How to Turn an Old PC into a Home Media Server We’ve experimented with any number of home media servers that will stream YouTube, play movies across a home network, and stream music from a library of connected home storage appliance. And they’re nice if that’s all you ever want to do. But for ultimate flexibility, nothing beats a true home theater PC. Using a fully functional PC, you throw away all the limitations of a traditional set top box, building up a box that does exactly what you want it to, the way you want it to. With that in mind, blowing $1,000 on a custom-built computer just for the task seems like a waste. Getting Started Here’s our makeover machine: A ratty old Dell Inspiron 5150 from about eight years ago. But for our purposes, it will work just fine. Why use a laptop? Hardware Whichever way you go, we encourage you to use whatever hardware you can scrounge up. Besides performance, you need to pay attention to connectivity. Software After you’ve decided what OS you’ll use, it’s time to pick a media manager application.
Convert Old PC To Network Attached Storage with FreeNas One of the biggest problems still plaguing the environment today are the mass amounts of electronics being tossed out on a daily basis. This goes for everything from cell phones to televisions to your outdated stereo system. While stuff like cell phones and iPods can be easily sold, it’s the personal computer that still lacks consistent recycling. The majority of both business and home PCs are typically either thrown out with the everyday trash, or turned over to one of the few electronics recycling warehouses in your area. These warehouses usually require some type of fee for disposal as well. Until we get some type of environmentally friendly method for computer recycling, I am going to recommend trying your own way. FreeNas is an open source NAS (Network Attached Storage) operating system. Once installed, you have a large plethora of options to choose from. Have any of you used FreeNAS before?
Repurposing Your Old PC | Librarypoint Updated November 15, 2013: Your old computer is capable of one more major feat: helping to cure diseases. Updated October 16, 2013: This post was published earlier this year in February. It has since been revamped to reflect more specific and robust re-purposing solutions covered in my recent workshop on the topic. If you read this before, read it again. There’s a lot more here to love, I promise! Now that we’re all hooked on our tablets and smartphones, let’s face it, those old “PeeCees” are getting less and less use in our everyday lives. Dedicate it to disease research I wrote about this a few years back, but it definitely needs repeating. Turn it into a media center Your living room widescreen isn’t much more than a huge computer display. Of course, an unaltered PC experience on an HDTV is not an ideal solution. Turn it into a network storage server Many households these days have multiple laptop and/or desktop computers. Turn it into a Steam Box Install Linux
BitTorrent Sync Although not touted by the developers as an intended direct replacement nor competitor to cloud-based file synchronization services, it has attained much of its publicity in this potential role.[2] This is mainly due to the ability of BitTorrent Sync to address many of the concerns in existing services relating to file storage limits, privacy, cost, and performance. History[edit] On 24 January 2013, BitTorrent, Inc announced a call for pre-alpha testers to help test a new "distributed syncing product to help manage personal files between multiple computers".[3] Several private pre-alpha builds of "SyncApp" were subsequently made available to a limited group of alpha testers between January 2013 and April 2013. On 23 April 2013, the previously private "alpha" was opened up to general users[2][4][5] As of 6 May 2013, more than a petabyte of anonymous data had been synced between users, with over 70 terabytes synced daily.[6] On 27 August 2013, BitTorrent Sync for iOS was announced[9]
How to set up the ultimate home theater PC Hooking up your computer to your TV goes beyond a video cable. From configuring your PC to choosing the right accessories, follow this guide to setting up the ultimate HTPC. At some point, you've probably considered hooking your computer up to your TV. Hooking up your computer to your TV can be as simple or as complex as you want. But the most brag-worthy home theater PCs (HTPCs) include all the right elements: carefully chosen hardware, proper display settings, ergonomic accessories, and software that turns your PC into a set-top box. Choosing a PC It all starts with the PC. In the end, what really matters are the guts of your computer. When you choose (or build) your HTPC, aim for these minimum system configurations: Windows Ideal minimum: A Windows XP SP3 PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor 2.4GHz or better At least 2GB RAM HDMI- or Mini DisplayPort-out Bare minimum: A Windows XP SP3 PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor 1.6GHz or better At least 512MB RAM DVI-out Hooking things up 1.
Comparison of file synchronization software This is a list of file synchronization software. File synchronization is a process of ensuring that files in two or more locations are updated via certain rules. Definitions[edit] The following definitions clarify the purpose/meaning of column names used in the tables that follow: Name: Either just the product's name or, if part of a larger product line, the name of the product line and the specific offering. Protocol: Protocols supported by the product. Programming Language: What computer programming language was used to write the software, if known. Windows: Indicates whether the product runs under Windows operating systems. OS X: Indicates whether the product runs under Mac OS X. Linux: Indicates whether the product runs under Linux variants. Other OS: Indicates whether the product is supported under any other operating systems. License: Indicates the licensing model under which the software is published. Sync to cloud: Is there a "cloud storage" option? Open source[edit] Freeware[edit]