Two months ago, we started looking for some local software routers and home server enthusiasts and tried to learn honest user feedback before mass production. We approached Makers/Developers with various backgrounds to chat about ZimaBoard (well, most people don’t know us yet). Jerry is one of them.

In today’s update, we will cover the following:

• Using ZimaBoard to build a Hi-Res music server and porting MoOde to the x86 platform
• Angel round funding completed by the team and use of funds
• Call for ZimaBoard Social Media Partners

BUILDING 15TB HI-RES MUSIC SERVER WITH ZIMABOARD

Corey: Hi Jerry, can you tell us a bit of yourself?

Jerry: I have been working in a software development role for over ten years and a music enthusiast in my spare time. I have collected over 15TB of Hi-Res music resources. I am delighted to take the opportunity to use and evaluate ZimaBoard for the first time.

Corey: Can you tell us your first impression of ZimaBoard?

Jerry: Cool design. The metal shell feels excellent to touch and looks beautiful anywhere in the house. I can’t wait to use it.

Corey: So, what did you build with ZimaBoard?

Jerry: With ZimaBoard, I came up with many different applications. First, I set up a music server. ZimaBoard is equivalent to a media center. I can choose the content to be streamed through any mobile device, iPad, computer, or mobile phone with ZimaBoard connected to my NAS, computer, iPad, and hard drive. Since I am incredibly savvy about the quality of the sound source, the music files occupy ample space on my hard disk, so I store them on different devices. My philosophy is each device can only take on one task!

Corey: Oh? I am not an audiophile guy. How can I build it?

Jerry: It took me a while to port the Pi-based MoOde digital broadcasting system to ZimaBoard and installed Roon Server. Due to issues like the copyright format of the audio source data, I get used to loading and playing with different programs. My most commonly used programs are MoOde and Roon Server. MoOde is an open-source program, and the overall feeling after trying it out is still great. However, if I mount a lot of resources, the loading speed of the interface will be a bit choppy. I will make some modifications to MoOde in a targeted manner and share the modified system mirror with everyone. Roon Server is a paid program, and the overall feeling is smooth.

Corey: Your thoughts on the pros/cons of ZimaBoard?

Jerry: Let me talk about the pros first, Lol. The design is excellent, and I like plenty of expansions. As a digital music player, the power consumption is deficient, and if it is equipped with a good linear power supply, it should be able to deliver a clean sound (power supply clutter will bring the bottom noise). As a software router, the CPU and dual network ports can be sufficient for most home scenarios. At the same time, the onboard eMMC design does not require additional external storage when used as a soft router. The point is that this passive heat dissipation design is excellent, it is entirely noise-free, and the temperature control is quite good.

Then the concerns. ZimaBoard’s CPU power is not a very strong one. When playing movies, some cannot be played correctly. I encountered decoding problems when I installed the Plex program and needed additional transcoding (the previous update has mentioned in-depth testing). I believe the second thing is a common regret for all geeks: Intel’s network card. I hope that the next generation of ZimaBoard can get that part fixed and ready. Finally, I prefer to use the USB2.0 interface, but it is not a big deal. In a nutshell, it is a perfect entry-level single-board computer at this price point.

Corey: Thanks for your testing and sharing.

Anyone interested in the music server built by Jerry can drop your questions in Comments. We will actively organize project communication. You can also find Jerry through his GitHub account jerrykuku and direct contact with him.

THE ANGEL ROUND FINANCING COMPLETED BY THE TEAM AND OUR PRODUCT PLAN

For the team to further accelerate product development and production, and with the efforts of the founding team (especially Lauren) for nearly three months, Team ZimaBoard settled an angel round of investment from iStart Capital last month. Our investor, iStart Capital, is an equity investment fund focusing on new technologies and innovative business models and is committed to discovering, assisting, and empowering outstanding entrepreneurial teams.

The funds from this round will be mainly used for product development, mass production, and operating expenses. We hope to hear your suggestions and ideas for application scenarios and software.

CALL FOR ZIMABOARD SOCIAL MEDIA PARTNERS

The team has continued to invest a lot of time in mass production, design optimization, and other detailed tasks. Although we maintain a certain communication and interaction with Backer, we feel it is not welly-done.

We are looking for

We hope to find like-minded, passionate friends interested in home server and edge computing to help us increase the ZimaBoard brand voice and build an active community. Friends with certain social media experiences or blogging/vlogging experiences are highly welcomed.

What you will get

• First-hand cooperation and process synchronization with the ZimaBoard team
• A hand-crafted limited edition ZimaBoard 832 designed by @Marcell Hug (more details in the next update)
• Others – open

How to participate

• Please write us a short introduction about yourself and your ideas
• Attach your resume (if convenient) and email to lauren@icewhale.org  

We are looking forward to hearing from you. Also, if you are interested in product requirements on music server/home server software/hardware server or partnering with us, please share your thoughts in the comments section.