[conspire] Portable MP3 Player Loading From Linux

[Edmund J. Biow]

> Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2009 23:09:58 -0800
> From: Mark S Bilk <mark at cosmicpenguin.com>
> Subject: [conspire] Portable MP3 Player Loading From Linux
> To: conspire at linuxmafia.com
> Message-ID: <20090202070958.GG20921 at Isis>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> 
> I'm going to buy a portable MP3 player with 4 or 8 GB of 
> flash memory, and would like to be able to load the files 
> into it from Linux (currently OpenSuSE 10.3).  The player
> I have in mind is the Mach Speed Genesis-8GB, since 
> it's on sale at Fry's, and has good features for the price.
>
> I'm seeking help with the following questions:
>
> Do most or all portable MP3 players look like USB
> memory sticks to the computer they're plugged into?

Mark, I don't know about most MP3 players, but the half dozen I've had
over the years have all been recognized that way. I gather iPods require
a bit more hand-holding, but I know lots of Linux folks use them.

If you want to buy an 8 GB flash-based MP3 player that plays nice with
Linux you might do worse than the Cowon iAudio 7, which runs about $105,
significantly more than the MACH.  It is seen as a drive by all the
Linux systems I've played with, including 64 bit OpenSuSE 10.3, through
MTP.  You can watch videos and view pictures and read text files, though
why you would want to do so on such a small screen escapes me.  It is
supposed to get 60 hours on a single charge via USB (or you can buy an
adapter for ~$15, though it isn't necessary).  I don't know if the
battery life claim is true because I've never drained it, but I have run
the player for 3-4 nights in a row without recharging it (I like to keep
a headphone on my pillow playing classical music or audio books at night
to drown out some of the voices screaming in my head).  One thing I
really like about the iAudio is that it can play ogg and flac files,
though most of my stuff is in MP3 format so it would work with my
previous audio players.  You can also install the open source Rockbox
firmware on the device, which I haven't done yet.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000TB0RY4/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance
http://www.rockbox.org/

Just paternalistic unsolicited advice from an arrogant narcissist, worth
almost what you paid for it.

:)

Ed


> 
> Can they be loaded with files from Linux?
> 
> Has anyone been able to load the Mach Speed 
> Genesis-8GB specifically?  (Below are links to pages 
> giving some of its specs.)
> 
> I guess I could host Window 98 using some VM system, 
> but that seems like a lot of work to perform a single task.
> 
> http://www.officialmp3playershop.com/B001P2VFYC/MACH_SPEED_GENESIS_8GB_8GB_Video_MP3_Player_with_1_5__Display.html
> 
> http://shop3.frys.com/product/5776272
> 
> http://b001p2vfyc.mp3hite.net/p-mach-speed-genesis-8gb-8gb-video-mp3-player-with-1-5-display.html
> 
> 
> 
> 
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