[GRLUG] Digital Audio Player

[Roberto Villarreal]

On Thursday 07 September 2006 4:32 pm, Ron Lauzon wrote:
> Benjamin Flanders wrote:
> > I'm interested in your opinions here.  How many of you have a DAP,
> > which one do you have and would you recommend it.  Are you looking at
> > a dap and have already done some research and are willing to summarize
> > some of that research?
>
> I have several, actually.  Most are in the "spare parts" box in the
> storage room.  I take them out occasionally to play with.
>
> Recommendation: anything by Archos.  They are very linux-friendly with
> their products.
>
> Avoid: iRiver (they have gone over to the dark side and no longer
> support UMS - only Microsoft's brain-damaged MTP - connections).

This is only partially true.  I believe the US and one other (Australia?) 
region get the MTP and the rest of the world gets UMS.  The good news is that 
they provide firmware updates that will convert it UMS (I have personally 
done it with my T-30 I bought).  If memory serves me correctly, the only 
catch is that you need Windows to get the new firmware transferred over in 
the first place.  But it works like a beauty now!  As usual, do your 
research... I don't know if all models are flashable like that.

Roberto

> Avoid: RCA (their "we support everything" doesn't include standard UMS
> connections).
>
> OK, but with issues: iPod.  I have one in a box somewhere that I put
> Rockbox on to see how it worked.  It was OK.  Then I played with the
> Apple firmware later.  You can't use the more efficient tools in Linux
> to put music on it.  You have to use the brain-damaged protocol that
> Apple created - which is very cumbersome.