More good news as promised
I know the following looks long, but iPod users should read this. If you have another type of MP3 player, but want to see what the excitement is about and skip the iPod BS, start at the paragraph before the bullet list.
So I have my 1st gen iPod nano, which is beyond the Apple warranty. I named it Slam Betty. I love it. I love it soo much. It has served me for years at this point, and has been worth every penny. Even though I have used it most every day since I got it, the batter still holds for the full day with no problems whats so ever.
However last fall Apple started sending iPods out that are programmed to not work with ANYTHING but iTunes. If you run linux, you can't use their product. They have sued companies in the past for making DRM's for their MP3's so that they would work on ipods. Basically they sued another company for trying to stop their monopoly on a digital right. But there are some fucked up laws, thanks to lobbying that allow this to be legal. There might be some linux software that will talk to the newer iPods, but by doing that, they are breaking another section of that same DRM law that protects Apple. For this reason, I will never buy another iPod again. If I buy something, I should be allowed to use it how I want to. I don't want to be told how to use my computer, my camera, my tv or my toaster. It should be my choice. So lets pray Slam Betty lives for a long time cause I found something that makes it WAY MORE FRIGG'n COOLER than it was before. Its sad that companies like Apple and Microsoft feel they need to control ever aspect of my digital life if I have any of their products. I should be able to have a computer and put whatever software I want on it, and not be restricted cause Bill Gates thinks so. I should be allowed to own a MP3 player and be able to buy my music anywhere I want, not just iTunes.
So I changed the firmware on my iPod. For those of you who use iPods this is a safe thing to do. I tested it with my Nano, and following the easy instructions, I was able to able and disable the new firmware with a very very simple procedure. It sounds like it is even easier for Windows users. I don't know what software will work in windows for sync'ing up with your podcasts, or managing your music, so I can't make suggestions there. But one neat thing about this is you can manage your music and files with drag and drop in your file manager. Just open it up like a USB drive, move the files in and bam they are there. NO SOFTWARE REQUIRED. You can make folders on your computer, set them up the way you want, move it in your music player and thats how it is seen in the new User Interface.
Some great features I now enjoy on my 1st Gen iPod Nano are as follows:
So I have my 1st gen iPod nano, which is beyond the Apple warranty. I named it Slam Betty. I love it. I love it soo much. It has served me for years at this point, and has been worth every penny. Even though I have used it most every day since I got it, the batter still holds for the full day with no problems whats so ever.
However last fall Apple started sending iPods out that are programmed to not work with ANYTHING but iTunes. If you run linux, you can't use their product. They have sued companies in the past for making DRM's for their MP3's so that they would work on ipods. Basically they sued another company for trying to stop their monopoly on a digital right. But there are some fucked up laws, thanks to lobbying that allow this to be legal. There might be some linux software that will talk to the newer iPods, but by doing that, they are breaking another section of that same DRM law that protects Apple. For this reason, I will never buy another iPod again. If I buy something, I should be allowed to use it how I want to. I don't want to be told how to use my computer, my camera, my tv or my toaster. It should be my choice. So lets pray Slam Betty lives for a long time cause I found something that makes it WAY MORE FRIGG'n COOLER than it was before. Its sad that companies like Apple and Microsoft feel they need to control ever aspect of my digital life if I have any of their products. I should be able to have a computer and put whatever software I want on it, and not be restricted cause Bill Gates thinks so. I should be allowed to own a MP3 player and be able to buy my music anywhere I want, not just iTunes.
So I changed the firmware on my iPod. For those of you who use iPods this is a safe thing to do. I tested it with my Nano, and following the easy instructions, I was able to able and disable the new firmware with a very very simple procedure. It sounds like it is even easier for Windows users. I don't know what software will work in windows for sync'ing up with your podcasts, or managing your music, so I can't make suggestions there. But one neat thing about this is you can manage your music and files with drag and drop in your file manager. Just open it up like a USB drive, move the files in and bam they are there. NO SOFTWARE REQUIRED. You can make folders on your computer, set them up the way you want, move it in your music player and thats how it is seen in the new User Interface.
Some great features I now enjoy on my 1st Gen iPod Nano are as follows:
- I can now play a multitude of audio formats. Not just Apple formats and MP3s, but I can now play FLAC, WAV, OGG, MIDI, or a whole list of other
- I can play a bunch of games. Mine came with Solitaire, some parachute game and a music game. The solitaire game ran real slow when I had music playing. These games don't slow a bit while I listen to music, and there are more of them. there is Chess, solitaire, Jewel (bejeweled knock off) snake 1 and snake 2 and more. If that wasn't enough, I also have PACMAN and I have DOOM. Thats right. I can play the 3-d Shooter DOOM on my ipod.
- I can now play VIDEO on my ipod. I watched a 10 minute short at work today. It looked and sounded great!!!! In Apples world, I don't deserve video on my ipod, cause I chose the nano over the video iPod. At that time, it was a 20 dollar difference between the iPod I chose and the Video Ipod. Mostly because I chose flash memory over a hard drive. I wanted something I felt safe to run around with. NOW. I have video
- Everything sounds better, because it has a better EQ. I can set up presets, or I can adjust it to fit my needs. It even has a graphical EQ built in.
- Customizable UI (User Interface). I can change the look of my iPod. I can change the background, the colors, the fonts and the icons. I can even make my own. I can change the look of any part of it! This is good for me, cause I love customization. I like flashy stuff sometimes, but I prefer simple. To have simple and to have choice at the same time really makes my day!
- There are even more options that I will let you look at yourself www.rockbox.org