Microsoft Windows Mobile: Mobile Media Without Limits

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/articles/orb.mspx' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmob...ticles/orb.mspx</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Do you miss your favorite songs when you leave home? Now you don't have to. Thanks to a free online service and your Windows Mobile powered device, they’re available whenever you have a connection to the Internet. Orb gives you unlimited access to the media stored on your personal computer. It streams digital media on your PC—whether it’s a favorite song or a favorite television show—to your smartphone or Pocket PC. I’m already addicted to Orb. Even though memory cards continue to drop in price, I still can’t get one big enough to hold my collection. Even if you have a two-gigabyte memory card packed with music, there's a good chance you have many more gigabytes worth of digital media sitting on your personal computer. That's where Orb comes into play. If you're sitting in an airport lounge halfway across the world and you're itching to listen to one of your favorite tracks at home, you can. As Orb puts it, it's "home entertainment without the home.""</i><br /><br />Our very own Darius Wey has put together a great article on Orb, a software-based solution for accessing all your media, wherever you are. If you haven't given Orb a try (it's free), give this a read and I bet you'll want to take it for a spin!

[emuelle1]

Orb is a great idea. It's important to pay attention to the minimum requirements, however. They mean business. They call for a 2.4Ghz processor and at least 512M of RAM. If you've got that kind of hardware, go for it. Orb is free, and a great service IF you have capable hardware. I once had it running on a 1.7Ghz with 256M RAM. It probably would have run stable if I'd had 512 RAM, but I didn't. Since I've ignored my desktop in favor of getting a laptop, I don't have the ability to run it right now.

[Jason Dunn]

I once had it running on a 1.7Ghz with 256M RAM. It probably would have run stable if I'd had 512 RAM, but I didn't. Since I've ignored my desktop in favor of getting a laptop, I don't have the ability to run it right now.

Yes, you definitely need appropriate hardware. But I'll also add that with Dell selling systems that meet or exceed those specs for $299, if anyone really wants Orb they can pick up a machine to run it pretty cheap. ;-)

[burtcom]

Sounds interesting -- but let's have some details, please.

if you're essentially running a streaming server on your home PC, why does it need to go through Orb?

A possible answer -- is it so Orb can keep track of your dynamic IP address? How does it detect if your home server drops off the network and comes back on with a new IP?

Does Orb insert advertising anywhere? How does Orb pay for the service?

[stevelam]

Hey Darius, I love the photo!

[emuelle1]

From my experience, Orb's advertising is within their webpages, sort of like PPC Thoughts here. I wasn't paying much attention though.

Most of the $299 systems I come across are Celerons. I tend to avoid them. But, supporting a family on a single income sometimes leave $299 systems out of reach in favor of other priorities like a laptop that I needed for school.

[Anjuan Simmons]

I've tried Orb, but I was always concerned about the security of this solution. You basically let Orb have access to your hard drive and connect to their web site to remotely access your media. You don't know if they are scanning and indexing your entire hard drive (including sensitive files) or just the ones you specify. I would prefer to use an open source solution, but I haven't found one.

[ikesler]

personally I will stick with my SlingBox set up. I have also seen the Beta of their software for the PPC and it is fantastic. I used Orb in the past and it is fine, but for me it doesn't hold up.

[Jason Dunn]

if you're essentially running a streaming server on your home PC, why does it need to go through Orb? A possible answer -- is it so Orb can keep track of your dynamic IP address? How does it detect if your home server drops off the network and comes back on with a new IP?

Yes, that's exactly the reason. Orb is a server running on your machine, and that server pings their public Web server with your IP, status of the machine, etc. Without that you'd have to have a static IP, or a separate program for a dynamic IP.

[Patrick Y.]

Wow, nice review. BTW, this is the first time I saw the photo of Darius (Bottom of the page). :lol:

[Darius Wey]

I've tried Orb, but I was always concerned about the security of this solution. You basically let Orb have access to your hard drive and connect to their web site to remotely access your media. You don't know if they are scanning and indexing your entire hard drive (including sensitive files) or just the ones you specify. I would prefer to use an open source solution, but I haven't found one.

I can understand where you're coming from. Orb does have a strict and clearly detailed privacy policy (http://www.orb.com/company/privacy_policy/) that all users should read prior to use, and they only extract information required for the operation of the service. At the end of the day, whether you trust Orb to use that information in an ethical manner is something you'll have to decide on.

[Darius Wey]

BTW, this is the first time I saw the photo of Darius (Bottom of the page). :lol:

Were you expecting a guy with disproportionate appendages and oversized headphones? ;)

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/avatars/114658620343c5276d0e4e0.jpg

[Patrick Y.]

Well, that kind of crossed my mind. :lol: Truthfully, however, I was expecting you to look older.

[Darius Wey]

Truthfully, however, I was expecting you to look older.

I'm in my early 20's. And yes, I know, I don't look it. A lot of people have said the same thing before. ;)

[ctmagnus]

I was expecting Mick Dundee, only burlier and of course younger. ;)