Awe how today you don't have to leave you're listening chair and get music. Not only can you store all your music on hard drives and replay them at will but if you want something , you have have it right now. That is so impressive. I know most of you reading this might think "big deal I do that all the time" but I come from old school where you had to go to the music shop and find a Album you wanted , sometimes they didn't have it and you had to go look for it elsewhere. You had to drive around and you might now even come home with it that day.
Today's ease of content is exciting. Netflix , Pandora , Apple all these things are exciting. You just gotta love technology.

O by the way I did all that with my iphone , that's even more amazing. I was texting someone , playing Risk on my iphone , surfing and controlling my Apple TV , buying music just loving life.

Is this an Apple infomercial? And ... are you getting paid from Apple to post this ... or just a fanboy or fangirl?

[reeltrouble1]

I have books, some of them have pictures, some have drawings, some have reference material, some are full of musical notation and explanation, some just words that tell stories, some require thought, some contemplation, some are intended for memorization. Some of my books were my father's and a few were his father's. I have a cassete tape with my father's voice on it, sometimes I listen to it and remember him.

I have children and now grandchildren, they read some of the books and look at the pictures. I let them listen to the cassette tape and show them the related books and some pictures. I let them use the computer, they like to play games and look at web sites, sometimes they wear their i-pod and listen to it when they use the computer.

Hard to imagine a world without children reading books.

I saw a picture of J-Lo on the computer, it focused on her back-side, it was not a little thing but it did impress me.

RT1

[leroyjr1]

Dan

How much do they charge per song?

[mantis]

Is this an Apple infomercial? And ... are you getting paid from Apple to post this ... or just a fanboy or fangirl?

No , re read you can understand I'm excited about having what I want when I want it. Why does it got to go to fanboy Apple Stuff. If you are a hater move along , there is no more for you to read here.

[mantis]

Dan

How much do they charge per song?

Most of my music I purchased on CD and then ripped in but Apple charges .99 to 1.29 per song. I just purchased an entire Album for 7.99. They are having a 80's special sale going on , buy any selected items for 7.99. I'm all in. I purchased a few already.

[reeltrouble1]

dan you still got the crushed red velvet jacket.........do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight, I dunno maybe that was the 70's......I had a ball in the 80's certainly remember more of it than the 60's.

RT1

[mantis]

So it gets even better then sitting on the couch( ok maybe about the same) my wife and I where on our Anniversary this weekend up at a really cool Bed and Breakfast and on our way home my wife started asking about this song if I heard it or not. She took my iphone , went onto Itunes and purchased it. we listened to it on the way home and now she has it on her Ipod and her Iphone as well as transferred to my Macbook Pro and over to the Apple TV.

Life is just good right now and I don't even really like the song. It's just some country song she likes but she has it now everywhere she wants to be.

[cfrizz]

I have books, some of them have pictures, some have drawings, some have reference material, some are full of musical notation and explanation, some just words that tell stories, some require thought, some contemplation, some are intended for memorization. Some of my books were my father's and a few were his father's. I have a cassete tape with my father's voice on it, sometimes I listen to it and remember him.

I have children and now grandchildren, they read some of the books and look at the pictures. I let them listen to the cassette tape and show them the related books and some pictures. I let them use the computer, they like to play games and look at web sites, sometimes they wear their i-pod and listen to it when they use the computer.

Hard to imagine a world without children reading books.RT1

Ted, that is simply GREAT! If I lived in a mansion, I would probably have half of it filled with books.

[polkfarmboy]

I wholeheartedly agree with this op ....I find todays right at your fingertips tech amazing

My joy comes from how many new artists Ive discoverd from pandora that has expanded my taste and collection

[mantis]

I wholeheartedly agree with this op ....I find todays right at your fingertips tech amazing

My joy comes from how many new artists Ive discoverd from pandora that has expanded my taste and collection

Agreed,
I also use last FM on my Xbox360 for this task. I love searching for new music.