Rockbox General > Rockbox General Discussion
Why are they all so horrible?
icewater:
I've tried several low-end mp3 players. They're all just so bad. The physical controls, the menu options / state changes... Do they not test this stuff before putting out a product? It seems like such an opportunity for someone to just do it right and own the space.
Is there a market for open source mp3 player hardware? Maybe a high-level software development kit for them so the software can be customized for the intended use case (for me 99% long-form podcast listening)?
Or have phone apps displaced any interest for these devices?
depperl:
I would certainly be interested in an open source mp3 player. But I am only a single person. :(
Frankenpod:
--- Quote from: icewater on May 15, 2023, 12:10:16 PM ---I've tried several low-end mp3 players. They're all just so bad. The physical controls, the menu options / state changes... Do they not test this stuff before putting out a product? It seems like such an opportunity for someone to just do it right and own the space.
Is there a market for open source mp3 player hardware? Maybe a high-level software development kit for them so the software can be customized for the intended use case (for me 99% long-form podcast listening)?
Or have phone apps displaced any interest for these devices?
--- End quote ---
On the second point there I think there are several existing threads debating just that topic, so no point starting another one. But I share your puzzlement on the first point, it's weird that nobody in the cheap-shovelware player market has made even a bit of effort to produce something with at least a not-awful UI design. As you say, if someone made something that just reached the level of 'not terrible' it could wipe the floor with the existing ones. I guess mobile phones mean the dedicated-player market is now so small it isn't even worth that modicum of effort.
speachy:
--- Quote from: Frankenpod on June 04, 2023, 04:04:20 PM ---But I share your puzzlement on the first point, it's weird that nobody in the cheap-shovelware player market has made even a bit of effort to produce something with at least a not-awful UI design.
--- End quote ---
That's actually very easy to explain -- the cheap shovelware players are so limited in their capabilities (ie almost no RAM) that it is pretty much impossible to implement a not-awful UI.
keptskb403:
--- Quote from: speachy on June 04, 2023, 05:50:34 PM ---That's actually very easy to explain -- the cheap shovelware players are so limited in their capabilities (ie almost no RAM) that it is pretty much impossible to implement a not-awful UI.
--- End quote ---
That coming from you is particularly odd. I first ran rockbox 15y ago on absolute trash hardware. Great UI does not require any resources at all, if done right. The codec will require more.
Literally a handful of lines of logically arranged text do the trick. Haven't used rb in many years, but I remember being very impressed with what you had back then. The doom and such were funny, but of course we don't need that.
I'm just as puzzled as you icewater.
People are willing to go into extensive debt for a spyware brick (cough 'smart'phone that is 'outdated' in 6months anyway) these days, so it seems nobody cares anymore. All meaning lost.
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