Geeked Out

For a couple of weeks, I've been consumed with taking all my DVDs and ripping the disc image to a hard drive. To clarify, by ripping the disc image, I would be putting an exact replica of the DVD onto the hard drive. Naturally, this idea is just a piece of a much larger and complex puzzle, because there are many different factors that go into accomplishing this.

The idea goes far beyond just putting DVDs on a hard drive. Ultimately I want to access them or any of my data from anywhere in the world. When you look at it that way, you can see the logistical nightmare this could entail. That is a focus for another day and likely another generation of hardware. For now, I'm willing to settle for anywhere in the house.

To begin, I will require a new computer. The computer is the most essential part of the process; it acts as the foundation, and dictates future expansion possibilities. If I choose the wrong platform, I could be shutting myself down even before I begin. The question is Windows or OSX. The both have their strengths and they both have their weaknesses.

The major downside for Windows is I will have to buy a computer from a manufacturer who will fill it with a bunch of useless trial programs (AOL, Napster, etc.) that, in the end, screws up the entire system when you try to uninstall them. Also, Windows tends to have many cool features that never actually work as their intended, or at all. However, Microsoft has a clear vision that is in line with my own, so it seems only natural to go with them.

The trouble with Apple is I don't see their vision. It seems only recently that they are trying to enter into the living room with their AppleTV. A great concept, but certainly not on par with what Microsoft is doing with Vista and Media PC. In addition, Mac hardware is more expensive, Mac memory is outrageously expensive and their software is not up to the task. However, the stability of the OSX platform is outstanding, while it wouldn't be easy or cheap, there would be as sense of confidence that everything would work as it should.

Beyond the purchase of a computer, there is a small issue with hard drive space. I currently have 543 barcodes in my DVD collection. I say barcodes because there are collections of movies within a single barcode, like the seven Superman movies in the Ultimate Collectors Edition. Today, I went through my entire DVD collection updating how many discs each DVD had while filing DVDs that hadn't filed. After going through and counting all the individual DVDs, the total count came to 1,114 DVDs that would be ripped to a hard drive. This does not account for dual-sided DVDs, which would slightly raise that number.

Looking at the maximum capacity a DVD can hold (dual-layer: 8.5GB; single-layer: 4.7GB) and multiplying it by 1,114, I would need approximately 10TB of space. TB stands for terabyte, which is like a 1,000GB. This is assuming of course that every DVD I own is dual-layered and using all 8.5GB. I know this isn't true because the first disc of Superman Returns only uses 7.43GB and I'm positive I have single-layered DVDs in my collection.

The cost of one terabyte of storage is expensive, and then multiplying it by ten is ridiculously expensive. The least expensive solution is a $500 external hard drive from Western Digital, for one terabyte worth of space making the final total $5000. I get the distinct feeling that I'll have to wait 10 years before I can affordably accomplish this.

Other, cheaper solutions don't involve ripping anything to a hard drive. Sony makes a device that holds 200 DVDs and hooks up to a PC. I would only need six of these, and it's half the price at $400 a pop. The problem, it's not what I want, and it is not as versatile as having digital files. Until the next waves of computers come out with HD DVD and Blu-Ray drives in them, I won't know what I'm going to end up doing. It's all dependent on whether the hardware enables the software.

iPhone Failure Imminent?

I just got through watching the Apple's Macworld keynote address introducing the groundbreaking iPhone and it is quite impressive. I mentioned in a previous post some of the features and the price point at which it will be sold, $499 (4GB) and $599 (8GB) with a 2-year agreement. It has me very excited and I certainly want to pick one up, the internet capabilities alone has me salivating as well as all the other cool features.

What doesn't have me salivating is the price. Yes, the handset alone is expensive but for what it can potentially do, I think your getting a good deal. And that's sort of the problem here. The amount of services one would have to subscribe to in order to take full advantage of the iPhone could leave you wondering why you made the "investment" in the first place. This is coming from an average consumer, not a business professional.

This is exactly what Apple wasn't thinking about when developing this phone; they weren't concerned about the average consumer. I decided that I would go onto the Cingular site and price the services that would allow you to use the iPhone as it was intended. Since there are no details about the pricing plan for the iPhone's services, this is just a rough estimate of what you could conceivably spend a month.

Plan
Nation 450 /Rollover: $39.99 - You would need to start with a calling plan. I chose the Nation 450 with Rollover. This plan gives you 450 anytime minutes, 5000 nights and weekends and unlimited Mobile to Mobile minutes. This was the cheapest plan they had for the handset that I picked, a comparably priced Treo 750.

Services
PDA Connect Unlimited: $39.99 - This service gives you unlimited Internet and e-mail access. The iPhone relies heavily on the Internet through it's e-mail client and Safari browser as well as Google Maps and it's variety of Widgets; I actually think the $39.99 price point is on the cheap side considering the amount of data you would need to push through.

Message Starter 200 Messages: $4.99 - You will likely have to sign up for a text message service in order to use the iPhone's SMS function. Because of the iPhone's attractive and robust SMS application, upgrading to the more expensive 3000 Message Extreme service for $19.99 would be necessary.

Final Cost
$84.97 - $99.97 a month to use Apple's newest breakthrough technology. This doesn't account for other features like the Visual Voicemail that allows you to choose which voicemail you want to listen to.

Again, these are based on current Smart Phone service pricing, which do not include MEdia Bundle plans, which would bring the cost down a little. On the other hand, Cingular could have special plan packages for iPhones, to make owning an iPhone more affordable.

Could you buy the iPhone just to have the next generation iPod? Probably, but why would anyone want to spend $599 for a 8GB iPod? I sure wouldn't.

iPhone a Reality

A few days ago, I was standing in the shower thinking about iPods. I tend to do a lot of thinking in the shower; probably most of my brilliant ideas come from me standing in the shower. Anyway, I'm standing there thinking about when will the release of the next iPod be. I was hoping that it would happen within the next year as the unveiling and launch of the next iteration of this groundbreaking product had been delayed, and there was only speculation about it's functionality.

Well, it seems the iPhone is the new iPod. Looking over the iPhone, I am totally and completely infatuated with it. It looks beautiful, it plays my music, it plays video, it has a 2MP camera, does the Internet, runs Mac OSX with the inclusion of widgets, pretty much anything you need to keep in touch and enjoy your media. However, until I listen to Steve Jobs talk about it, I'm somewhat disappointed that this isn't an iPod.

One of the few downfalls of this remarkable new device is the 8GB hard drive. I think it's somewhat small for something that will store photos, music and video content in addition to widgets and contact information. The next disappointing thing is it only has up to 5 hours of talk, video and browsing. On the other hand, for what it does, 5 hours is pretty good. The next disappointment is the price, $499 with a two-year agreement for the 4GB model, $599 with a two-year agreement for the 8GB model. Ouch! That's the price of a PS3! To be quite honest, I think I would rather have a PS3.