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Build Your Own MP3 Player
rdnk writes "Here's something for the DIY people, a home made mp3 player built into a mint case. Total (minimum) cost for parts: ~50$. At least it's something different."
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While I tend to agree with you--I have never used a protable MP3 player--obviously, many people do. As evidence, look at the iPod sales. Sure, many of us don't have a use for them, but for anyone who wants a portable music device, they're usually the best option.
The lil gumstix boards have a stereo i/o addon now.
I bet they would make great portable media players.
I guess you missed the point of the article...
The point was that YOU built it and it's something to showoff to your friends.
Apple and the rest of the MP3 player producers must be quaking in their boots at the shock revelation that their target market 'dont see the point' of their product.
;)
"I'm never further than a meter away from a computer.....only think of about 3 occaisons where I would be away from a box for longer than a half hour"
Ah, hang on
Obviously other people do see the point of mp3 players, just like they saw the point of portable cd players, minidisk players, portable radios and walkmen.
So it's like, what was the point you were trying to make? That there isn't a point to these devices in general? Obviously there is. That you don't want one? Nobody cares dude!
So what you are saying is that you do not have a reason for one? Then don't buy/build one. Plenty of other people do use them, as they do get more than a meter from their computer and would like to enjoy music where ever else they are. Also, there is a lot of music out there that is not teeny-bopper chart toppers.
Reasons I do use MP3 players:
1. I hate the radio (especially because of the teeny-bopper chart toppers). 2. Exercise, I run on a closed to traffic course. 3. I hate the radio.
I don't understand the point of your post. It seems to me that you are trying to justify your decision not to purchase (or in this case build) one.
Note to self: No more arguing with the faithful.
Your own music preferences and social life aside, not everyone is always next to their computer or listens to the latest teeny-bopper chart toppers. There's lots of good music to be found out there that isn't maintstream. The boss at my old job has an mp3 player that he has loaded up with classical music. That's the nice thing about them - you can put whatever you like in it.
My current job requires me to constantly run from my computer to the printers and back, which is about 30 meters away and down a flight of two dozen steps. The workout is good, I won't complain about that, but after a few weeks there I'm starting to consider buying an mp3 player to keep myself entertained during the relay runs to the printers and back. On my 40 minute commute I listen to the radio as well, but if I were to get the mp3 player I would definently wire the mp3 player into my car so I can listen to my music in there as well. You don't need headphones to listen to it in the car; there are plenty of cheap cassette adapters available, or you could use an FM transmitters if you don't have a cassette player. There's a few examples of purposes and uses for you.
The requirement for an MP3 player is exactly proportional to the amount of time a person spends walking.
I walk everywhere, and I can't remember the last time I didn't have an MP3 / MiniDisc player in my pocket.
None of my friends who drive ever carry a Walkman type thing.
I think a scientific study may be in order.
C-x C-s C-x k
I do see your point, however, I love my mp3 player. I live in Chicago, and one has to walk a lot around this city to get to most places, or you'd use public transportation. Having an MP3 player in these cases is good.
Also, when I'm on the plane, music keeps me occupied. And when I workout at the gym. I'm not constantly around a computer, however...
I hope their mp3 player isn't as fragile as their web server :D
I'm not sure how in-depth this article is but the joy of do-it-yourself is understanding the technology most take for granted. If everyone understood the ideas behind that TV set they love to glaze their eyes over too, we might not be so bad off. As I stated in a previous comment if people understood the ideas behind the internet they wouldn't get infected with spyware and they wouldn't give up on the internet. Don't be so quick to spend your money on something when there is an opportunity to learn for free.
That's great and all that it can play mp3 files, but for those of us that want more freedon and quality a Vorbis player would be much nicer.
I realise that this is just another "Look what I can cram into a small case!" story which has an intrinsic nerdy cool factor, but honestly mp3 players this size are a dime a dozen.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
Go on and mark my comment off-topic, Mods :D
*spoons out some ice cream for the troll*
Speaking from personal experience, I myself was in much the same boat as you. Since I rarely spent more than a half-hour or so away from some computing device which contained my entire music collection, I could not come up with a reason to grab a portable MP3 player.
For reasons still unknown to my conscious mind, I actually gave in to the hype and purchased an iPod 20GB, gen 4. Ever since then (it has been nearly 4 months now), I find that I can't live without the damned thing. Now, I spend much more time away from the computer, and even make more frequent long-distance driving trips (with a hookup to my car stereo, of course).
So, if you are at all like me, you probably won't really "get it" until you get it. I am glad I made the jump. Your mileage may vary.
