PLAY MP3 COMPUTER LIBRARY ANYWHERE IN THE HOME

The line between our personal computers and other common household electronic appliances such as our television sets and stereo systems keeps getting more and more blurred. Industry leaders such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates envision a time when our computers will become the control center of our daily electronic activities. Apple Computer refers to its iMac as a "Digital Hub" in which your digital camera, MP3 player, PDA, cell phone and other devices plug into the computer and transfer their data between each other. There must be something to all this as new devices that enhance and extend the computer's ability throughout the home and office continue to appear.

Networking computers in the home has become more commonplace especially with the advent of high speed Internet communication services like DSL and cable modems. If you have a wired Ethernet network and enjoy listening to downloaded MP3 music files on your computer, you may find the new SliMP3 (pronounced Slim-pee-three) of interest. This cool little gizmo lets you monitor, control and play your MP3 files through any stereo system in your home, office or any other place where you may have a stereo system. Consisting of the control unit and remote control, you simply connect the SliMP3 to the network and connect its standard stereo output to your stereo system's input.

It's important to note that the SliMP3 is not just some simple speaker extender but contains a sophisticated MP3 player that receives and then plays your computer's files. This is especially nice since it frees up your computer to do other tasks. And unlike other MP3 players that are limited by the amount of songs it can store, the SliMP3 has an unlimited capacity since the files come from your computer and are not stored on the player. It does contain a large buffer that assures click and skip free performance in case of a momentary network problem. And if you have more than one stereo in your home or office, you can connect a SliMP3 unit to each one and have just one computer playing different songs on every connected stereo at the same time. This is possible since every connected SliMP3 has its own unique address on the network.

You'll want to place the SliMP3 in clear view since its great-looking high-tech bluish vacuum florescent display indicates the title of the MP3 song file that's playing along with its playing length and othe pertinent information. The SliMP3's small size and good looks makes it ideal for placement on a shelf or bedside table. The included remote control lets you select the songs to be played along with other control functions.

The included software also lets you optionally control your music selections from any standard web browser. Currently, the SliMP3 is compatible with computers running Windows, Macintosh OS X and Linux operating systems. The SliMP3 is one very cool device that offers a truly new and different way to enjoy your music library in your digital home. $249.