Rockbox on iPod Nano 1g

[bogupod]

I'm trying to use Rockbox to turn my iPod Nano 1g (model #A1137) into a musical alarm clock. (I'm just attaching it to a pair of computer speakers, not using any kind of dedicated dock.) I've run into two problems:

1. The battery on my iPod is dead, so I was just planning to use it plugged into the power. However, when I press long play (per the Rockbox manual) to shut down the iPod while it's plugged in, it turns back on again--and the alarm won't ring unless the power is off. The same thing happens if I unplug the power, shut the iPod off, and then plug the power back in. Is there any way around this short of having a new battery installed?

2. I'm just using the built-in alarm function under System > Time & Date > Wake-Up Alarm, but (no offense) it requires far too many steps to set the alarm (see below). Is there another plugin that I can use to make it easier?

The required steps ("key strokes," if you will) to get it to play a particular song from the beginning as an alarm are:

1. Start music.
2. Pause music.
3. Rewind music to beginning of song.
4-6. Go to System > Time & Date > Wake-Up Alarm.
7. Choose alarm time.
8. Press select.
9. Press long play to shut down iPod.*

*Note: The Rockbox manual says that the iPod will shut down automatically when you select the alarm time (step #8), but (at least for my copy) this is not true. Manual error or idiosyncracy of my iPod?

Many thanks for any help!

[AlexP]

1. The battery on my iPod is dead, so I was just planning to use it plugged into the power. However, when I press long play (per the Rockbox manual) to shut down the iPod while it's plugged in, it turns back on again--and the alarm won't ring unless the power is off. The same thing happens if I unplug the power, shut the iPod off, and then plug the power back in. Is there any way around this short of having a new battery installed?

I may be wrong, but I *think* this is a hardware thing - the iPod just won't turn off when power is connected.  Remember that the OF sleeps and doesn't turn off.

2. I'm just using the built-in alarm function under System > Time & Date > Wake-Up Alarm, but (no offense) it requires far too many steps to set the alarm (see below). Is there another plugin that I can use to make it easier?

The required steps ("key strokes," if you will) to get it to play a particular song from the beginning as an alarm are:

1. Start music.
2. Pause music.
3. Rewind music to beginning of song.
4-6. Go to System > Time & Date > Wake-Up Alarm.
7. Choose alarm time.
8. Press select.
9. Press long play to shut down iPod.*

How would you suggest this is made quicker?  (I'm genuinely interested).

[bluebrother]

What is Rockbox 1.2.3? There was never such a version (and Rockbox 1.2 was released in 2002 and didn't support any Ipod).

[bogupod]

Giving the alarm a top-level menu item (or giving users the option of assigning it a top-level menu item) would save two keystrokes. Having the ability to assign a folder for the alarm to play from the beginning would save two more keystrokes. Having the alarm start playing at a given time, rather than waking up and resuming, would save the shut-down keystroke. That gets you from nine to four steps...

Another way to approach it would be to have an "alarm mode" that you could put it in, which would allow you to set the time and choose a folder or playlist from the front screen.

Philosophically, it just seems odd to me (though perhaps to no one else) that the alarm function is either nonexistent or (IMO) cumbersome to use, not just on Rockbox but on every MP3 player I've looked at. I don't walk around listening to music, so the only thing I really want it for is (1) staying sane driving across Nebraska and (2) waking up in the morning. The former is easy; it is the latter that is proving suprisingly difficult.

(My bad re the version: I was reading it from the installation utility, which is 1.2.3.)

[AlexP]

You see, the thing is most people use a portable music player to walk around listening to music, and an alarm clock to wake them up in the morning.  As a result, the focus is on music playback, and not alarm functions.

I don't like the idea of having the alarm as a top menu item, why alarm and not any other function?  However, the option to set a folder or track as the alarm playback folder/file I do like.

[bogupod]

I don't doubt it .

I agree that making one particular function a top-level menu item isn't fair to other functions that some people might like to have there. However, giving users the ability to set one (or more) custom top-level menu items (or not) as they choose would seem to be useful to all.

[saratoga]

I don't doubt it .

I agree that making one particular function a top-level menu item isn't fair to other functions that some people might like to have there. However, giving users the ability to set one (or more) custom top-level menu items (or not) as they choose would seem to be useful to all.

We've talked about it and don't really like the idea.  You're welcome to look through the code and change the menus however you like though.