Here is a question for the computer knowledgeable people - I have a Beomedia 1 linked to an Apple Mac mini, using Beoconnect for loading music on to it. What you can do with Beoconnect on an Apple computer is quite limited; looking online I have read that Beoplayer seems more functional, but only works with Windows computer operating systems. Now, there are programs available for Mac computers that enable them to run (any?) Windows program - would that include Beoplayer? The programe that I have seen is "Parallels Desktop 7". My question to anyone who might know is - does this programe allow the "Windows only" Beoplayer to run, or do you use this Parallel programe (with a "Windows operating system") to then run Beoplayer ?  So would it be Beoplayer+Parallel Desktop 7 - or - Beoplayer+Parallel Desktop 7+Windows OS ? Or perhaps it won't work, anyone have any experience of this ?

Why don't you just stick to iTunes? a lot more stable. I wouldn't want Windows things on my Mac!

I use BeoPlayer to manage lossless content on my Mac. I run Parallels in coherence mode with Windows 7. This means that Windows programs open and operate seamlessly within Mac. So I have BeoPlayer always available to pop over from the side. It's great for keeping content managed on the BeoSound 5 and insuring the highest quality content. I highly reccomend it. 

TripEnglish:

I use BeoPlayer to manage lossless content on my Mac. I run Parallels in coherence mode with Windows 7. This means that Windows programs open and operate seamlessly within Mac. So I have BeoPlayer always available to pop over from the side. It's great for keeping content managed on the BeoSound 5 and insuring the highest quality content. I highly reccomend it. 

Thank you for your reply - it is as I suspected then - that it is necessary to buy the Parallel program PLUS Windows 7 OS, before downloading Beoplayer. That increases the cost by quite a margin, considering that I will only be using it to operate Beoplayer. I'll look at Beoplayer again and decide if it's worthwhile, thanks again.

Paul Winn:

Why don't you just stick to iTunes? a lot more stable. I wouldn't want Windows things on my Mac!

The problem with using iTunes for managing content for hifi systems is that the only lossless format it manages well is Apple Lossless which can't be played legitimately on non-mac devices. The ideal match for the BeoMedia/BeoMaster 5/BeoSound 5 is WMA lossless.

Windows 7 is also as stable and nearly as elegant as OSX, so there's no need to worry about having it coexist with Apple. It works fine. In fact, I only use Thinkpads for work because Macs can't be trusted to work as needed, so different people clearly have different experiences. 

Well I've done some more research and have found out that Windows 7 would not operate with the Apple OS (10.5) that I have on the Mac mini anyway (as I understand it) - however Beoplayer will also work as part of Windows XP, so that is a possible solution (and as it has been superceded by Windows 7 the price has reduced). As far as I can make out it needs to be Windows XP, with service pack 3 (don't know what that is), and must have the activation key (some sort of licensing code?). This may take some time.......