The ideal iPod alternative, for the Linux enthusiast
 

Hello everyone, I've had several expensive smartphones, and have come to one conclusion.

Everything packed into one, is not always a solution, cause I forgot to take the batterylife into consideration.

If you call alot from your phone meanwhile hearing music from and to school and work, you will end up using all your battery at the end of the day, so I now wanna choose a new MP3 (FLAC?) player, and I was wondering if someone have come across some interesting "open" or Linux-friendly MP3-players?

Regards and thanks in advance
dezza

Well, here's one possibility, but I personally don't think is "cheap" as they state (but cheaper than an ipod in most cases):
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS7695609943.html
http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Cata...3_Players.aspx

I'm happy with my Sandisk e280. Has builtin voice recorder (i never use), FM radio with recording option (i never use), view video clips (i never use cause you have to use their software to convert same with pictures) and picture viewer (i never use).

I didn't want an iPod and really only needed an mp3 player but with all the available options that you usually have to pay to get with an iPod that comes as extra accessory and expensive as hell, I went with the Sandisk. At the time I spent $169 for it, has 8GB of storage with all the options above. At the same time, the iPod Nano 4GB alternative had none of the options I listed I never use except I think picture viewer with only 4GB of storage for like $250. Apple is a ripoff. The other nice thing about the Sandisk is I can replace the battery myself for like $20, unlike the Apple brands.

I do have an iPod Nano though, won it at previous employer. I use it as my take along with me when it might get damaged, dropped or stolen adventures, cause if any of those do happen, no loss to me. ;)

How is the SanDisk overall component quality? I would like to know if soldering and wires are good, and case is not something you can twist apart.. And is it fully compatible with Podzilla? I mean you spin the wheel and it does as well in Podzilla, or is it just up/down buttons?

What's wrong with the iPod? I'm on my 5th one an iPod touch I got last fall for $300. sure it's a bit more expensive but unlike some other players that require windows only converter software; I can convert movies with ffmpeg or mencoder. I have my choice of music management applications (currently using gtkpod because it fits with my xfce system.) coverflow works. syncs over wifi. I'm typing this from it now, oh and it runs bash :)

I'm still with my H120 (arguably among the best mp3 players ever made, along with the H140, H320 and H340). However since iRiver isn't going in the direction audiophiles would like them to go in, I've abandoned them. When I retire my mp3 player, I'll be going with Cowon iAudio, which supports flac and the hardware is suppose to be pretty good as well.

I've always been a firm believer in having one gadget do one thing, and do it well.

The great thing about the Cowons and iRivers is they are recognized as simply USB hard drives. So no additional software required; just mount it like a USB hard drive.

If sound quality is what you're aiming for, I would suggest Cowon's line of DAPs (digital audio players).

Yes I know that alot of open-source applications are available for the iPod Touch as also the iPhone, but I do not like the shape of the iTouch/iPhone, I think it looks really really clumsy, and I don't fancy it that much like others do, after all, I want a reliable mp3-player, that if possible could play flac as well..

The Cowon actually looks interesting, how could I have missed them, what do you mean by iRiver isn't going in the direction audiophiles would like them to go? No support for flac?

And what is special about cowon except for the flac playback and their entry of Linux in the system requirements?

I personally think everything Apple is way overpriced, not worth it, and low quality (especially plastic). iPod screens need special protection, you can scratch them very easily (unusually easily), Apple laptops are made of cheap plastic that changes colors quickly if your hands sweat, I've also heard of reports of them using way too much thermal paste to attach heat sinks to the processor leading in overheating problems (which they notably attempted to rectify using software).

SanDisk on the other hand make rather good quality stuff from what I've seen, slightly expensive at times, but worth it I think.

I'd agree as well. The thing about iPod is great marketing and the "cool" factor that comes with it. It's like when the Nike Air Jordan's first came out, it wasn't a quality product, it was the fact that you were cool if you had them. I've owned one pair of Nike's in my lifetime, I'll never own another pair again. They fell apart way too soon, I'm talking a few months compared to other shoes that would last me a few years of abuse.

The sansas are nice plus you can install rockbox on (most of) them and greatly increase their versatility.

http://www.rockbox.org/

rockbox is a good thing. I don't know how many songs you want on it, or if you want video or not, but for a good amount of songs, you can get a refurbished ipod 3rd gen (the one that has the buttons above the wheel in a line) and install rockbox on it. since rockbox is linux itself, i don't think you will have problems connecting and I'm pretty sure rockbox has flac and ogg support. it might also support drag-n-drop.

They really are right about Apple, you should think that it would be easy to create a solid, reliable PC when you only have one range of hardware in each model, but no no.. When we sold Macs in our computer-warehouse where I was a salesman we had alot more problems with them than regular consumer PC's like HP and Acer, and you might think, whaat? But it's true .. Taken directly out of our statistics, just as HP and Acer is almost equal when it comes to bad quality, and I mean, bad, bad, quality. The only laptops I can speak for with a good consciousness is Lenovo, I can't wait to see some more to the IdeaPad S10 .. And also, there's no real point in buying a Mac with an Intel processor when graphics artists/video rendering people talk shit about it being better for rendering it's no true .. Well, the MacOSX is a better system than Windows, that's right, but it was the earlier PowerBook models which Motorola processor was optimized for video rendering and image manipulation.

Rockbox looks really cool I think!

Which one supports Rockbox best and what features do you get by taking Cowon or Sandisk over others, can you tell me a little about your experiences?

The only laptop I'll buy is a Stinkpad.. I mean.. Thinkpad. IBM or Lenovo, doesn't matter who owns them now, they're solid laptops, especially the T Series.

The ideal Ipod alternative for the Linux enthusiast
 

I have had two ipods(Ipod Nano and Touch) and from what I have seen is that the quality of them are not worth the price. Before I bought my Ipod nano(about 2003???) I had a simple RCA Lyra and guess what the nano is dead and I gave my touch to my nephew(I didn't like the touch).But that old Lyra is still ticking like the day I bought it. I have had good luck with the Lyra but if you wanted to run RockBox I would go for the
Sandisk Sansa e200.

Hehe I understand why you gave your touch to your Nephew, iTouch/iPhone looks like a piece of crispbread, the ugliest thing you can put in your hand honestly :)