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Rockbox: Difference between revisions

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Rockbox is an alternative firmware for many MP3 players, including the [[iPod]].
Rockbox is an alternative firmware for many MP3 players, including the [[iPod]].


It differs from the iPod in a few key ways:
It has some advantages over the original firmware in a few ways:
* It can play more audio formats (FLAC, OGG, MIDI, etc)
* It can play more audio formats (FLAC, OGG, MIDI, etc)
* Its visual appearance can be customized
* Its visual appearance can be customized
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* When connected to a computer, it appears as a simple USB drive. One can just drag-and-drop music files onto it. In contrast, the original firmware requires either iTunes or macOS Finder to copy music to the device.
* When connected to a computer, it appears as a simple USB drive. One can just drag-and-drop music files onto it. In contrast, the original firmware requires either iTunes or macOS Finder to copy music to the device.


It also has some disadvantages:
* It was not designed by Apple for the mass market, so it has some quirks
** The controls are less intuitive than the original firmware.
** The themes are community-sourced ([https://github.com/rsh/rockbox-themes#snazzybones-rockbox-theme even I have made one]), and vary wildly in aesthetic and quality.


== Controls ==
== Controls ==

Revision as of 19:55, 29 May 2025

Rockbox is an alternative firmware for many MP3 players, including the iPod.

It has some advantages over the original firmware in a few ways:

  • It can play more audio formats (FLAC, OGG, MIDI, etc)
  • Its visual appearance can be customized
    • For example, this theme adds the release year to the While Playing Screen.
  • When connected to a computer, it appears as a simple USB drive. One can just drag-and-drop music files onto it. In contrast, the original firmware requires either iTunes or macOS Finder to copy music to the device.

It also has some disadvantages:

  • It was not designed by Apple for the mass market, so it has some quirks
    • The controls are less intuitive than the original firmware.
    • The themes are community-sourced (even I have made one), and vary wildly in aesthetic and quality.

Controls

The controls on Rockbox differ from the original firmware.

TODO: Finish this section.


Here's how we'll refer to the buttons in this section:

iPod Hardware Rockbox
Menu North
Play South
Back West
Forward East