Comments on: Pogoplug Series 4 revealed, Cloud storage push a must

By: Spark55155

Spark55155 — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:42:00 +0000

On both the Apple app and the Android app for PogoPlug, there is no elapsed time counter nor a FF/Rew. How the corresponding hardware device can evolve to it’s current state, the 4th gen model having just been released, amazes me because without these 2 essential features, the hardware is absolutely useless. I’m not just being fussy or overly critical. I’m not one of those people who complain about apps, I find them all relatively useful. But the app necessary to use the PogoPlug is, so to speak, “half-apped”. It’s just not finished! The fact this is as true for the Apple as well as the Android app is shocking, since Apple is known for it’s extremely high standards for its apps.

I plugged in the 1st gen model of the PogoPlug yesterday (not knowing the 4th gen was already on the market) but which uses the same app as the latest, 4th gen model, and found that, to be sure, files on my attached hard drive were displayed, and would play when selected, but this only demonstrates that the hardware works, and in the manner expected. And the PogoPlug system would make an excellent alternative to even the simplest NAS outfit, especially for those who have high capacity hard drives full of multimedia, given all the ports it has, including SD and USB-3. But come on! Every cheap multimedia device out there has a FF/REW and elapsed time, there just aren’t any exceptions. It’s as if they stopped development of the user interface half-way through!

Reviewers of the PogoPlug clearly don’t realize this and give the thing high praise. As in many cases, evidently, reviewers don’t actually use the things, they just write reviews based on specs and marketing ads. Too bad.

Maybe the GUI is embedded in other multimedia devices, and more fleshed out, but, regardless, given the potential for this thing, not to mention it’s existing popularity, I don’t see how something that otherwise would be a real breakthrough can continue to exist in it’s current state with such obvious shortcomings.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:04:00 +0000

I wonder if you have network storage, Would this be easy to set up to be able to access that storage? I’m curious about the streaming from the pogoplug.

By: Mike Pizzi

Mike Pizzi — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:41:00 +0000

Are you even a pogoplug user? This isnt a push to place it on anyone’s server but your own you have full control of pogoplug via their software. You take the device, put it on your own locked down secure network, setup a password to your liking, then set your drives and go. No one has access to your files unless you have disabled your router firewall, or setup a lame password that people can guess.

The pogoplug is a interesting device, and i have used it quite a bit to listen to music and it is cheaper than purchasing a nas for your home.

By: Anondude

Anondude — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:39:00 +0000

Cloud computing is a really dumb idea from a privacy and choice standpoint. Having your own hard drive and your files stored locally is much safer than uploading them to a server you have 0 control over. What Company is so stupid as to allow important records or work to reside somewhere beyond their control? Well in future you will see many companies shoot themselves in the foot with such strategies when their data is lost or stolen ( Its already happened with clouds ).

Why would you even want to do this, the only reason for the cloud computing push is that it will make it even easier than it is now for Governments to see what you do with your devices and make some already too big corporate vampires more money. If your worried about data loss then use a raid array and or make encrypted backups of your data.

Even from a speed standpoint files accesses locally will be fast and the cloud will be no faster than your Internet pipe and if your Internet goes down for any reason you can just send the workers home till its restored, how dumb.