3 ms·

I _still_ use Rockbox. The UI and performance is just really good. Probably doesn't hurt that it was one of the first pieces of software I ever contributed to (

I _still_ use Rockbox. The UI and performance is just really good. Probably doesn't hurt that it was one of the first pieces of software I ever contributed to (I only wrote a plugin/game, but it was still extremely satisfying), so I have a lot of fond feelings for it. It's gotten hard to find decent players that support it though. I hope one still exists to buy when my current one dies someday.

tsujamin 3y ago
Likewise, RockBox is the only thing I’ve run my my current iPod Classic. The first time I ever used Linux/gcc as a kid was changing the rockbox bootloader to boot rockbox by default on an iPod nano
dabluecaboose 3y ago
> The UI and performance is just really good. The performance is fantastic, but if you're installing it on an iPod let's not kid ourselves: It's clunky and awkward in comparison to the stock OS. I've tried to use the in-built tools to fix it as much as possible, such as hiding the "file browser" from the main page. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any way to rename "Database" to "Music" without recompiling the whole thing, which is what the cranky old guard seem to suggest for any minor UX suggestion on the forums.
- kadoban 3y ago
  Maybe I just have different needs. All I ever want is to go in, pick an album or two, and hit play. I also use different hardware but typically it's consistent across hardware with similar number of buttons so I doubt that's much different.
  - dabluecaboose 3y ago
    Sure, I'm not saying it's bad necessarily. And it's probably an entirely different story on other hardware. I'm just frustrated that there's such a UX tradeoff on the iPod when some TLC could make it flat-out superior to stock.
stefan_ 3y ago
It's a shame that there is no steady hardware supply because unfortunately they tend to die sooner or later (from humidity or just the 3.5mm wearing out). I do lots of listening on the phone nowadays of course but nothing beats a simple throwaway mp3 player for sports, can navigate them blind and get away with charging at most once a week.
- kadoban 3y ago
  Yeah, even on my desk I like having a dedicated little device. It's easier to hit a phyical button than to hunt down the right app on my phone.
  - dabluecaboose 3y ago
    One neat little quirk I've discovered about Rockbox on the iPod (I'm assuming it works on other hardware) is that while plugged into a computer it acts as an external HID: You can play/pause, skip, previous, and change the volume using it as a remote for your computer. I've got plans to incorporate this to my office setup at some point rather than using media keys and an encoder.

tsujamin 3y ago

Likewise, RockBox is the only thing I’ve run my my current iPod Classic. The first time I ever used Linux/gcc as a kid was changing the rockbox bootloader to boot rockbox by default on an iPod nano

dabluecaboose 3y ago

> The UI and performance is just really good. The performance is fantastic, but if you're installing it on an iPod let's not kid ourselves: It's clunky and awkward in comparison to the stock OS. I've tried to use the in-built tools to fix it as much as possible, such as hiding the "file browser" from the main page. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any way to rename "Database" to "Music" without recompiling the whole thing, which is what the cranky old guard seem to suggest for any minor UX suggestion on the forums.

kadoban 3y ago
Maybe I just have different needs. All I ever want is to go in, pick an album or two, and hit play. I also use different hardware but typically it's consistent across hardware with similar number of buttons so I doubt that's much different.
- dabluecaboose 3y ago
  Sure, I'm not saying it's bad necessarily. And it's probably an entirely different story on other hardware. I'm just frustrated that there's such a UX tradeoff on the iPod when some TLC could make it flat-out superior to stock.

stefan_ 3y ago

It's a shame that there is no steady hardware supply because unfortunately they tend to die sooner or later (from humidity or just the 3.5mm wearing out). I do lots of listening on the phone nowadays of course but nothing beats a simple throwaway mp3 player for sports, can navigate them blind and get away with charging at most once a week.

kadoban 3y ago
Yeah, even on my desk I like having a dedicated little device. It's easier to hit a phyical button than to hunt down the right app on my phone.
- dabluecaboose 3y ago
  One neat little quirk I've discovered about Rockbox on the iPod (I'm assuming it works on other hardware) is that while plugged into a computer it acts as an external HID: You can play/pause, skip, previous, and change the volume using it as a remote for your computer. I've got plans to incorporate this to my office setup at some point rather than using media keys and an encoder.