Any interesting Rockbox flavors out there?

[wrybread]

I just returned to Rockbox after about 3 years of using an iPod Classic. Ipods are nice, but they're sooo restrictive and overly simple. And I greatly prefer the folder-based organization that Rockbox makes possible to the iPod's database organization.

I just bought a set of 3 Archos Jukebox Recorder 20's off ebay for $40 shipped and they all work! Two had that common issue where the spring needs to be extended to reach the batteries. But anyway, very excited.

I used to use a version of Rockbox called Bubba's Build, which let me do interesting things with the 3 buttons at the top of the Archos Recorder, like add the currently playing song to one of 10 playlists, and things like that. I'm wondering if there are any custom builds out there, and if so how to find them? Any list anywhere?

Thanks, and very glad to be back in the Rockbox universe.

I just wish there were more players out there that support Rockbox. I need a minimum of an 80 gig harddrive, and as far as I can tell the Archos stuff is the only Rockbox-compatible player that supports a drive that big. They're ugly as hell, but with Rockbox they're such a pleasure to use, especially after years of using a damn ipod.

[torne]

Er.. iPod Videos come in 80GB, and have been upgraded to 240GB (and support bigger disks if you can find them, the practical limit is 2TB if anyone ever makes a 1.8" drive that large). The Gigabeat S also supports drives up to 128GB and comes with up to a 60GB drive. There's no need to go for such an old device just to get more storage, unless you want it for some other reason...

[wrybread]

I can't stand the wheels on iPods, after 3 years I still cringe every time I have to use it, but very interesting about the Gigabeat S. Any tips on where to get one? None are on Ebay at the moment, at least here in America:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=toshiba%20gigabeat%20-case%20-velcro%20-travel%20-replacement%20-sync&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A4099&rt=nc&_dmpt=Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=1

Edit:

aha! Found an S30 for $90 shipped:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TOSHIBA-MES30V-30GB-GIGABEAT-PORTABLE-MEDIA-PLAYER-WORK-/320593702609?pt=Other_MP3_Players&hash=item4aa4dfaed1

For anyone else looking, it helps to organize search results by "price (highest first)" so the players pop up above the accessories. Like this:

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=toshiba+gigabeat+-case+-velcro+-travel+-replacement+-sync&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A4099&rt=nc&_dmpt=Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=16&_sc=1

I don't imagine anyone has any 1.8" harddrive recommendations around 120 gigs or so, and a battery recommendation?

[AlexP]

Be careful about thickness of drive.  The S30 has a single platter driver that is 5 mm thick, whereas the common 120 gb drive (the Toshiba MK1214GAH) is dual platter and thus 8 mm thick.  I have one of these drives in my (ex-)S60 and it works fine. 

See http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/HardDriveReplacement

I also have a larger battery in mine, a 1000 mAh Cameron Sino.  The main thing to be wary of with batteries is that you get a legit one, there are an awful lot of knock-offs out there.

[wrybread]

Thanks for that link. If I'm reading the chart on that page correctly, the biggest drive I can put in the S30 is the 80 gig drive, since the larger drives are 8mm.

[Chronon]

That list is not terribly up to date at the moment.  There are definitely newer larger capacity drives at 5mm, but we don't have much information on whether or not these work with Rockbox or not.  For example, http://www.photographyblog.com/news/toshiba_unveils_industrys_largest-capacity_single-platter_1.8_hdd/

Previously, I would have said that any drive that physically fits and has the right interface/connector should work, but Toshiba's MK1231 provides a counter-example of that.

[torne]

I still don't think there's any sensible reason why the MK1231 shouldn't work, but we're never going to find out unless one gets into dev hands