MP3 player recommendations

[iainv]

My iPod nano has finally died and i'm looking for a replacement.

I hadn't used it with my desktop since I couldn't install i-tunes now i'm using ubuntu, so i've nothing to tie me to apple again, and my music is all on CDs.

Reading the fora, Amarok seems a popular bit of software to manage songs, but does anyone have any recommendations as to particular hardware that's ubuntu compatible?

ie. Which MP3 player?

Thanks,

Iain

[bubba_169]

I think anything with drag and drop song loading with no proprietary software would be best as you need no special drivers for these... There are plenty of Open Source alternatives to use such as IPods with Linux though...

[Crafty Kisses]

My iPod nano has finally died and i'm looking for a replacement.

I hadn't used it with my desktop since I couldn't install i-tunes now i'm using ubuntu, so i've nothing to tie me to apple again, and my music is all on CDs.

Reading the fora, Amarok seems a popular bit of software to manage songs, but does anyone have any recommendations as to particular hardware that's ubuntu compatible?

ie. Which MP3 player?

Thanks,

Iain

Yeah, gtkPod has pretty good iPod support, I have a iPod Mini and a iPod Touch, but the iPod Mini works flawlessly with gtkPod.

[billgoldberg]

I use a Zen Stone and I just drag and drop the files to the mp3 players hard drive. But I wouldn't buy it anymore since the recent Creative bullying (http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/04/02/daniel_k_threatened_for_fixing_creatives_buggy_vis ta_drivers.html).

Any mp3 player that doesn't need a special program to work, will most likely work.

And if you use gnome, Exaile is better than Amarok (kde based).

[lackofcreativity]

I love my Sansa e200. I got the 2 GiB version, but they go up to 8 GiB and have a micro-sd slot to add more size, up to 2 GiB using the OF and up to 16 GiB, I've heard, with Rockbox. It's fully themable, has games and other apps, a video and picture player, and it's 100% compatible with Ubuntu-it opens Rhythembox to sync with and mounts as a removable disk with an iPod Nano icon on the desktop. It works perfectly for me.

[aysiu]

My Sansa Clip has great drag-and-drop with Ubuntu.

The only down side is that it cannot be used as a USB drive to transfer between Ubuntu and Windows (Ubuntu sees one thing, Windows another... it's crazy!).

[plb]

cowon d2 also has drag and drop and expandable via sdhc card...even says linux friendly on their website :) excellent pmp

[sneeks]

just for my 2 pence worth,found a 2 gig mp4 player that supports ogg too for under £30 ($50)that sells it to me.
if you look hard enough you will find............

[andrewabc]

Portable Mp3 Player -- What do you use? (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=706786)

[Changturkey]

Sansa Fuze. Cowon D2. Generic USB Mass Storage/MSC Players, ect.

[Kingsley]

The Sansa e200 series is great. I've had no problems with drag-and-drop on Fedora or Ubuntu. Syncing with Amarok is also possible. I think the e280 (8 GB) is down to $100 now. The minor setback is that the new version - version 2 - is not compatible with Rockbox or custom themes due to changes in the hardware. Supposedly, someone is working on this though.

[days_of_ruin]

Too bad the sansa fuze isn't out yet, when it is I am getting one.

my "g" key isn't working.I have to cut and paste:O

[iainv]

My Sansa Clip has great drag-and-drop with Ubuntu.

The only down side is that it cannot be used as a USB drive to transfer between Ubuntu and Windows (Ubuntu sees one thing, Windows another... it's crazy!).

Thanks.

I've read all the reviews at Amazon for the Clip, the Zen Stone Plus and some of the Sony alternatives, and in the end i've ordered a 2GB Clip.

re: the not working as a memory-stick - could this be to do with MTP/MSC selection and if so, is there a way to force one or the other?

I've ordered it on the assumption that it won't work as a USB memory-stick, but if there is a way to manage it that would make it even better.

Iain

[aysiu]

It actually works fine as a USB drive if you're transporting files between a Linux computer and another Linux computer, but the way the player is set up, Windows and Linux see completely different things.

I can't suss out why this is. There appears to be only one partition, and I've shown hidden files on both Windows and Ubuntu, but neither can see what the other sees on the same player.

