iPod Can i link two computers to one MP3 folder?

[50thVert]

hey every1,
Heres my dilemma. I just bought a Mac Mini to go along with my XP machine. Problem is all my MP3's are on the XP machine. I have my XP machine hooked up to my surround sound, and the MM doesnt sound nearly as good because it doesnt have a line-out. How do i link the MM and the XP machines to the same Mp3 folder?

-Zach

 

[lexfuzo]

hey every1,
Heres my dilemma. I just bought a Mac Mini to go along with my XP machine. Problem is all my MP3's are on the XP machine. I have my XP machine hooked up to my surround sound, and the MM doesnt sound nearly as good because it doesnt have a line-out. How do i link the MM and the XP machines to the same Mp3 folder?

-Zach

Excuse me, what do you mean by "link"?
What is it you want to achieve? As your XP machine is the one with the good sound card, it's always the one that has to play the mp3 files.
You can control it remotely from your Mac if that's what you want.
You could even put the files on the Mac and access them from the XP machine.

I am sure that there are lots of solutions for your problem, but please describe your intentions more precisely.

 

[iSaint]

hey every1,
Heres my dilemma. I just bought a Mac Mini to go along with my XP machine. Problem is all my MP3's are on the XP machine. I have my XP machine hooked up to my surround sound, and the MM doesnt sound nearly as good because it doesnt have a line-out. How do i link the MM and the XP machines to the same Mp3 folder?

-Zach

Network your computers and share the MP3 folder...

 

[50thVert]

I want to be able to play Mp3's from either my mac or my XP machine. Whenever i link one of the iTunes programs to that folder, it kicks off the other iTunes program on the other computer

 

[lexfuzo]

Try this:

It is certainly no problem to have the mp3s on one machine, to share the folder over the network and to access the files by iTunes on the PC and iTunes on the Mac. (You could even share the library by means of iTunes directly).
If you want the better quality, you have to play it with iTunes on the PC. You can control it from your Mac by using Remote Desktop, for example.

So try this:
- Keep the files on the PC
- Share the library, so you can listen to it on the Mac
- Use iTunes on the PC for better quality and control it remotely if you want

or:
- Put the files on the Mac
- Share the library
- Access the library from your PC when you need better quality (and control ist from wherever you want; in this case you could access the files on your Mac from your PC while sitting at the Mac, isn't that great )

 

[solvs]

Leave iTunes running on the machine that has the mp3s. Just check the box in preferences that send it to the taskbar when minimized. Make sure "Share Library" is checked, and make sure both are connected to the same network. Then you can see and play your files from either. That's the easiest way I can think of.

 

[xli_ne]

Leave iTunes running on the machine that has the mp3s. Just check the box in preferences that send it to the taskbar when minimized. Make sure "Share Library" is checked, and make sure both are connected to the same network. Then you can see and play your files from either. That's the easiest way I can think of.

thats what i do with my setup. runs great, only thing i had to do was get a better adapter for my desktop. It was 802.11b, to slow to transfer music. Getting a 802.11g adapter fixed it fine.

 

[50thVert]

That works great, but with one drawback....i cant use You Control Tunes to access the shared music...any ideas?

 

[TBi]

If you have XP then turn on remote desktop and download the remote desktop client for your MAC. This way you can control your PC across the network, leaving you change it's songs. I did this for years when i had a really powerful laptop and a slow crap PC with a great sound card but at the time i used winamp with a specially developed (windows only) network controller.

Remote desktop will work a charm although it won't be the fastest and you will need to set a password on your account on XP if you don't already have one.

If you want any more details on how to do it give me a hollar.