![]() ![]() Changing the VortexBox’s IP address to a fixed one was simple – Squeezebox Server could then always be found at 192.168.0.20:9000 and the Appliance’s configuration panel at 192.168.0.20 (newcomers might benefit from a more in-depth explanation of the beauty of headless servers). Obviously, the VortexBox Appliance brings no sonic signature to bare upon audio proceedings, so my assessment of its performance as a music server was a binary one. It’s never enjoyable having to troubleshoot a mind-bending issue, but it gave me early exposure to the community that surrounds VortexBox and – like the Slim Devices forum – I found plenty of people on hand, willing to assist and impart advice. Having said that, a stray cpu-hogging daemon plagued me for a few hours easily fixed with a couple of emails to your good self and a visit to the VortexBox forum. That’s the beauty of Linux: its stability. The Samba shares were nothing short of rock solid: ordinarily, relocating over 1TB of FLAC and MP3 would see network drop-outs or the server choke on the unrelenting torrent of incoming data. Within the first two days of use, I copied across my entire music library to the device. The Appliance proved itself to be unshakeable in its four or five weeks of use in the engine room of my apartment. Never has the streaming audio newcomer been so tidily looked after. It was obvious from the get-go that you have successfully married the VortexBox OS to a fully-compatible hardware specification that has a green outlook on life. It is clear that you have attempted to bridge that gap with the Appliance. Sure, the VortexBox.iso is available for free download, but many people have yet to overcome their perceptions that Linux requires command line expertise and would probably baulk at even giving this heavily customised Linux operating system a try. Moreover, the user doesn’t have to worry about OS install and configuration, setting up Samba file sharing, installing Squeezebox Server, DLNA server, DAAP server etc. Immediately, I could see the benefit of having someone else worry about PC component selection – saving the end-user from fretting/sweating over Linux hardware compatibility issues. The Appliance announced itself on my home network as “VortexBox” moments later and I had a fully functional NAS/media server hybrid ready to push tunes to my Squeezeboxen within less than five minutes of busting open the packaging. That the Appliance’s Fedora-based operating system is headless – no monitor, keyboard or mouse required – must be the reason that that boot time was so impressive: less than thirty seconds. ![]() The small footprint makes for a neat and simple machine that was swiftly hard-wired to my router within moments of its un-boxing. ![]() ![]() The addition of a dual layer DVD burner is not just a nice touch but pivotal to who have yet to rip their CD collections to digital audio formats (more on which later). Your component selection for the Australian version of the VortexBox Appliance seems solid enough: Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and (in my case) a 2TB hard drive. With the new wave of online distributor-as-retailer business models coming thick and fast (and bricks and mortar stores closing), the importance of connecting with one’s customers has never been so critical. Business cliche perhaps, but one that caused me to ruminate on the nature of hifi retail in Australia. Harry York of Audio Genesis proclaimed that selling hifi isn’t just about money and equipment, (more than anything) it is about people. A recent visit to the Naim dealer in Sydney changed my view of the hifi business, subtly yet indelibly. I wish to extend my thanks to you for the loan of the VortexBox Appliance for these past few weeks – and thank you for your patience in answering my numerous emails. An open letter to the Australian VortexBox distributor, Peter Hocking: ![]()
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