Cloud Media Pogoplug Home Server: Great home server, though not a media home server

I am reasonably technically competent. Actually I am probably one of the most technically component chimps, but compared to humans I rank somewhere below a geek, but higher than a hobbyist. This is one of the reasons that I like the home media server devices. They are basically small computers with big memories and lots of utility.

However, I realise that a pair of opposable thumbs does not mean a love of technology. So, perhaps media servers need to be a little friendlier before they can achieve common, widespread use. User friendlier and also a little cheaper. Very much like the mass-market appeal of the PDA only happened when they were cheaper than the Filofax, and you didn’t need a four hour training session to learn how to turn it on.

Enter Pogoplug multimedia. In the same way that the iMac revolutionised the all-in-one computer, with its bright shiny colours, Cloud Media has given it a bright pink case. With Ethernet ports and USB connections, it allows media to be shared across your home network. Attach a Wi-Fi router for wireless connectivity and your connectivity is dealt with. As the Pogoplug has no in-built media storage memory, there is a lot of scope for expandability and also for low cost. Available now at $130 and at £99 from mid-February.

This device is actually the second generation. With USB connectors upped from one to four and with improved user interface and styling, it is a much more desirable device. The device even comes with its own online service, my.pogoplug.com, that allows media to be shared. Copywriting rules being fully observed, of course. I am focused on media files, but of course any file could be shared with the device.

The one failing, and unfortunately it is too large to miss, is the lack of A/V connectors. This might not have been designed for media applications, but it is an untapped market that this could be well suited to. Without an HDMI socket and the two-way communication HDMI provides, this is not good enough for media applications. I would expect some developer to build the suitable interface, and then I would definitely reconsider, but as it stands, I would suggest passing on this if you are looking for a media server device.