[Discuss] MP3 Players

[Patrick]

On Sat, 30 Jun 2007 17:01:33 -0700
"Adam Parkin" wrote:

> Patrick wrote:
> > When I asked at the electronics dept of one or two stores, they
> > said most MP3 players *don't* behave like thumb-drives.  So you
> > usually need special software that can speak MP3-playerese
> 
> Typically what happens is that MP3 players need to index the files on 
> the device.  Some brands (like say, an iPod) do this via special 
> software (like say, iTunes).
> 
> Others do this indexing on the device itself.  The upside of this is, as 
> you pointed out, that no special software is needed.  The downside is 
> that typically this means when you turn the device on after copying some 
> files to it you get "Please wait" on the device's screen for a long time 
> before you can actually start playing your music.

Oh well.  I've been using old, slow hardware and a dialup
connection for a while now, so I'm pretty good at saving long
jobs for when I'll be away from the keyboard anyway.

> 
> > [probably a different dialect for every brand] just to transfer
> > a few files.  That's unfortunate, and even if some do come with
> > software for Linux, I'd rather not mess around with it when a
> > simple `cp -r /path/to/MP3s /path/to/MP3/player' is so much
> > easier.
> 
> Yeah, I agree, I want my MP3 player to be a USB stick which happens to 
> play MP3's, not the other way around.

I know what you're saying here, but what you describe sounds more
like an MP3 player than a thumb-drive; does its own indexing, for
one thing.  If I follow you, a really `dumb' model behaves exactly
like a thumb-drive, which is why it needs a little outside help
to get an index together.

> 
> > So... anyone know of any MP3 players that do behave like standard
> > USB storage devices?  The more the merrier.
> 
> Well I haven't tested it under Linux, but my RCA is just like a normal 
> memory stick (you just throw a bunch of MP3's on the device and then 
> when you turn it on it figures out what's where).
> 
> However, I wouldn't particularly recommend it as a MP3 player as it's, 
> well, crappy (although it is a step up in many ways from the iPod 
> Shuffle I used to use).

Well, until Lionel's post it still looked pretty good to me.

> After copying some MP3's to the device, then 
> unplugging it from the computer, you have to wait a good 2-3 minutes 
> with "Please wait" on the player's display while it indexes the MP3's 
> you put on it before you can start playing something.

Hmm.  Guess you'd see some delay with any self-indexing player.
Times probably vary though, depending on the model and how many
tracks it needs to chew on.

> It's also 
> remarkably stupid in regards to track ordering (it plays all selected 
> tracks in alphabetical order, rather than by track #).

I random-shuffle mine anyway.  A surprise in every box!  :-)

> 
> Hope some of this mini-ranting helps somehow. :)

No prob.  I'm doing a little of that myself [in this thread, but
not this message].



Thanks,

Patrick.