Replace the software on your mp3 for greater versitility

Platform :

Type: freeware

Manufacturer: RockBox

Size: 462KB-1.4MB

Rating: 3

Verdict: Worth a look, but be sure to read all the instructions

System Requirements:
See above for compatible players

Rockbox replaces the software installed on an mp3 player. This can add support for different kinds of music file.

Replacing the firmware on a media player should not be attempted lightly and we recommend reading the documentation before attempting to make any changes to avoid rendering the device unuseable.

You can read a workshop on using Rockbox at www.computeractive.co.uk/2168802

Supported Devices:

• Archos: Jukebox 5000, 6000, Studio, Recorder, FM Recorder, Recorder V2 and Ondio
• iriver: H100, H300 and H10 series
• Apple: iPod 4th gen (grayscale and color), 5th/5.5th gen (Video - 30GB and 60GB models only), 1st gen Nano and Mini 1st/2nd gen (Nano 2nd gen and 80GB Video 5.5th gen are not supported)
• iAudio: X5 (including X5V and X5L), M5 (including M5L)
• Toshiba: Gigabeat X and F series (the S model is not supported)
• SanDisk: Sansa E200 series (the R models are not supported)

More information from the Rockbox website:

Rockbox is an open source firmware replacement for a growing number of mp3 players. Rockbox aims to be considerably more functional and efficient than your device's stock firmware while remaining easy to use and customizable. Rockbox is written by users, for users.

Rockbox has been in development since 2001, and receives new features, tweaks and fixes each day to provide you with the best possible experience on your mp3 player. A major goal of Rockbox is to be simple and easy to use, yet remain very customizable and configurable. We believe that you should never need to go through a series of menus for an action you perform frequently. We also believe that you should be able to configure almost anything about Rockbox you could want, pertaining to functionality.

Another top priority of Rockbox is audio playback quality - Rockbox, for most models, includes a wider range of sound settings than that device's original firmware. A lot of work has been put into making Rockbox sound the best it can, and improvements are constantly being made. All models have access to a large number of plugins, including many games, applications, and graphical "demos".

You can load different configurations quickly for different purposes (e.g. a large font for in your car, different sound settings for at home). You can even customize your "While Playing Screen" to display only and exactly what you want to see when you're playing music. In addition, Rockbox features a very wide range of languages, and all supported models also have the ability to talk to you - menus can be voiced and filenames spelled out or spoken.