The Sooloos user interface

[Jay_S]

This past weekend at the California Audio Show I had some hands' on experience with the Sooloos system. I think the interface is terrific. It looks like there is an Ipad app as well, though I did not try it out.

Let's put aside the hardware for a second. Is there any similar software in the PC or Mac world? I've looked at all of the usual music player candidates and can live for now with Itunes. But none of these programs are as nice to use as the Sooloos. Why can't the computer-based systems have better UIs? Is it the lack of a touch screen?

 

[Steve Williams]

Jay was that the Sooloos in the Salk Room.

 

[amirm]

I have not played with Sooloos but find the Zune media player quite attractive with really nice visualizations. You can use a touchscreen PC such as HP Touchsmart and use your finger to navigate.

Here are some screen snapshots but you need to see it in action to appreciate the soft animations:

 

[Jay_S]

Jay was that the Sooloos in the Salk Room.

It was the room with the full Meridian system.

 

[Vincent Kars]

I once fooled around an evening with the Sooloos and the interface is very impressive indeed.
Most PC interfaces are designed with the mouse in mind.
However a lot of media players can be controlled by touch too.
This of course requires a touch screen.
Most of the time if you put them in Theatre mode (any mode to be used on a TV screen) you can control them with a touch screen easily.
You might try J River Media Center, a highly configurable media player.
http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/Players/MC14/MC14_intro.htm

 

[Nicholas Bedworth]

One of the very cool things about JRMC, apart from its $50 price... is that you can set up multiple zone, each of which can be playing different content streams out through different devices. In my case, as a reviewer, one can be conditioning a piece of gear while doing critical listening to another piece. JRMC is not specifically designed for touch screens, but the basic album cover art presentation will certainly work well in this context...

 

[Vincent Kars]

Try Teather View, probably more suit for a touch screen