DRM causes increased battery drain on MP3 players

D. Hugh Redelmeier hugh-pmF8o41NoarQT0dZR+AlfA at public.gmane.org
Sat Mar 25 20:13:10 UTC 2006


On Thu, 23 Mar 2006, John M. Moniz wrote:

| From: John M. Moniz <john.moniz-rieW9WUcm8FFJ04o6PK0Fg at public.gmane.org>

| Peter wrote:
| > On Wed, 22 Mar 2006, Mike Newman wrote:

| > > And where are the cheap Vorbis players, already?

| The cheapest players I found that played Vorbis were a Samsung (don't have
| model) @ $120 and the iRiver T30 @ $120, both at Staples.

The iRiver T30 uses "media transfer protocol".  My impression is that
this is a protocol cobbled together by Microsoft for its
PaysForSure(TM) brand.  Apparently some folks have had some success
hacking gphoto to support it.  Just say no.

Too bad.  iRiver used to be a good brand for Linux users.  The
scariest thing is that a firmware upgrade would change an MP3 player
from Linux friendly to Linux hostile (as I understand it).

Sanyo might be better.  I don't know.

Factory Direct has some specials on refurb MP3 players at the moment.
Some of their Samsungs do Ogg.  Do check specs before buying.  Avoid
PlaysForSure(tm) unless you can tell that the device works as "USB
Storage" (most PlaysForSure(tm) devices don't, but I think that the
branding does allow it).

http://www.factorydirect.ca/email_html/MP30321.htm

I think that their cheapest player that claims to do Ogg is $69.99.

In the last few weeks the retail price of flash memory cards seems to
have gone down to half the traditional price.  Perhaps it is more
like: the same money often buys you twice as much flash.  I suspect
that MP3 players might go through a similar change shortly.
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