Mmmp3 player, new toy

The Background

A few years ago I had a Neuros 20GB audio player. It met my two primary requirements: Linux-friendly and capable of playing OGG Vorbis files. I have ripped most of my CD collection to Vorbis format, and the files all sit on Linux at home because that's what Lynn and I use 95% of the time. The Neuros had other cool features, like its built-in FM broadcasting capabilities (a good match for our Mazda 3, which like seemingly every other car in the world does not come with a line-in jack for the stereo and compounds that limitation by not offering a casssette deck as the last hope of audio input), and stereo recording (from line-in, FM radio, or built-in mike). It was very hefty, and its interface was roughly hewn, but it made me happy -- until I flipped my bike and landed on my back, with the Neuros breaking my fall. For the last year and a half I have been salivating over audio players, looking for something that would meet the requirements of the Neuros in a smaller package with a better interface. And for the last year and a half, I have watched audio players add more useless features (like colour screens and stupid games) without a corresponding drop in price and with continually challenged interfaces.

The Setup

With a week at a cottage coming up, I was pressed into action. Well, actually Lynn was pressed into action and picked up a Samsung YH-925 GS as an early birthday present for me at my direction. Sadly, after going through the mandated full charge it refused to communicate with its fatter, older brethren (my server and my laptop).

• Linux recognized that some sort of USB device had been attached, but didn't know how to talk to the YH-925. Apparently it uses a proprietary protocol of some kind, rather than standard USB Mass Storage. That sucks.
• Windows XP didn't even recognize that a new USB device had been attached. That sucks even more.

Because step one of "getting to know your new MP3 player" failed utterly, I started packing up the Samsung and noticed the note in the box that pleaded "STOP -- IF YOU EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES WITH THIS DEVICE DO NOT RETURN IT TO THE RETAIL STORE: CALL 1-800-SAMSUNG". I would have called, too, if I hadn't already called earlier in the day to try and find out more about the player. Apparently they keep regular Monday-Friday business hours; of course, most people playing with their new toys are going to be playing in the evenings or on weekends.

The Saviour

Having lost faith in the Samsung, I returned it for the iRiver H10 20 GB MP3 player. The salesman didn't give me a hassle, confided that this was the third or fourth time someone had returned that Samsung model, and gave a thumbs-up to the iRiver as a player that customers seemed to be happy with. I suppose the combination of the Samsung's relatively new presence on the market, as well as the number of people who have returned their Samsung YH-925 players, might account for the lack of reviews or forum posts on the Web.

The Rationale

I had done enough research on the iRiver to know that 1) contact through Linux was possible, although it requires a bit of a hack to force the player to start up in USB Mass Storage mode, and 2) that it was never going to play OGG Vorbis files. Because the cottage trip is coming up fast, I've been reduced to converting all of my OGG files to MP3 format through a nice, lossy OGG -> WAV -> MP3 path. Looks like I have a nice project when I get back from vacation: re-ripping all of my CDs, but this time they're going to FLAC format. Now given that I have a player that does not play MP3 files, which does not talk to Linux by design, and which costs as much as an iPod, you might ask why didn't I just get an iPod?

Well, the store didn't have an iPod in stock. Besides, this thing has an FM tuner and recording capabilities, so I can listen to the CBC and tape my friend's university radio show Educating Ourselves (which I always miss because it airs right in the middle of my commute). And the interface to the iRiver is pretty good, for the minute or two that I've played with it so far. Give me a break, would ya? I've been busy converting and copying files.

And it's a wonderful, wonderful birthday present. Thanks Lynn!