Please implement 'File/Directory View'

@waynet wrote:

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

I had heard this but had not bee able to confirm it. It seems to me that the companys who dont offer music services, Sandisk, Sony, iRiver, etc. are working on it, but as I said of the big 3 acccording to Consumer reports(the last issue I saw) SanDisk is the only one working on this.

@conversionbox wrote:


@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.

 

If it is number 4 then (assuming the top 3 are apple, microsoft and sansa) it’s the top one whose core business is players if that counts for anything.   I only mention it because my kid has one (dating from ~2002) that offers the choice.

 

 

The direction over time seems to have been to offer an ID3 tag viewing system alone.  I’ve never understood that:  people organize (if they do) by folders.  To drop that easy, basic system is to pull an Apple.   :wink:

@miikerman wrote:
The direction over time seems to have been to offer an ID3 tag viewing system alone.  I’ve never understood that:  people organize (if they do) by folders.  To drop that easy, basic system is to pull an Apple.   :wink:

I was just thinking that myself. I have always been opposed to folder nav, because IMO tags are better and easier, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is I write  tags for some of the files that can be found on some music services, but thats irrelevant. I think a large reason tags become prevelant was the wide spread induration of the internet. Tags were really inconveniant when you were on dialup and couldnt connect to the net everytime you ripped a CD. And then came digital downloading of legal albums, which meant you had to be able to put what you would otherwise get in a booklet with a CD in with the files. So tagging started. Over time when P2P and Napster and what ever happened people started putting mistaged files that they ripped from CDs on the net so people downloaded and became dependant on file names and not actual info. Now people dont know how to tag, what tags are, why they are important, and why companys like SanDisk make you use them. I can see the need for folder nav on players as they become easier to manage on the user end. But in reality tags are more flexable and more efficent on the player end. If this feature is ever added whatch your battery life suffer. I think that not having the feature available in some form is very “Apple” of the tech community, but I would venture a guess that efficency,flexability, and battery life were the higher priotity than making it folder compatable.

I probably use my players much differently than the typical user, but I don’t care one way or the other if folder/file navigation is ever added.  I don’t fiddle with my player too much; meaning, I usually play albums all the way through and rarely skip around to different songs or artists.

I guess I’m a purist at heart.  I try to listen to a piece of music the way the artist intended… from start to finish.

I can see why for some people it would be a benefit, but for me, the tag method works just fine.

That’s funny… my impression is that tags cater more to people who buy songs singly (don’t HAVE folders with whole albums) and play playlists (again, the songs they are listening to aren’t in order in the same folder)

Message Edited by donp on 03-15-2009 11:11 AM

@donp wrote:

That’s funny… my impression is that tags cater more to people who buy songs singly (don’t HAVE folders with whole albums) and play playlists (again, the songs they are listening to aren’t in order in the same folder)

 

Message Edited by donp on 03-15-2009 11:11 AM

Tags work just fine for me, and I have 2 fuzes and 2 clips filled to capacity, never buy songs and rarely use playlists.

@fuze_owner_gb wrote:

I probably use my players much differently than the typical user, but I don’t care one way or the other if folder/file navigation is ever added.  I don’t fiddle with my player too much; meaning, I usually play albums all the way through and rarely skip around to different songs or artists.

 

I guess I’m a purist at heart.  I try to listen to a piece of music the way the artist intended… from start to finish.

 

I can see why for some people it would be a benefit, but for me, the tag method works just fine.

That’s how I use my Fuze…album straight through, my “reference listening” I guess you could say(because a lot of my music is relatively new to me). My 8GB CLip I am more likely to “shuffle all” because I am out and about and can’t devote the same attention to the music. I have an uncle that is also a purist like you describe…he says it comes from him growing up with vinyl. He’s doesn’t even like random play on one album. I have had no trouble with the tag system, but if the option is added to use the folder view, I’ll at least give it a shot.

@marvin_martian wrote:


@fuze_owner_gb wrote:

I probably use my players much differently than the typical user, but I don’t care one way or the other if folder/file navigation is ever added.  I don’t fiddle with my player too much; meaning, I usually play albums all the way through and rarely skip around to different songs or artists.