[warbread]

I use a PSP. You should get a Cowon A3 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00118Z2WG).

Mmmmmm... sexy uber-tech....

[iainv]

It actually works fine as a USB drive if you're transporting files between a Linux computer and another Linux computer, but the way the player is set up, Windows and Linux see completely different things.

I can't suss out why this is. There appears to be only one partition, and I've shown hidden files on both Windows and Ubuntu, but neither can see what the other sees on the same player.

I wonder if this is to do with it forcing MTP when connected to an XP / Vista machine. Have you tried forcing it into MSC mode?

I've found this (http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21296&highlight=linux) at anythingbutipod which might prove useful - have you got the latest firmware update? If so, it should be menu selectable, of not, you can change it as shown in that thread.

I'll try it when mine arrives as well, and let you know how I get on.

Iain

[jolx]

sansa e200 series

I've got the 4GB version which i put rockbox on and its great

BTW rockbox rocks :guitar:

[aysiu]

I wonder if this is to do with it forcing MTP when connected to an XP / Vista machine. Have you tried forcing it into MSC mode?

I've found this (http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21296&highlight=linux) at anythingbutipod which might prove useful - have you got the latest firmware update? If so, it should be menu selectable, of not, you can change it as shown in that thread.

I'll try it when mine arrives as well, and let you know how I get on.

Iain I haven't tried that, actually. Thanks for the link. Maybe the next time I need to transfer files to a Windows computer, I'll give that a try... unless you've been able to try it first.

[Zlatan]

i suggest to use your phone:) in that way you have to cary only 1 device instead of 2


My iPod nano has finally died and i'm looking for a replacement.

I hadn't used it with my desktop since I couldn't install i-tunes now i'm using ubuntu, so i've nothing to tie me to apple again, and my music is all on CDs.

Reading the fora, Amarok seems a popular bit of software to manage songs, but does anyone have any recommendations as to particular hardware that's ubuntu compatible?

ie. Which MP3 player?

Thanks,

Iain

[plb]

i suggest to use your phone:) in that way you have to cary only 1 device instead of 2

Meh..phones seem to suck as mp3 players...I have yet to see one with decent battery life. I purchased a nokia music phone and listened to it for about an hour on the bus ride to work in the morning and it just idled in my pocket throughout the day minus a few minutes here and there talking on it and by the time I left work around 6 or 7 at night it would be almost dead...my cowon d2 on the other hand last days on end of straight listening =) 52hrs audio and 10hrs of video...show me a mobile phone capable of that.

[pieisgood4589]

My iPod nano has finally died and i'm looking for a replacement.

I hadn't used it with my desktop since I couldn't install i-tunes now i'm using ubuntu, so i've nothing to tie me to apple again, and my music is all on CDs.

Reading the fora, Amarok seems a popular bit of software to manage songs, but does anyone have any recommendations as to particular hardware that's ubuntu compatible?

ie. Which MP3 player?

Thanks,

Iain

Sansa e200, Sansa View, Sansa Connect, Sansa Shaker, Sansa Fuze. They're awesome, and require no drivers or hardware to connect- they're recognized as flash drives. Just drag and drop.

[Ozor Mox]

I use my Samsung E900 phone as an MP3 player, with a 1GB Micro SD card. It works great and the battery life is fine. Only problems are that I have to use a card reader to transfer music because it has trouble unmounting and transferring files in Ubuntu when connected directly. The other thing is Samsung being very annoying and making the headphone socket their own format instead of a standard one, so I had to buy an adapter off eBay for the modest price of £1.50 so I can plug in normal headphones!

[iainv]

Thanks everyone.

I've got the Sansa Clip, which is brilliant.

I've also got it running on both Vista and Ubuntu, and can transfer files between the 2 - I forced it to MSC mode and it works.

There are a number of ways to do this - I can do it from within the systems menu on the device itself, because it has the updated firmware. If you don't have the updated firmware you can either use the windows software that comes with the player or update it yourself by copying the firmware update to the root folder on the device.

Instructions are here (http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22669).

I've got firmware 1.01.18F if it helps.

Also, i'm using the keyring case for the Creative Zen Stone Plus - it fits perfectly, I needed to cut one small hole to get to the power/hold button but you can see the screen and operate all the other controls without further modification.

Iain