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iRiver Preps Linux-based Media Player
Mr_Silver writes "Infosync is reporting that iRiver is soon to release the Linux based PMP-120 media player which through its colour screen can support MP3, ASF, Ogg Vorbis, JPEG, BMP, AVI, MP4, DivX 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, XviD, MPEG4 SP, Advanced SP and MPEG1. Technically very cool (even more so if it is hackable), but really really ugly. iRiver really should learn how to design nice looking hardware from the experts."
I'm so fucking sick and tired of people saying that things are ugly compared to the iPod. Yes, the iPod looks pretty decent, but who cares? I don't look, I listen! If you want to talk about size and ease-of-use, those are factors, but so are features and price. Not everyone needs a "good looking" mp3 player to validate themselves.
Not to mention the fact that this unit isn't even ugly. I think it looks pretty damn nice, and probably will cost about as much as an iPod with FAR fewer features.
You find the iRiver ugly???
I'm sorry not to agree with you, cheap plastic design "A La Apple" is definitivly not the norm in my book, actually the iRiver looks nicer than anything that was made by Apple. (Did my french head got the right "than" this time?).
P.S.: can't wait to be able to buy one myself!
Did anyone else originally read the subject as the iRiver PIMP-120?
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
I'm more concerned about the functionality and ease of use of it than the form.
Seriously though, looks pretty nice, it's no iPod but it has a lot more functionality anyway, if I was in the market I'd consider it.
in bed.
The iPod is very slick looking, but I have issues with the functionality. So far, the best I have seen in the more complex players is the Rio Karma...by a mile. Now, that is a slick looking player.
[RIAA] says its concern is artists. That's true, in just the sense that a cattle rancher is concerned about its cattle.
Apple threatened to sue them. i-River had wanted to use a the rounded scroll navigation wheel with their ihp-120, Apple told them they would legal action to protect their intellectual property rights.
"iRiver really should learn how to design nice looking hardware from the experts"
I don't think they need to. The PMC-100 looks really, really slick to me.
Random linky for image
And even this PMP-120 isn't all that ugly imho. likes/dislikes is always subjective, of course.
Just curious, as I have absolutely no need for a unit like this. I can't seem to wrap my head around it.
Who's going to buy them?
I think iRiver design is pretty slick, and I'd prefer to use that over something that's already too mainstream or too widely used.
:P.
It's almost the same case as phpBB, I don't like to use it because almost every phpBB forums out there uses the same look and colors (the subsilver), and I'm tired of it
Ugh...looks like it's designed for two-handed use...like some sort of gameboy-clone. I guess that makes it more suitable as a movie player or image viewer than an MP3 player. However, it looks a lot better (IMO) than the plasticy-toy type style of the iPod
Maybe iRiver could learn something about ergonomic design from Apple, but hey, at least it's got a replaceable battery. And it's sounds like going to be more "open" than an iPod. It's always nice to see "hackable" stuff (as the article writer noted), rather than consumer-orientated "appliances"
I find the white iPods ugly. White clashes with just about everything else I own.
>MP3, ASF, Ogg Vorbis, JPEG, BMP, AVI, MP4, DivX 3.x, 4.x, 5.x, XviD, MPEG4 SP, Advanced SP and MPEG1
And quake3?
Andrej
What??? No DVD support? How many more devices are going to be made that do a little of everything but still don't do it all?
You may think it's ugly but how can you hate the PiMP-120?
Don't be hatin'. That name pnwz!
Would Apple's version be iPimp?
=tkk
Bill Gates - Creationist?!?
I recently bought the 40Gb MP3 player from iRiver. To me, looks of an electronic device doesn't really matter. I just want the features. Simple as that. Compared to the iPod, the iRiver has superb battery life, more hard drive space for the buck, built in voice recorder, and even a AM/FM tuner. Plus it plays OGG and using Linux, I can index all my music files.
So what iRiver lacks in looks, they more than make up for it in features and cost compared to the iPod.
All I need is a scroll button and play/stop/fast/rewind buttons.
Sorry, but I don't see a reason to carry around a portable video player unless I can see stuff from my TiVo and/or a DVD on it without having to take a few hours prep'ing/converting the files.
