Grab a beer... Post your thoughts!

Okay... I want to make sort of a music jukebox. Right now... I have my main server PC that has 45,000+ songs on it. I network it with my CF-31 and export it via Bluetooth to my amp in my great room. Ideally what I would like is sort of an iPad type thing that I can leave lying around. People could then pick it up and add a song to a playlist or look up lyrics on the Internet. I want to do away with the whole networking thing. I'd rather use the equipment that I have as it is a 1,000 Watt system.

So I was thinking of something like a Toughpad or similar that will take a 500GB SSD and hold all the music on it. I need something that has good enough video to play YouTube videos and with enough battery life to last the life of a party... or 8-10 hours without a charge. An armored iPad would work... But I don't think it can take a 500GB SSD.

Please post your thoughts about anything to do with this... Model type suggestions, music software, etc. I'd like to stay away from Sonos and stuff like that. I have a great BT optical going right into my amp... So it needs BT to function for the speakers.

Bueller? Bueller?

 

I am thinking a FZ-G1. Preferably a later mk or try for a mk1 with 8gb ram.
With the extended battery, they will last 6 hrs easily without any power saver features on.
Mk1's use a MSATA solid state drive. Later ones use a M.2 drive. I don't know exactly when they switched.

A FZ-Q1 is nice too. Not quite as rugged as a FZ G1. Bigger screen than a G1.

 

Check it out Rick. The seller had 5 , only 1 left now.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-...2Y-1-60GHz-8GB-128GB-SSD-Tablet-/183496115927

 

Samsung Galaxy Tab ( S3 for example) + 500GB MicroSD card.
Android is easier to use for "People" vs Windows.

 

If you go the Ipad route, i suggest a Airport express as it has a analog audio output and works with Airplay (over Wifi, so greater range than BT)

Btw. you can use Airplay on Windows if you have Itunes on it.

 

I am afraid that if I use an Apple product that I will be forced to use iTunes. The Samsung mentioned is 16GB... I'll need 300+ GB for storage... Plus an interface to use as sort of a jukebox.

 

16... +400-500gb microsd

 

I'll stand by my suggestion of a G1 or Q1.
Win10 is very touchscreen friendly, but Win7 can be tweaked to work almost as good with a touchscreen.

I own both of them.
The G1 is more rugged, but the larger screen on the Q1 is nice. I do have the keyboard docks for both.
My Q1 has a broken touchscreen so I use it with the keyboard and touchpad.
The G1 has become my go to machine for when I am out. G1 touchscreen is worlds better than any CF19 or CF31.
Both use upgradable SSD's so they are very fast and with a few screws you can put in any size drive that you can afford.

Lots of Jukebox software available
https://www.google.com/search?q=windows+touchscreen+jukebox&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

PM me about the Q1 if you are interested. I might sell it.

 

And would that be such a bad thing to happen? For my stereo system in the shop, I use the first generation Apple TV. I went with this as it has the built-in HDD, but more importantly, it also has rca audio, optical, and HDMI outputs.

The HDMI outputs to a small custom made 7" TV panel. Since it is meant to be music storage and playback system, a big TV would be pointless.

I have it plugged into a digital tuner for audio switching and bluetooth inputs. It has an FM stereo and also can play music off of an SD card. This all runs out through a tube amplifier, and into some pretty decent JVC bookshelf speakers.

I "think" my Apple TV has an upgraded 500gb drive. Whatever size it is, it is big enough to hold my whole music collection.

The best thing about the Apple TV setup is the ability to remote control it. I can use my iPad, iPhone, or my Macbook. Or I can control it directly with the basic apple silver remote.

Pretty sure you can control it with a PC via iTunes also.

iTunes, so yeah it used to be a GREAT program! iTunes 10 was perfect. 11 went the wrong direction, and 12... At version 12.9 now and it seems to be going slowly back in the right direction.

But, I am referring to the Mac versions, and not sure of the last PC version I used. iTunes was actually a little better program on the PC at one time due to how the library could be setup.

What makes this setup work so well, is how simply Apple's products play together. Doing this with Android or Windows is likely to take a little more work.

 

Does Apple TV have internal storage, or did you add storage? My second gen Apple TV had no storage!

 

I have an AppleTV around here somewhere. But I thought it was just an Internet tuner... I don't think mine has a hard drive.

 

Can Win10 be easily downgraded to Win7? A Windows tablet would be useful for some Windows-only software I have but I have an aversion to Win10.

The G1 is a full sunlight screen, isn't it, but I think the Q1 is not?

Thanks.

 

Yes, It is easy to downgrade to W7.
Correct on the screen brightness of a G1 vs Q1.

 

Well... I feel like a traitor now. I ended up using my iPad with a 32GB drive. As it turns out... I got most of what I wanted on there with plenty of room left.

Funny thing... I bought the iPad off a PropertyRoom auction. It was locked but showed the guys contact info. I called him in CA to find out that the iPad had been lost/stolen/misplaced on a train on the west coast during one of his trips. It came with a backpack full of other stuff... A nice hiking GPS, heart rate monitor, a nice compass, etc. When I told him where I bought it he was shocked. I offered to ship it all out to him for what I paid plus the shipping. He said he already bought a new iPad. We made a deal... He gave me his iTunes password so I could unlock it and I sent him back all the other stuff other than the iPad. It was a $400 iPad I picked up for $100.

Anyway... I was thumping all day yesterday to classic rock with the volume turned up entirely too high. I'd still like a windows solution and will keep an eye out for one. Probably just a tablet with a huge SSD drive.

Thanks for everyone's input and keep it coming if you think of anything else!

 

Interesting story!

 

Can both be set up as 32 bit Win7 for legacy drivers?

Thanks.

 

I had 32bit win7 on my G1 and Q1.
I don't recall any driver issues.