sansamatt wrote:
Let’s say you’re working in a standard media player program…
I don’t. I didn’t need it with my previous player (that finally broke, after several years); I could just use the basic file manager that comes with any OS.
sansamatt wrote:
If I follow you, what you’re saying is you ALREADY keep things organized in folders.
No. I’m speaking of making and naming my own folders (for instance Gym, Class, Books) on the MP3 player and just adding to or removing files from those, without the need of changing the playlist each time.
As for those of my songs already organized in folders, they’re all burnt on DVDs, so adding playlists or changing the ID tags isn’t an option.
sansamatt wrote:
But remember we have a quick little program (one click) that will read your folder structure and create the playlists for you!!!
If you refer to mp3tag, which I use, it doesn’t work that fast. I’ve got to start it, and type the name of the playlist. Each time I want to add a song.
Moreover, I still have problems with playlists playing my songs out of order. I’ve renamed the files. I’ve renamed the tags. I’ve use mp3tag’s autonumbering wizard. The files still play out of order, and two of them don’t even show up. I’ve spent a good half hour trying to solve that problem, which wouldn’t even exist with a folder view. And I’m a geek. I worked as a computer expert. Most people (the overwhelming majority) buying the Clip don’t know about mp3tags; they don’t even know about this forum, so that when their songs play out of order or don’t appear, they have no recourse. Many will never update the firmware, so will also have problems with songs whose ID3 version is more recent than their firmware.
ID3 tags can be useful. I’ve renamed all the files I’ve recorded for my students, with a lot more information than what a file name could bear. But they’re not practical in all, and even most situations. There’s a reason, as someone pointed out, that folders have stood the test of time, and it is not simply because dinosaurs like me refuse to change. WinFS was the one aspect of Longhorn that I was really pining for (though I should have guessed that Microsoft would cancel the project yet again) and I also think that virtual folders are a great idea. But ID3 tags have limitations and inconsistencies that make them less-than-ideal as the only means of browsing through your mp3 player.
Message Edited by Sinocelt on 12-10-2008 06:06 AM
