...when Steve first announced Safari for Windozzz. If they could get Safari to run off a USB drive or iPod, just like FireFox Portable does, you could have one that ran on both Win and Mac so you could take all your bookmarks and cookies with you, even if the computer you where using didnt have Safari on it, add a syncable folder to that, and the popularity of Web 2.0 apps, then you could have everything your need in your pocket weather the computer your where using was a Mac or WinPC, or even if it has any Apple software or not.
I think the key to this working is to get Safari to run off a USB drive/iPod.
This is like Roaming Profiles in a way yet your network know is magnitudes larger.
I don't really see the fear involved here. If someone has access to your computer that shouldn't then that's problem A. Unsecure admin account is Problem B. Both of those can be prevented with just a bit of work.
As mobile devices begin to proliferate we're going to need better ways of keeping multiple computers syncronized. Home on iPod sounds good because it'll fit on a small device yet provide a robust experience when hooked up to a computer.
Color me jazzed about this. A 32GB iPhone with my Home on it sounds wonderful. I'd have a laptop but this would allow me to leave the laptop and take the phone more. Less weight to carry around.
I am hoping this is scrapped because Apple has decided to partner with google via .Mac. Every mac can sync thru Googles servers all home folder information. Not just what .Mac does now. Of course this requires massively more space but Google has it.
Right... and upon examining Googles license agreement, you find out that they can keep a copy of your document on their servers indefinitely... Thanks, but I want my privacy
I guess this is a good idea for automatic backups as you just sync all your changed files daily.
Trouble is, I don't have an ipod, nor do I use my home directory. Plus, I wouldn't want my work files to be exactly like my home files. I think my manual way of working is best for me.
I think the idea of having your files available wherever you are is certainly a good one. But I don't believe the solution in the pattent solves all your problems:
-I have way more files on my Mac and it's external harddrives than would ever fit on my iPod. You can be shure that the file you need will still be on your Mac, but not on your iPod.
-It only works on other Macs
-Even if you combine it with a .Mac account you would have to upload ALL your data and keep your online store in sync just in case you need one file somewhere else.
At iNuron we wanted to solve the same problem (having your files with you at all times) but we use a different approach:
-With our software you serve files directly from your own Mac.
-You only take a small application with you (can be on your iPod) and use it to securely connect to your Mac when your somewhere else.
-You can have every file on you Mac available if you need it without uploading/syncing
- You only transfer the files you need to the other computer and after you update it you can even save it back to your own Mac.
-AND you can run reach your files on Windows and Mac computers because our browser application is cross platform.
-it's free so there's no harm in giving it a try ;-)
It would e great is some areas of our college. Normally we would run a home directory off the internal hard drive on staff room macs, and off an open directory server for classroom macs so that students can go to any mac and get their home when they log in.
Sometimes this isnt practical if there home folder is v large, or they are in an area with a slow network connection. In this situation a portable home would be great because they can plug their hard drive/ipod up to any mac, log in, and have their home directory show up, but in a OD managed environment.
Has a similar function been available for Windows users for years (maybe it's a 3rd party app)? I'm pretty sure I heard about this before... Am I wrong, here?
You are completely right, there is nothing new with this "invention". It's a typical case for prior art.
I do this syncing for years, right now with the tool unison, that works with many OSe (I work with Mac OS X and Linux).
Of course it's very nice to have this feature build in the OS, but if it's only for iPod and won't work with external HDs, than it's not that usefull. I use a 160GB external 2,5" HD in the moment, and tht's more than every iPod provides (and faster and cheaper).
In this case I really don't understand what Apple got a patent for. It#s a very nice and usefull feature, and I want to have it, but it's not new.
I agree - using the iPod is a cute idea, but I'd rather do it seamlessly and online (preferably in the background) than having to track down my iPod and iPod cord every time I wanted to do the sync.
Spare iPod cords aren't that expensive.
If you work with very tiny files, then it might appear seamless. An iPod is MUCH faster for moving volumes of data than most internet connections, such that if you work on data of magnitude, that it would be well worth pulling the iPod out of your pocket or bag and link it up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oli
In this case I really don't understand what Apple got a patent for. It#s a very nice and usefull feature, and I want to have it, but it's not new.
I expect that there are details not caught in the article. Patents can get pretty complicated, and I don't think a few paragraphs can capture the particulars of the claims.
If you work with very tiny files, then it might appear seamless. An iPod is MUCH faster for moving volumes of data than most internet connections, such that if you work on data of magnitude, that it would be well worth pulling the iPod out of your pocket or bag and link it up.
I agree that if we're talking about big files, an external HD or iPod is the only way to go. If we're referring to desktop settings, calendars, mail, documents, and perhaps even limited photo browsing, most of these things are ALREADY online and "location-free" for many people.
The average person a year from now will look at this and say "My photos are on Flickr, my email, calendars and spreadsheets are in google, and all of my music is on my phone (seen memory prices lately?) - everything I need is already accessible anywhere. How is this worth even connecting my iPod?" I actually carry around an external HD with me all the time and I think this might appeal to some professionals, but for the average user I think this would be DOA. Apple needs a much better response to the "location-free" Web 2.0 model.
Why would I need to carry my personal home files to a different computer. Could someone give a real world example of how this could be useful.\
You are on the road as a Consulting Engineer and you don't have a chance to VPN into the backbone, due to various reasons. You are at a client deployment and they give you a temporary account. You upload your work to show the client which includes your demos and presentations.
You make the sale.
You didn't have to pack your laptop and go through the hassles of airlines with just your iPod in your pocket.
Either that or you were at a lunch and made an impromptu presentation with your new iPhone that has your presentations on hand and your software demos since you uploaded the files you needed to make the sale happen.