*confidently returns to walking off a cliff with the rest of the lemmings*
The $50 is also WITH OUT a CF card. Add $50 for the card and you have a $100 slightly larger iPod shuffle with a FM trasmiter. I guess you save $15 for the trasmiter but when you add in the man power... I would rather get a REAL MP3 player.
~ Mooga
We need to start Bittorrenting these web pages !
Can someone PLEASE tell Slash to do this.
Very annoying these websites getting obliterated by the masses.
How hard would it be to torrent these sites ?
One of these days I'm planning on building an MP3 player into an old transistor radio (1969) I bought at a surplus store a couple of years ago.
Low bitrate MP3s through a crappy built-in speaker will be wonderful in ways you can't describe.
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
This design has a couple of really nice points in its favour.
The built in fm transmitter which means its a doddle to tune in your car radio to listen to your mp3's or your passengers MP3's
2ndly because its designed to work with Cf cards it is ata compatable which means you could run a hard drive instead which would allow you to go direct from pc to player with a drive in one of those quick release players.
thirdly Its diy aspect means you could easily remotely wire the controls where you want them.
Ever tried hooking an mp3 cd player to a car never a good place to stick it and even if you get it in the cubby hole the controls are inaccessable.
the memory stick players are better due to size but you are kinda limited in storage space unless you pay a lot for a decent capacity.
I guess my ideal player would read from dvd with a fm wireless connector and a remote keypad.
4.3 gig will cover the first couple of days driving.
actually when it comes to it this project could be adapted to do this.
dvd drive is fairly cheap. the psu would be a little more complicated to do and it wouldnt be out of this world to be able to fit the electronics inside the dvd drive case. Add a couple of buttons to the front of the drive or a small remote keypad and you could have a superb in dash dvd mp3 player.
think this article might be worth looking at a little closer.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
Lots of people (esp. outside the US) don't and for those who take public transport (or just plain walk) to work, an mp3 player is a very convenient way of staying entertained while you are on the bus/train etc.
Besides all that, building your own MP3 player is just plain cool. This is Slashdot isn't it?
I'm a perfectionist but I'm trying to cut back.
Until then Im happy with my iRiver h340 :)
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley
The point was that YOU built it and it's something to showoff to your friends.
Amen!
Following the logic of the original poster, why would one ever bother to learn to play an instrument when there's all of that recorded music out there?
Answer: for the sheer joy of playing.
I play bass (sort of). Am I going to quit my day job and go play in a band? Hell no! I lack the talent, and my wife and kids depend on my income. Do I love playing? You bet...
In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.
-- Yun-Men
You should get your daughter to get a ham license...
There are at least 565 different digital media players out there, why is it people only know about the iPod?
The answer? Because there are at least 565 different digital media players out there. The market is saturated. If you don't make a stonkingly great product and advertise the crap out of it no one will even be aware youur product. Advertising and word of mouth recommendation = brand visibility. It also helps that Steve Jobs repeatedly beats the Apple engineers with his big Stylish-And-User-Friendly-Hammer 'til they do what he wants.
According to the figures Jobs was touting at MacWorld, they've got ~70% of the market share, the other HD based players have ~6%, and the remaining 24% is little flash-based players. If they play the iPod shuffle right, Apple could completely crush the competition, making themselves the kings of the market and people won't own a digital audio player - they'll own an iPod or an iPod clone.
I'm sure dozens of those have replaceable batteries (most of the flash ones use AA/AAA), and hundreds are 'good'.
Replacable batteries are a mixed selling point - I, like many others, do not want to feed the battery-eating gods. The down side is, of course, that you have a limited life away from a power supply. Both are substantial drawbacks.
Also, 'good' doesn't cut it. 'great' is what gets your customers recommending the product to friends. Apple simply did it better (in some ways, mainly style, size and usability) than everyone else, and the market has rewarded them accordingly.
Disclaimer: I own a 3G iPod (my first and only Apple product) and am very very happy with my purchase...
--
But he was really happy and excited building his (linux) PC (note I didn't do it - he did) - and did learn a lot - we worked through issues of CPUs, memory, buying stuff within a budget, trade offs (well you can't afford a fast graphics card AND a DVD writer .. what will you do? how much disk space do you think you will need? etc etc) - while he didn't learn how to solder he did learn how to make something and learned a lot about computers - yes he did build it - not from scratch - but with not that fewer components than my daughter used in her project this morning. She wants to build a computer too (next xmas) .... but we have to work through the 'I want to build a Mac' issue :-)
Their dad however does build chips (no I don't run a fab but I do have 10 years experience doing VLSI logic design ...)
Nevermind the Chicagoland radio stations for the most part suck major ass... FCC deregulation and corporate buyouts has only hurt Chicago's radio.
I wish I could write clever and witty sigs.