 

I guess I’m a purist at heart.  I try to listen to a piece of music the way the artist intended… from start to finish.

 

I can see why for some people it would be a benefit, but for me, the tag method works just fine.


That’s how I use my Fuze…album straight through, my “reference listening” I guess you could say(because a lot of my music is relatively new to me). My 8GB CLip I am more likely to “shuffle all” because I am out and about and can’t devote the same attention to the music. I have an uncle that is also a purist like you describe…he says it comes from him growing up with vinyl. He’s doesn’t even like random play on one album. I have had no trouble with the tag system, but if the option is added to use the folder view, I’ll at least give it a shot.

Same here.  Like I said earlier; it makes me little difference either way.  I always run my albums through my tagger software of choice to get them perfect before loading onto the players, so I eliminate many problems that incorrect tags could create, but for my use folder/file navigation might be as easy.

I’m all about the music, not the navigation…:smileyvery-happy:

Well, for some of us (dare say, most) we spend most of our time on a computer with Windows OS (and its file folder system) and relatively little time on our mp3 players.  Having to rearrange and correct the setup via Tags makes the enjoyment more convoluted and time consuming. 

My opinion is let’s try to keep things in one existing format – one that’s proven as old and simple as when simple filing was first established. 

@waynet wrote:

 

Well, for some of us (dare say, most) we spend most of our time on a computer with Windows OS (and its file folder system) and relatively little time on our mp3 players.  Having to rearrange and correct the setup via Tags makes the enjoyment more convoluted and time consuming. 

 

My opinion is let’s try to keep things in one existing format – one that’s proven as old and simple as when simple filing was first established. 

As it stands now, it is.  Sansas read tags.

Yes, and the rest of the world reads ‘file folders’. 

@waynet wrote:
Yes, and the rest of the world reads ‘file folders’. 

That’s exaggerating a tad, given that the fruity ones, who have something like 70% or more of the market, don’t either :wink:

Message Edited by Marvin_Martian on 03-15-2009 03:06 PM

@conversionbox wrote:

 But in reality tags are more flexable and more efficent on the player end. If this feature is ever added whatch your battery life suffer. I think that not having the feature available in some form is very “Apple” of the tech community, but I would venture a guess that efficency,flexability, and battery life were the higher priotity than making it folder compatable.

I won’t deny that having tags opens up possibilities, like playing by genre or decade (possible, but not implemented)

 But efficiency and battery life?  Even if you have tags, the files are still read from the folder based file system, and that database generation (on player, as with Sansa) means the player has to navigate to and read part of every file on the player. If there was the option to turn off tags, you could kiss that waiting period goodbye.

 

Wouldn’t at all be surprised if the only real reason why apple/ms forced their users to use itunes/libraries/tagging views is to sell more ■■■■ through the services. SanDisk along with iRiver don’t see to have such developed services (or close partnerships with those that do) at least for now, that’s why I would hope they’d be able to provide this…

I always tag my mp3s as well, even wrote a custom mass-renamer program to make it easier, but I still prefer to browse in the universal file/folder view (and show id3 tags when playing that file). Sometimes when I download a new album I don’t have time or the desire to tag it, but a great desire to listen to it right away -> file/folder view works.

I have directories like “party music” where there’s a bunch of random stuff that is somewhat loosely coupled together under a theme. “Play that folder” really helps playing it…

Proponents of folder/file view understand that some (majority) of people are fine with the id3-exclusive view, however I think even less people use ogg/flac and SanDisk managed to support that? Give us a choice! :slight_smile:

p.s. nice idea with alternate firmware!

What everyone seem to be missing is that fact that is was made to interface with programs like WMP, foobar, winamp. Those programs work on tags also.

Next the real problem is that this device is limited to a few line display and a few charters at a time. So you all talk about how the PC has file/Folder system but it also has a large display. The large display is what makes it easy on the PC not the File / Floder. Because Artists/Album is not much different the folder/File.

Now it would not be that hard for the programmer to add this but it is just more thing to have bugs. as you have to handle every dum user also, like files with no tags or folders. I think now if you have no tags and put them in folders you end up with folder/file view don’t you.

But that is not what you want either is it.

Message Edited by Rainey on 03-15-2009 10:11 PM