... HELL yes, I would go for it. But not the current generations of machines.
I realize that is a long way off, I'm not expecting it tomorrow. I'm just trying to figure out the mass market applications for this other than to have a box that does a ton of things (that it often isn't used for) while listening to my music.
Part of the reason I use a portable player (Neuros, not iPod) is to have a device that is small enough to be convenient (ok, the Neuros isn't as good an example of that as the iPod) -and- is fairly rugged. As in doesn't have a screen that I am worried about cracking or scratching.
Now if it plugged in to a DVD reader of some sort, even if over a network share to my PC, and allowed me to rip content to it for travel
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
Ok, since my Archos broke down, I've been looking for a replacement.
So, some questions.
What kind of hard drive does it take, and how easy is it to replace the drive with a larger one. (Yeah, I know the size is 20GB -- what kind. I need 60GB, and I'd like it to fit the 60GB lap-top drive I bought for the Archos.
What's IRiver's reputation for quality? The Archos used decent parts, but they were put together shoddily. Thus the break down. (Yeah, I also replaced the drive with a 60GB, but I'm not at all the only one to have an Archos fall apart on me.)
That and Archos's crappy software and unwillingness to embrace a far better open source replacement, means I'll never buy from Archos again.
But reason I liked the Archos was that its crappy software could be replaced with the open source Rockbox. Just how hackable is iRiver's offering? Does the fact that it's linux based mean that iRiver intends to make the source available? If I can't hack it, I won't buy it: that's why I don't own an iPod or other MP3 players
Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
"Linux-based" does not, I'm afraid, imply the use of open source software/firmware. I enjoy open source software as much as the next Slashdot user, but given the past track record of hardware media players, it's not likely to be "open" or "hackable", much as you and I would enjoy this. Nonetheless, this does sound like a really cool product. Now all we need is a software media player that handles all those formats and actually works without segfaulting a la mplayer.
--
GNAA
Ahh a bunch of geeks saying what looks good and what doesn't. OK how many of you wear all black more than once a week? OK you don't get to talk from now on. How many of you don't think blue can be worn with orange? OK you also can't talk now. OK now, does anyone else not like the look of the iPod? OK good... :)
By the way, I was playing with an iPod at best buy the other day... it's nice, I think I want a mini, but it's nice.
Pr0n to go!
I have a few friends with mp3 players, and most of them have an iRiver. They like their players a lot, and I'm impressed with the feature list. One thing prevents me from getting one, though. I subscribe to audible.com, and iRiver doesn't have an arrangement to support their DRM. Are there other audible subscribers out there who feel upset about the limitations in what devices they are able to use to play the books they buy? Does anyone know what it takes to get audible support in a new device? Audible and iRiver haven't been too forthcoming with information in response to my queries.
iPod vs. iRiver PMP-120
Here's an older article (May25) about the iRiver and here's their accompanying picture. I wonder what that is around her neck?
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
The things not ugly, but that god damned ipod min in fuschia/purple/pink/mauve whatever that color is is horrible.
When I buy a media player I care about 3 things
1. Price
2. Storage space
3. Size (smaller=better)
Leave the highly subjective judgements about beauty (which is after all in the eye of the beholder) out of your review.
It would be great if along with USB2, they'd equip it with an ethernet port and include samba on this beast.... delicious.
Though I think that comparing things to the iPod is a bit overdone as well, I would'nt go as far as to say that nobody cares about looks either. If nobody really cared about looks, then why is it that the iPod is popular? As "crazy" as this sounds, for many people, features and price are not the paramount issues when selecting which product to buy.
This is an excellent device in terms of features, I agree, but on a personal note I would have to agree with the poster of the article and say that IMO, its looks could use some improvement. The control panels on both sides with the screen sandwiched in-between looks somewhat awkward.
So go buy one! Or go buy the iMP-250, 350, 550, etc. etc. which all support Ogg Vorbis (even the old iMP-250 aka Rio Volt 2) through firmware updates...
Wah!
Innodesign korea does the design of most of iRiver's products (warning: Flash site). They also do some samsung products, but the bulk of the work looks like outside styling and not actual operation design. One exception is a laptop designed for presenting: the main screen swivels around to point to the audience, while a smaller screen is on the backside for the presenter.
