Please implement 'File/Directory View'

I looked through about 10 pages on here and didn’t see this request. This seems to be the only thing missing from an otherwise excellent player! I know a lot of people who much prefer to just browse the files/folders that they have created themselves over ipod-like ‘artists’ ‘albums’ and all that uselessness… besides, a lot of audiobooks/mp3s people have don’t have ID3 tags.

Also, with the 8GB model out it would give people a chance to organize a deeper-nested directory structure to have to scroll less.

Much thanks!

Actually, people requested this so much earlier that they just have given up …   Having said that, SanDisk reportedly is looking into this, although it’s unknown if this will be implemented/do-able (due to small memory size?).

By the way:  I 100% agree with you.   :wink:

 I don’t think the way it is is useless but it is a real pain to have to make sure everything is tagged exactly right. The ideal solution would be if you could have a choice to browse by tags or by folders but I’m saying this as someone who has no idea how hard it would be to implement. I just think it would be really nice.

It would be even nicer if we are given the choice between folder and tag navigation, and the choice to disable tag navigation entirely, so that cards can be swapped without any wait for the database to be refreshed, or a wait to refresh the database after files have been added or deleted from the player.

oh yes, i meant that users should have a choice whether to use FileFolder or Tags navigation. As much of a sad panda as it makes me, I think most people would prefer the tag approach just because it’s been crammed down their throats by the majority of mp3 players. So let that even be the default, but go into ‘settings’, press a button, and magic - browse by files/no db processing.

I really don’t see how this would be that much more challenging to implement. The device is already able to read long filenames, process directories and print out lengthy id3 tags… combine those things in a minimal graphical way and you’re done!

@volando wrote:

oh yes, i meant that users should have a choice whether to use FileFolder or Tags navigation. As much of a sad panda as it makes me, I think most people would prefer the tag approach just because it’s been crammed down their throats by the majority of mp3 players. So let that even be the default, but go into ‘settings’, press a button, and magic - browse by files/no db processing.

 

I really don’t see how this would be that much more challenging to implement. The device is already able to read long filenames, process directories and print out lengthy id3 tags… combine those things in a minimal graphical way and you’re done!

Unless you are a programmer there is no way to know how hard this is to implement. If it were easy, I would think more players would have the optional nav style to begin with. The operations the player does with tags are done thru a set of processess thats on the player, but to give the option for both may be too much for the hardware. 

This feature would be a workaround for some of the bugs with the ID tag implementation like this one: Title Sorting Bug

i was almost put off buying a clip because of no folder browsing support. but given how damned cheap it was for the 8gb model compared to everything else, i couldn’t resist.

if it was added in the future, that would be great. certainly not holding my breath though. :stuck_out_tongue:

@conversionbox wrote:

Unless you are a programmer there is no way to know how hard this is to implement. If it were easy, I would think more players would have the optional nav style to begin with. 

If it was that easy, most of the early players would have had it…oooh, they did!  At least speaking for my kid’s Iriver and my Rio.  Tag search players back then had to have the database generated on the host computer and copied over at synch time (as ipod still is).

  

@jk98 wrote:
It would be even nicer if we are given the choice between folder and tag navigation, and the choice to disable tag navigation entirely, so that cards can be swapped without any wait for the database to be refreshed, 

 I haven’t had to wait yet for my clip to refresh the database after swapping memory cards.  Wrong forum?

 

@donp wrote:


@conversionbox wrote:

Unless you are a programmer there is no way to know how hard this is to implement. If it were easy, I would think more players would have the optional nav style to begin with. 


If it was that easy, most of the early players would have had it…oooh, they did!  At least speaking for my kid’s Iriver and my Rio.  Tag search players back then had to have the database generated on the host computer and copied over at synch time (as ipod still is).

  

 

In not saying its hard to do. Its not. What I am saying is that is hard to do in Conjunction with the Tag reading method. I have 2 players that have folder nav, but they cant read tags. It is my assumption that getting a player to do both or have the option to do one or the other is the hard part. 

@jk98 wrote:
It would be even nicer if we are given the choice between folder and tag navigation, and the choice to disable tag navigation entirely, so that cards can be swapped without any wait for the database to be refreshed, or a wait to refresh the database after files have been added or deleted from the player.

I think it should be choices of:

-View by folders, when the song is playing it shows ID3 tags

-View by folders, when the song is playing it shows the file name

-View by tags, when the song is playing it shows ID3 tags

-View by tags, when the song is playing it shows the file name

yes, i agree that displaying id3 tags on the play screen should be the default option in either mode, however if they’re not present simply display the folder/filename.

I like those options, but at this point would be happy with a folder view (for file selection) alone, using ID3 tags for the display.  But I do like the ability to have options for the display, and/or a default back to the folder/file names.

@volando wrote:

I looked through about 10 pages on here and didn’t see this request. This seems to be the only thing missing from an otherwise excellent player! I know a lot of people who much prefer to just browse the files/folders that they have created themselves over ipod-like ‘artists’ ‘albums’ and all that uselessness… besides, a lot of audiobooks/mp3s people have don’t have ID3 tags.

 

Also, with the 8GB model out it would give people a chance to organize a deeper-nested directory structure to have to scroll less.

 

Much thanks!

Now that I’ve gone through the trouble of retagging all my music (using MP3tag program) I care less about this than I used to. However, you make a good point that deeper level directory structure would still help with navigating the 8gig clip. And dare we hope for a future 16gig? Directory navigation on a 16 gig clip would be awesome.

Is there any one from Sandisk/Sansa Corp. in this forum who can speak to this issue (ie: firmware updates) once and for all?   – seems much of the competition already has the file folder search protocol working in their devices.

After owning a few Sansa players the lack of this computer-standard file folder search feature is the only remaining drawback that is keeping me from purchasing other players in their lineup. 

Perhaps allowing a consumer the choice of either dl’ing a firmware with the file folder search option OR the Tag option may alleviate the need to have both protocols on the device??

@waynet wrote:

Is there any one from Sandisk/Sansa Corp. in this forum who can speak to this issue (ie: firmware updates) once and for all?   – seems much of the competition already has the file folder search protocol working in their devices.

 

After owning a few Sansa players the lack of this computer-standard file folder search feature is the only remaining drawback that is keeping me from purchasing other players in their lineup. 

 

Perhaps allowing a consumer the choice of either dl’ing a firmware with the file folder search option OR the Tag option may alleviate the need to have both protocols on the device??

 

 

None of the top 3 manufacturers have this. And A friend of mine confirmed that Apple will never implement it on their players. SanDisk is the only major player in the market who is activly trying to implemenet this feature. Apple and Microsoft wont do it because they want you to use their services. I like your Idea od a seperate firmware for folder view. Perhaps this is something they can look into. As for someone from SanDisk coming on and commenting definitivly that wont happen, the development team is really tight lipped and for them to come out and say what they are doing exactly would just invite lots of trouble.

I’d still call Iriver a significant player.

@donp wrote:

I’d still call Iriver a significant player.

 

It is, but I said top 3. IMO and I say that because I dont have consumer reports right in front of me, iRiver is #4.

Sony is another.

“activly trying to implemenet this feature”  …Yes, probably because others have actually achieved it. 

Message Edited by WayneT on 03-14-2009 03:59 PM