Applications for your plug computer

#1

Post by codemechanic » Sat, May 02, 2009, 4:58 PM UTC

Applications for your plug computer
tonidoplug.com

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#2

Post by schwanksta » Sat, May 02, 2009, 5:08 PM UTC

So someone put a little interface on the SheevaPlug: http://www.marvell.com/products/embedded_processors/develope...

Was wondering when someone would do that, but apparently, it's been done and done and done: http://www.marvell.com/products/embedded_processors/develope...

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#3

Post by charindex » Sat, May 02, 2009, 5:40 PM UTC

I guess these guys are focusing on the software side of the plug.

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#4

Post by paul9290 » Sat, May 02, 2009, 7:26 PM UTC

For me I enjoy 90% of media from the cloud and have not purchased any additional storage drives in a few years.

This looks cool, but I do wonder if the advent of free streaming media (i.e. Hulu) has caused a large decrease in demand for the storage drive market.

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#5

Post by jaytee_clone » Sat, May 02, 2009, 7:55 PM UTC

It's a really cool idea.

It's tough however. If your target audience is the main stream public, which it seems like it, then there will always be a mental barrier of learning how to operate yet another machine. Most of this audience don't even know what a server is.

Aside from that, you will be competing with every cloud-base service out there, even the ones that are not on the radar yet. You end up spreading your resource to develop interfaces for music, photo, documents, etc, while sites like flikr only need to worry about photo.

Personally I'd pick an easier battle field, but then again, what's an entrepreneur but someone who innovates and fights hard battles.

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#6

Post by codemechanic » Sat, May 02, 2009, 8:55 PM UTC

gets interesting with torrent client

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#7

Post by vdm » Sat, May 02, 2009, 9:50 PM UTC

schwanksta wrote: post #2

So someone put a little interface on the SheevaPlug: http://www.marvell.com/products/embedded_processors/develope... Was wondering when someone would do that, but apparently, it's been done and done and done: http://www.marvell.com/products/embedded_processors/develope...

Well, that Secret Sauce was fun while it lasted.

What really interests me, is how long has it been since Apple did the Airport Express? Years. And that has universal plugs for around the world, just like their laptop chargers.

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#8

Post by dj8nes » Sat, May 02, 2009, 9:50 PM UTC

Torrent client on the plug will be really cool. I can have the plug switched on all the time and can run the client on it without having to run my home computer just for torrent.

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#9

Post by vdm » Sat, May 02, 2009, 9:51 PM UTC

jaytee_clone wrote: post #5

It's a really cool idea. It's tough however. If your target audience is the main stream public, which it seems like it, then there will always be a mental barrier of learning how to operate yet another machine. Most of this audience don't even know what a server is. Aside from that, you will be competing with every cloud-base service out there, even the ones that are not on the radar yet. You end up spreading your re…

Amazon S3 could use them as write-through cache.

Re: Applications for your plug computer

#10

Post by devbloke » Sat, May 02, 2009, 10:17 PM UTC

Comparing power consumption between commercial server and Plug:

365 days = 8760 Hrs

Conventional Server: Assume 100 watts and cost 15¢/KWH(based on commercial hosting service) Cost/Year: 8760 * 0.1 * 0.15 = $131.40/Year

Plug: Cost/Year: 8760 * 0.005 * 0.15 = $6.57/Year

Plug is definitely cheaper and greener.