RockBox Opinions?

I think Rockbox is superb. I like the UI (now I’ve got used to it), I like the configurability, and I like the open-sourceness. As for draining the battery more than the SanDisk firmware, I haven’t noticed it, so the difference is slight if there is any.

It’s too bad that version 1 Fuzes are no longer available (it seems). If they were, I’d buy one as a test unit for trying out my own modifications to Rockbox.

@fuzilli wrote:
It’s too bad that version 1 Fuzes are no longer available (it seems). If they were, I’d buy one as a test unit for trying out my own modifications to Rockbox.

Keep your eye on woot.com.  I purchased a 2GB Fuze in December when they had them one day for $29, and it turned out to be a V1.  About a month later, they had them again for the same price, and I purchased three more.  Two of them turned out to be V1, and one of them is a V2.  I think they’ve also had 4GB units, and the 2GB again under a recent woot-off.  I bet they come up again one day before too long, or during another woot-off, and it seems like most of them are V1.  Of course, there’s always eBay.

@shiftlock wrote:

Keep your eye on woot.com.

I’m in Canada, so woot.com is of no use to me (unfortunately).

I have found refurbished Fuzes for sale online that may be version 1, but as far as I know it’s impossible to tell whether a Fuze is v1 or v2 from the description or even the model number, so I’m reluctant to click ‘Add to cart’.
Message Edited by Fuzilli on 03-08-2010 02:58 PM

@shiftlock wrote:

I’ve had a Fuze for a couple of months, and I recently installed Rockbox.  Does Sansa have an official opinion about installing RockBox on the Fuze?  Is it something they discourage?  What about user opinions - would anyone who has used both for a while care to share their opinion?

Well…installing it will void your player’s warranty. Supposedly it can be removed without a trace that it was there. If your player fails in a way that you can’t access it, you’re out of luck trying to return it if Rockbox is still on it.

No opinion on usage here, I have no need for it.

I love rockbox, the only disappointment I’ve had is that line out has not been enabled - or else I’d use it more often.  I usually run my Fuze with an LOD to a portable amp - so I really have to use the stock firmware for that.

I love RB too, especially now that it supports mpg (video) playback at 30fps

(However I usually encode at 24fps, since that’s good enough)

As mentioned by others…once it supports USB and lineout it’ll be my main firmware… 

I’ll use the OF with the Altek-Lansing im413 for the remote, unless somehow RB will support it (which I doubt)

I think an apt one-word description of Rockbox is that it is the Linux of DAPs. If you know of a geek dude(tte) and he doesn’t yet know of RB, you can score major brownie points with a RB’ed Fuze. You can then amortize the cost with the free tech support that you’ll be able to wrangle…

Oh gee I wish I were as smart and knowledgeable as you… then I can fix my second computer so my baby daughter can learn her ABC’s on it… OH AND my grandmother, bless her soul, is all alone in her place and it’d be GREAT if I can find somebody to set up our computer to connect to hers over the Internet… GOSH HEY you know what we’re having dinner Saturday night, why don’t you come over and have some FREE FOOD. My boy he really likes computer and may be you can give him some PROGRAMMING TIPS…

@polloloco wrote:
I love rockbox, the only disappointment I’ve had is that line out has not been enabled - or else I’d use it more often.  I usually run my Fuze with an LOD to a portable amp - so I really have to use the stock firmware for that.

We’ll probably have line out enabled at some point in the next couple days. 

Shiftlock wrote: On the downside, Rockbox obviously isn’t as polished as the Sansa firmware, and there are too many options for my wife.  It also seems to drain the battery faster, but maybe it just seems that way to me because I’ve played more video under Rockbox and more music under the Sansa firmware.  Anyone else have an opinion?

Just made the switch a couple months ago and I’d have to say that rock box, well, rocks.  It is a little overwhelming at first with the sheer volume of options, but once you get used to it there’s no going back.

I’m not sure I would say that it’s less polished, but I would agree that the original FW is much simpler to use and the functionality is more self-evident.  Of course that’s mainly becuse there are far fewer features and options.

There are a few things I actually liked better about the original FW, like how it scans the whole player for playlists and presents them in a single list accesible from the main menu.  In RB you have to go browse the folders to find your playlists.

Battery is shorter, but not enough to affect my usage in any way.  Unless you absolutly must have every last second the OF gives you, I doubt you’d really notice much difference in practice.  Also, I just updated to the lastest build a couple weeks ago, and I’m not 100% sure, but I think there’s even less difference now.  Just an impression, I haven’t done any real testing.

But when you weigh the few nit-picks against the massive benefits of RB it’s no contest.  I’ll never go back to the OF.   I would reccomend RB without reservation to anyone who is frustrated by the limitations of the OF and is somewhat technically inclined (or at least not intimidated by technology). 

