iRiver Going Back to Ogg

[Levander]

Anyone else remember when the H10 was coming out, and the controversy where iRiver was dropping Ogg? Looks like iRiver has come back home and back on the Ogg bandwagon again with it's last few products. The Clix2 even supports UMS in addition to MTP out of the box, furthering the geek appeal of iRiver.

I remember see a quick video clip where some iRiver rep show showing the Clix2 on CNet. He said something along the lines of, "we've learned our lesson in offering which features the customers want". I only vaguely remember that this was in reference to including UMS and Ogg. Has anyone here seen a decent interview where someone from iRiver discusses why they went back to supporting Ogg??

Or, really if they could just link me to that CNet video I remember seeing, I'd appreciate it. It wasn't the one with the current review of the Clix2. It was one back before the Clix2 was released. The iRiver guy was showing off changing the firmware between UMS and MTP and saying how it reformats the drive when you do that. I believe it was a video on CNet's site back during CES of this year. I just looked all over CNet's site and couldn't find it. But, I'm not very familiar with that site.

[clieos]

If I remember correctly (and I might be wrong), that Rep. is actually referring to the inclusion of UMS<-> MTP, charging selection and standard USB connection of clix2 (in comparison to clix1). Those features are what been requested the most by clix users.

As of Ogg support, E10, U10 (two generation before clix2) and clix1 (the generation before clix2) have all supported Ogg up to Q10 (*just to name a few of the newer models). Since U10 was released back in late 2005, it really doesn't make sense to claim that iriver is 'going' back to Ogg now. If they did drop Ogg support on H10 (which was also released on mid~late 2005), than they already pick it up again in the same year.

[Levander]

Maybe a better title would have been "Went back to Ogg".

In any event, when the H10 came out, it was a big publicity event. Bill Gates stood up at CES holding an H10. When it came out, that was what most of the attention and sales efforts by iRiver was about. This thread here at misticriver shows jeff's interpretation of where iRiver was going. Posts #21 and #23 summing it up nicely. I didn't agree when he said it, but further research on my part over the next month made me decide that jeff was right, that was where iRiver wanted to go, at the time.

It's weird you remember the players from back then that weren't as popular, but that you don't remember what was the big deal back then...

[Step666]

So, to summarise, the H10 didn't have OGG.

Not a surprise, it wasn't all that wonderful a player - a huge step back from the previous players in a number of ways, many of which were far more important than the support for one particular codec.

[Levander]

Well, it didn't have OGG, or UMS so you have to have Windows to use it. Those were the two reasons I didn't buy it. And it's what the other people who were complaining about the H10 in the thread I pointed to above were also saying.

No one's seen any more in-depths comments than that CNet video by iRiver about why it decided it was a mistake to drop UMS and OGG? This is really why I started the thread, to see if I could find any good media coverage of why iRiver has stopped making devices that don't have UMS and OGG.

[Step666]

It didn't have aline-in; it didn't have a line-out; it wasn't initially available in a decent capacity and when the 20GB came out, it was the same size as the H320, which kind of defeats the point of a player that was meant to be small.
There's probably more reasons than that as to why it was a crappy player, I just can't think of them right now.

As for why they did it, who knows?
And, to be honest, who cares? What's done is done.

[Levander]

Originally Posted by Step666

As for why they did it, who knows?
And, to be honest, who cares? What's done is done.

Ummm, Step... Is there a reason why you're posting in a thread to say you don't care about what the original poster is asking? Here's some advice: SKIP TO THE NEXT THREAD!! Doing that usually helps most people from throwing little temper tantrums in public places...

The reason it is important (to some people, yes I know - not yourself) is that dropping these technologies and then picking them back up means that there are most likely market forces telling them to do so. It suggests that maybe MTP, which is a Windows-only protocol, is not good enough for a portable devices. This being news because not only are the techno-geeks who hang out in places like MisticRiver wanting options to be able to use desktops other than Microsoft's, but that there are enough people in the general market who wants these options to provide economic incentives for companies to offer them. E.g., maybe it isn't such a good idea just to ignore non-Microsoft desktops when you make a portable device.

And, if OGG was also re-introduced due to market forces, it suggests more companies would be better off providing OGG on their products.

That was the interest, hoping someone knew where iRiver was talking about the why's and wherefor's of including OGG and UMS on their mainstream players these days...

[badbrain88]

Interesting.........

[Step666]

Have you ever considered the possibility that the reason they dropped OGG on the H10 was they were a bunch of idiots and that the H10 is the biggest fark-up in the history of the company?

There's no conspiracy, no pressure from MS, iRiver were just stupid, that's all.

[Levander]

Originally Posted by Step666

There's no conspiracy, no pressure from MS, iRiver were just stupid, that's all.

Great, we have a troll. No one said anything about a conspiracy. If you're going to troll, can you at least say something funny?

[Step666]

Originally Posted by Levander

If you're going to troll, can you at least say something funny?

Sure, right after you ask a question that isn't pointless.

[gorcorps]

Originally Posted by Levander

Great, we have a troll. No one said anything about a conspiracy. If you're going to troll, can you at least say something funny?

Actually I'm being quite entertained by how personal you're taking this all. It was just a heated discussion, and then you go all personal. Tehehe... classic

[BBD]

"Something funny." And--as I was typing that, I was also saying it out loud--to no one--except the 38 other voices in my head that get pissed off when BBD monopolizes the medication!

Which also explains why iRiver abandoned OGG for a short time...

Don't MAKE me come back and ruin this!!!

[BadEmu]

Originally Posted by Levander

This thread here at misticriver shows jeff's interpretation of where iRiver was going. Posts #21 and #23 summing it up nicely. I didn't agree when he said it, but further research on my part over the next month made me decide that jeff was right, that was where iRiver wanted to go, at the time.

I'm afraid I have to agree that, sadly, the people who value ease of use over freedom of use and actual features outspend us, which makes the irivers and cowons all the more laudable.