Contrast this with frogdesign, which seems more innovative. (or maybe their clients give them a longer leash)
HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
1) Why do people seem to think that GNU/Linux is superior for embedded media devices than *BSD? This is an honest question because it seems that a company would rather be subject to BSD licensing than GPL so there must be some other reason
2) Couldn't they come up with a better sounding acronym than PMP reads like PiMP
No I am not trolling I really do want to know why GNU/Linux is preferable to *BSD for these kinds of devices.
Bad Panda! No Bamboo for you! In matters of importance ACs will not be responded to. Want to say something critical,OK
That's a funny name! pimp my playa'
I could give a fuck if you think it's "really,really ugly". People buy ipods now simply because it's socially sexy to do so. The fact is, this company is breaking ground with an embedded linux solution for the masses that supports OGG and MP3 - something everyone up here has been pissing and moaning for, ever since the Neuros came out. I say good for them. iRiver is cool for taking this step. We need more companies to do the same.
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It doesn't look bad at all. It's pretty minimal - Screen, some buttons on the sides.
I'm not sure where all these folks are coming from about the iPods. I have a Sony Minidisc player that is extremely small and very easy to use with only a few buttons. I know it's only good for Minidiscs, but the design is quite on the money. I guess my point is that Apple didn't really do anything special if you ask me, and there's plenty of setups and looks that are great even if they don't have the name "iPod" on them.
I'm bored with Apple's cutsie names for everything, too.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
20GB is not* enough for me to fit my photo album
They don't expect you take all of your pr0n with you, just the stuff you can't live without while away from your desk.
KFG
*edited to mean what OP meant
I own one of their cd based mp3 players, and that thing is the best portable cd player I've ever used. Its user friendliness, firmware updates and general quality of construction is unbeatable.
The only problem with the unit in question here, apparently, is that it doesn't look like an iPod. Duh.
Proletariat of the world, unite to kill conformity
In Soviet Russia, I ruled you
I just got an iRiver iHP-140 with 40Gb of storage. I just finished ripping my CD collection, which compared to many of my friends is not a huge CD collection. I reached 15Gb or so even missing out those I don't think I'd listen to. If you're really doubting please let me have your email address and I'll send you a photo of my CDs. That only comes out to 2750 songs ripped to 192Kb/s oggs.. I figure that even someone with the kind of burger flipping job you have could quite easily fill up 20Gb legally and still be able to eat.
Try NetBSD... safe,straightforward,useful.
Well, that's cool, but can we install windows on it?
The first flaw I see is that it is only 19GB at best. At the bottom, in the small print, there is that well known fraud "**1MB equals 1,000,000 bytes". That is incorrect. Whether you are running Linux or Windows (I don't have a Mac) 1 GB is 2^10 MB or 1048576.
It would be like inventing a 'metric pint' and rounding it down to the nearest hundred ml.
I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
I have a few points.
1. I would like to see it include VP3 and Theora support... Theora has now ( FINALLY ) reached bitstream freeze, so including it would be safe. It wouldn't hurt to have VP6 support as well, but I'd be happy with just VP3/Theora...
2. Nothing is wrong with the design, despite what some may say.
3. The screen needs to be bigger (preferably 16:9 widescreen, since everything is going that way), and the battery-life needs to be increased. If they don't do that, it had better be less than $400, or everyone would just be better off buying a extra Notebook...
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
... out of the box, that is! If there was a Linux distro that could play - perfectly and without random pixels everywhere - XviD, DivX 3, 4, and 5, MPEG, ASF, etc, then that would be worth installing.
And before you say "you can compile that support in yourself", let me say to you: get lost! I'm sick to death of having to locate some retard's package of some frigging codec just to watch a movie in sub-standard quality than I can get with Windows Media Player (on my dual boot machine).
Oh, and it sure would be nice if those retarded GUI designers for things like Noatun, Video LAN, and the rest, could put the control buttons in the same bloody window as the video itself. I mean, how bloody difficult could it be? But NOOOO, I have to go ALT-TAB'ing to find that other window.
And I'm sick of seeing the endless stream of articles asking "Is Linux ready for prime time?". The answer is a definite no!
