An independent contractor describes how initially used USB over Ethernet to share his iPod and then found many other ways to use our solution
Industry: personal computer usage.
Personal Background: Rob Peterscheck is an independent contractor from New Jersey, USA. Being always on the move, he feels the need for an elegant solution to synchronize his iPod over PC’s from his home computer to his laptop.
Victoria Veligodsky: What made you start searching for this kind of software?
Rob Peterscheck: I was looking for an elegant solution to an issue with my iPod. As a contractor I tend to work from one location to another and it would be much easier to be able to use my iPod no matter what client site I was at. It was not always the most convenient or simple solution to bring the iPod with me from place to place. In addition to the concern of bringing another piece of technology with me from site to site, there was the additional liability of the actual focus of the iPod in different environments.
Because of these issues and more, I needed a product that was able to synchronize my iPod over PC’s from my home computer to my laptop. I couldn’t find a product that fit the bill, so instead I found the USB over Ethernet, which would solve the problem in a slightly different way.
Victoria Veligodsky: Where and how did you find USB over Ethernet by Electronic Team, Inc.?
Rob Peterscheck: Hunting on the Internet for a solution to this came up with a number of different solutions. I found solutions of USB to Ethernet conversion, a hardware solution that required a hub, and a few software solutions based upon the iPod’s technology. Electronic Team, Inc. was one of the vendors that looked like they had a good product that I would experiment with. So, I decided to give USB to USB over Ethernet a try.
Victoria Veligodsky: Did you have any experience in using other products for the same task before choosing USB to USB over Ethernet by Electronic Team, Inc?
Rob Peterscheck: Yes, I tried a number of different products. I tried products designed specifically for the iPod and investigated a hardware solution as well. Neither solution could do everything I needed it to do, and while the hardware solution certainly would have worked, it was not cost effective. The hardware for a USB to Ethernet conversion is well over $200 – $300 and then it is only stationary. Plus it did not seem to work over the Internet, which was an important component of what I needed.
I had similar difficulties with some competing products. I tried a solution called USB over Network Client but it only worked over a LAN. Such a solution was useless for me, I needed to be able to access the iPod from any location, not just within the same company.
Victoria Veligodsky: For what purposes are you using our product now?
Rob Peterscheck: I use it now not only to share files and music but to make sure that my iPod is always synced up no matter where I go, and I don’t even have to take it with me. Also, because the software fully replicates the USB device I can also use the storage capacity, iTunes and auto-synchronization process. Shopping and updating no matter where I am has made everything much easier.
Beyond just iPod and iTunes I now use the software for a myriad of other uses, including sharing more common devices like printers and fax machines. Being able to send a fax from my home no matter where I am has also had it’s uses. I am not always near a fax machine, and in the days of e-mail fax machines are not as common as they once were. When I need to send one out, as long as I can get an internet connection I send the fax out from my home printer, which makes life much more convenient.
Victoria Veligodsky: Was USB over Ethernet of any benefit to you?
Rob Peterscheck: As a contractor being on the move is critical. I have to carry a laptop with me, carrying an array of additional devices is too much of a burden most days. The less I can carry the easier it is for me to live my life. While the smaller iPods are very portable, I have a terrific 80gig Video iPod.
I use it quite a lot when I am traveling, but rather then buy two separate iPods, the best solution I could come up with was to use USB to Ethernet. So I use it to sync up my iPod with my home system to share to my laptop no matter where I was on the road. Giving me the best of both worlds. Truly an elegant solution.