[maemo-users] Media Player Syncing (was Re: Adobe Media Player...)

[From: Mike Lococo]

>> ... attempt to make an "iTunes killer" of sorts... It would be so
>> nice to have a media app on IT and computer that synced like
>> iTunes does.
> 
> When I plug my 770 (or any USB-drive) into my computer with a 
> recently-downloaded version of Winamp, Winamp asks if I want to 
> manage media on it.

Many apps can be used to sync file trees (that can contain media files). 
  The tricky part is setting up playcount and metadata syncing.  What 
iTunes/iPods do that's cool is:

  * Keep track of what you listen to and do cool stuff with it.  Find
    your favorite albums, suggest artists that you haven't listened to
    recently that are similar to what you're listening to now, etc.
    A lot of listening happens on your mobile device, and these stats
    get much more interesting if that data is available to the desktop
    player.
  * Allow you to fix broken metadata on your portable, and have those
    changes propagate to your desktop (and to other portables if you
    have them).

Amarok and a number of Linux players do similar coolness with 
playcounts.  I'm not aware of a non-iTunes platform that offers robust 
syncing with a portable device, though (probably because control over 
the desktop _and_ mobile software is required to implement).

I'd rather see a partnership with the developers of Amarok or Juk than 
with Adobe.  Creating a music player is hard to do well, and takes 
sustained effort at fixing UI bugs.  Adobe is likely to create a closed 
client that kind of sucks (all music players suck at first) and will be 
obsolesced when the N900 comes out.  The open teams are likely to create 
a syncing standard that is implementable by other device manufacturers, 
and an open N-series client that will get better over time (after 
sucking at first, of course).

Thanks,
Mike