I used to own (one of?) the first cd/mp3 players ever; I think it was later named the Tavura. Forget who it was by. I actually had to change the batteries once about halfway through each mp3 CD, so I'd always have 2 pair charging and one in the device.
... you guessed it ... iRiver. I wore my Soul into the ground, and immediately bought a top-of-the-line iRiver player (the imp-550). I love the thing.
Later I bought the AVC Soul (same thing as the Rio Volt), both of which were made by
iRiver has had a history of putting out decently priced hardware that _does_ look good, is functional, is upgradable, and has pretty much anything you could ask for. (Though I'm still waiting for more than one song dynamic playlists(?)).
Their players have nice battery life too (hell, the 550 shipped with a pair of 1450 mAh prismatic-type batteries; I couldn't even FIND ratings that high for the same battery type online...)
If I needed this kind of a device, iRiver would definitely be my first pick to buy from.
That aside, I'm kind of curious -- does anyone have any idea why nobody has put out a media player with open source upgradable firmware yet? It seems to me that if they put the right hardware in the thing it'd be a huge attraction both to geeks and non-geeks (who would benefit from the doubtless interesting firmwares put out by OS people). And the company wouldn't have to put much money into developing the firmware itself! I don't see what the deal is...
And before you say "you can compile that support in yourself", let me say to you: get lost! I'm sick to death of having to locate some retard's package of some frigging codec just to watch a movie in sub-standard quality than I can get with Windows Media Player (on my dual boot machine).
You don't have to install extra codecs to watch XviD, DivX 3,4, and 5 and mpeg2 on windows media player? All of those should be supported by default by any non crippled xine or mplayer install.
I mean, how bloody difficult could it be? But NOOOO, I have to go ALT-TAB'ing to find that other window.
I think the idea is that if one is playing full screen he won't want the view interupdted by buttons and that keyboard/joystick/remotecontroll use is going to be preferred.
Everything will be taken away from you.
The picture on the news story is a heck of a lot uglier. It also says the next one they are working on is Windows CE based, so it looks like they're just using Linux for an interim solution. There goes the hope for a line of Linux players.
I've got a decent sized (by normal standards, not geek standards) music collection of over 3500 songs of varying lengths/genres, most of which are ripped at 128k - and that's only 12gb. 40gb is overkill for the *average* consumer who wants to rip their 100-200 CDs.
-- "Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?"
And yet, it looks strangely familiar.
you must not have picked up a controller i the last- 10 years....
I can't think of a controller save for the orriginal nintendo, or the turbo graphix 16, that I felt was 'too small', specifically I think X-box controller are TOO BIG.
I can do a quick comparison- the button seperation on a keyboard (which you infer is comfortable by saying that a keyboard and mouse are a good way to play games), is roughly 2cm (from middel of button to middel of button); On a gamecube, button seperation is never less then 2.5cm (from middel of button to middel of button), PS2 has it's L/Rs seperated by 1.5cm, but there thumb buttons are all 3cm apart. X-box controllers, despite being huge, actually have buttonst aht are only spaced by ~3.5 cm. (working from memory on Xbox)
The span of my hands in a 'game arch' (word I just made up: let you hands go to naturally curved positions and put them together to form an 'M' with thumbs overtop) is literally half of the width of the PS2 controller, and Gamecube controller, and about 1/3 that of the Xbox controller (damn that thing is HUGE!)
So this leaves me to believe that:
either you just like to complain,
or you don't know how to hold a controller
Or you having held one since the early nintendo days
-Millions of Monkeys, Millions of typewriters, 6 hours of sorting through faeces encrusted pages to find: This post
How can you all go on an bitch about how this thing does not look like an iPod? I simply don't get it.
iRiver is producing high quality geek toys in supreme quality, supporting you favourite nerdy thingy software pet projects like Linux and Ogg Vorbis with a clear commitment to continue doing so and all you can do is complain that it does no look like an iPod? C'mon, what sort of geek are you? Those who build Mini-Itx clusters or those who read read glossy future magazines?
If you want an iPod, then the heck go and buy one and try watching videos on it, but please shut up.
-silence
Dyslectics of the world, untie!