Most people don't bring their laptops to just eat lunch or first meetings where business isn't the issue, but is just a feel out session.
Comments
I think the key to this working is to get Safari to run off a USB drive/iPod.
I don't really see the fear involved here. If someone has access to your computer that shouldn't then that's problem A. Unsecure admin account is Problem B. Both of those can be prevented with just a bit of work.
As mobile devices begin to proliferate we're going to need better ways of keeping multiple computers syncronized. Home on iPod sounds good because it'll fit on a small device yet provide a robust experience when hooked up to a computer.
Color me jazzed about this. A 32GB iPhone with my Home on it sounds wonderful. I'd have a laptop but this would allow me to leave the laptop and take the phone more. Less weight to carry around.
I am hoping this is scrapped because Apple has decided to partner with google via .Mac. Every mac can sync thru Googles servers all home folder information. Not just what .Mac does now. Of course this requires massively more space but Google has it.
Right... and upon examining Googles license agreement, you find out that they can keep a copy of your document on their servers indefinitely... Thanks, but I want my privacy
LOL! Apple want's royalties for copying your home directory to a flash drive.
That's not what this is. You can already do that. This is something you can't do yet.
Trouble is, I don't have an ipod, nor do I use my home directory. Plus, I wouldn't want my work files to be exactly like my home files. I think my manual way of working is best for me.
-I have way more files on my Mac and it's external harddrives than would ever fit on my iPod. You can be shure that the file you need will still be on your Mac, but not on your iPod.
-It only works on other Macs
-Even if you combine it with a .Mac account you would have to upload ALL your data and keep your online store in sync just in case you need one file somewhere else.
At iNuron we wanted to solve the same problem (having your files with you at all times) but we use a different approach:
-With our software you serve files directly from your own Mac.
-You only take a small application with you (can be on your iPod) and use it to securely connect to your Mac when your somewhere else.
-You can have every file on you Mac available if you need it without uploading/syncing
- You only transfer the files you need to the other computer and after you update it you can even save it back to your own Mac.
-AND you can run reach your files on Windows and Mac computers because our browser application is cross platform.
-it's free so there's no harm in giving it a try ;-)
more info and download: http://www.inuron.com
regards,
Rodney & the iNuron team
I wonder if this will see a return to iPods with firewire as well as USB.
http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/leopard/more.html
It would e great is some areas of our college. Normally we would run a home directory off the internal hard drive on staff room macs, and off an open directory server for classroom macs so that students can go to any mac and get their home when they log in.
Sometimes this isnt practical if there home folder is v large, or they are in an area with a slow network connection. In this situation a portable home would be great because they can plug their hard drive/ipod up to any mac, log in, and have their home directory show up, but in a OD managed environment.
Has a similar function been available for Windows users for years (maybe it's a 3rd party app)? I'm pretty sure I heard about this before... Am I wrong, here?
You are completely right, there is nothing new with this "invention". It's a typical case for prior art.
I do this syncing for years, right now with the tool unison, that works with many OSe (I work with Mac OS X and Linux).
Of course it's very nice to have this feature build in the OS, but if it's only for iPod and won't work with external HDs, than it's not that usefull. I use a 160GB external 2,5" HD in the moment, and tht's more than every iPod provides (and faster and cheaper).
In this case I really don't understand what Apple got a patent for. It#s a very nice and usefull feature, and I want to have it, but it's not new.
Personally I'd love to use it - and people who hot-desk would as well
I agree - using the iPod is a cute idea, but I'd rather do it seamlessly and online (preferably in the background) than having to track down my iPod and iPod cord every time I wanted to do the sync.
Spare iPod cords aren't that expensive.
If you work with very tiny files, then it might appear seamless. An iPod is MUCH faster for moving volumes of data than most internet connections, such that if you work on data of magnitude, that it would be well worth pulling the iPod out of your pocket or bag and link it up.
In this case I really don't understand what Apple got a patent for. It#s a very nice and usefull feature, and I want to have it, but it's not new.
I expect that there are details not caught in the article. Patents can get pretty complicated, and I don't think a few paragraphs can capture the particulars of the claims.
Spare iPod cords aren't that expensive.
If you work with very tiny files, then it might appear seamless. An iPod is MUCH faster for moving volumes of data than most internet connections, such that if you work on data of magnitude, that it would be well worth pulling the iPod out of your pocket or bag and link it up.
I agree that if we're talking about big files, an external HD or iPod is the only way to go. If we're referring to desktop settings, calendars, mail, documents, and perhaps even limited photo browsing, most of these things are ALREADY online and "location-free" for many people.
The average person a year from now will look at this and say "My photos are on Flickr, my email, calendars and spreadsheets are in google, and all of my music is on my phone (seen memory prices lately?) - everything I need is already accessible anywhere. How is this worth even connecting my iPod?" I actually carry around an external HD with me all the time and I think this might appeal to some professionals, but for the average user I think this would be DOA. Apple needs a much better response to the "location-free" Web 2.0 model.
Why would I need to carry my personal home files to a different computer. Could someone give a real world example of how this could be useful.
You are on the road as a Consulting Engineer and you don't have a chance to VPN into the backbone, due to various reasons. You are at a client deployment and they give you a temporary account. You upload your work to show the client which includes your demos and presentations.
You make the sale.
You didn't have to pack your laptop and go through the hassles of airlines with just your iPod in your pocket.
Either that or you were at a lunch and made an impromptu presentation with your new iPhone that has your presentations on hand and your software demos since you uploaded the files you needed to make the sale happen.
Most people don't bring their laptops to just eat lunch or first meetings where business isn't the issue, but is just a feel out session.