I used to have rockbox on my V1 Sansa fuze and it was great. Unfortunately, my unit died on me about two months ago (hardware issue). I like that it will hide folders or files which names start with a period like with unix systems. It’s pretty handy. I also like the games, the ability to change it’s look and a lot of other things. As for installing Rockbox on the fuze, sandisk actually encourages the project and even gave a few V1 fuzes to the developpers to help them. It was say somewhere on the rockbox website.

That said, the only regret I have with my new fuze is that I can’t install rockbox on it. It’s a V2.

@saratoga wrote:


@polloloco wrote:
I love rockbox, the only disappointment I’ve had is that line out has not been enabled - or else I’d use it more often.  I usually run my Fuze with an LOD to a portable amp - so I really have to use the stock firmware for that.


 

We’ll probably have line out enabled at some point in the next couple days. 

Holy cow, you just made my day.  Where should I go to find out about the progress of this feature?

PolloLoco wrote:

Holy cow, you just made my day.  Where should I go to find out about the progress of this feature?

 

Hmmm . . . that’s a toughie. Let me see . . . maybe www.rockbox.org?

@tapeworm wrote:


@polloloco wrote:

Holy cow, you just made my day.  Where should I go to find out about the progress of this feature?

 


Hmmm . . . that’s a toughie. Let me see . . . maybe www.rockbox.org?

Since you’re usually a nice guy - I’m going to assume you’re not being a smartass, and that’s a lighthearted comment.  But I already tried that and checked out their forum before I posted.  I see no discussion with line out for the Fuze.  If I google “Fuze rockbox line out” I only get threads I posted on here and at ABI.  So Saratoga’s comment seems new and surprising.  I wanted more info on it.

PolloLoco wrote: 

Since you’re usually a nice guy - I’m going to assume you’re not being a smartass, and that’s a lighthearted comment.  But I already tried that and checked out their forum before I posted.  I see no discussion with line out for the Fuze.  If I google “Fuze rockbox line out” I only get threads I posted on here and at ABI.  So Saratoga’s comment seems new and surprising.  I wanted more info on it.

How 'bout a nice, light-hearted smartass? :smileyvery-happy:

I would keep my eyes on the Sansa AMS Port Status on the Rockbox site. When the USB connectivity is a lock, it will be posted there.

Tapeworm wrote:


PolloLoco wrote: 

Since you’re usually a nice guy - I’m going to assume you’re not being a smartass, and that’s a lighthearted comment.  But I already tried that and checked out their forum before I posted.  I see no discussion with line out for the Fuze.  If I google “Fuze rockbox line out” I only get threads I posted on here and at ABI.  So Saratoga’s comment seems new and surprising.  I wanted more info on it.


How 'bout a nice, light-hearted smartass? :smileyvery-happy:

 

I would keep my eyes on the Sansa AMS Port Status on the Rockbox site. When the USB connectivity is a lock, it will be posted there.

 

He’s not talking about USB connectivity…he’s talking about line-out output capability for connecting to external amplifiers.:wink:

Marvin_Martian wrote:

He’s not talking about USB connectivity…he’s talking about line-out output capability for connecting to external amplifiers.:wink:

Since the line-out goes through the USB 30-pin port on the bottom, can you have one without the other?

You do have one without the other on the current C240v1 implementation.

USB connectivity works fine, but “dock” functionality, audio out through the 30 pin, is not enabled.  I have a Belkin TuneCast for Sansa, an FM transmitter, and no go in Rockbox.

The E200v1 series dock audio does work properly, but the Rockbox developers have focused on other functionality andnot implemented for the C200v1

The C200v2 doesn’t have USB yet, and the bootloader doesn’t work with all units, but the bootloader changes for the Clip+ may help with that, when they get published.

For info on RB and line-out see the thread

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=22942.0

Although the thread is specific to the Griffin dock, I suspect once completed, the code would work for anything using lineout (i.e. home-made lineout cable and perhaps the iM413)

By-the-way… that raises an interesting question…  will RB support the remote control features with the iM413 (Altec Lansing box)…

Message Edited by timn on 03-12-2010 06:26 PM

I’t

@tapeworm wrote:


@marvin_martian wrote:

He’s not talking about USB connectivity…he’s talking about line-out output capability for connecting to external amplifiers.:wink:


Since the line-out goes through the USB 30-pin port on the bottom, can you have one without the other?

It’s a good thing you’re nice and ligh-hearted, or I’d give you grief over that response. :wink:

Thanks Timn!  That thread looks exactly like what I was looking for.  I can’t wait.  Hopefully we can get line out without having to provide the voltage that the stock operating system requires.  It looks like that’s how Saratoga wants it enabled initially.

Gapless playback is wonderful! with RB3.5.1 and th latest OF from Sansa, I’m unable to use RB while charging. I turn it on unconnected and RB bootsup. I hold the select button down while plugging the wall charger and the OF will boot up. Do I need to reload the RB bootloader?