Ask HN: What can replace my iPod for podcast listening? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What can replace my iPod for podcast listening?

#151

Post by dalke » Sat, Nov 07, 2020, 9:28 PM UTC

approxim8ion wrote: post #147

dalke wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I could make all sorts of technical points, like how HN's interface is little different from trn I used in the 1990s, or how I dislike tinkering (as Godel_unicode commented), I'll point out one that's not so technical. I am detail oriented, which contributes to the quality of the software I develop. That level of attention to detail extends to other areas. For example, I read all of the license agreements I'm t…

You could switch to more open versions of Android like Graphene/Lineage etc that are based on AOSP and use free software. F-Droid is a FOSS app store for FOSS apps, and it has quite a few good apps, including AntennaPod, which is an excellent podcatcher and my podcasting app of choice. From some of your other comments, I gathered that you aren't heavily into using smartphones, so there's no reason you have to subscri…

Thanks for the followup. Yeah, that would be part of what I meant by "Which means then figuring out that process." ... except I didn't even knew all that existed. ;)

Re: Ask HN: What can replace my iPod for podcast listening?

#152

Post by dalke » Sat, Nov 07, 2020, 9:44 PM UTC

mobilio wrote: post #46

Symbiote wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The small places that repair phones and laptop computers should have those tools, plus someone who knows how to use them, and should be able to replace the battery on an iPod. I've used one to have the battery on an Android phone replaced.

I also agree on that. You can easy convince them to look on iFixit and do it, because we (customers) just doesn't have working experience on repairs and right instruments.

A couple of years ago my wife's laptop died. I opened it up. One of the mounts pins for the switch broke. It's a simple switch mounted directly on the board (yech). Not hard to fix with a bit of solder, a steady hand, and a good light source.

I took it to a nearby fixit place. The immediate feedback I got was that since I opened it up they weren't going to take a look at it or even talk to me about it. Sort of an angry "why did you so dumb as to do that?" sort of thing. So that's not a place I plan to visit again, and it looked to be the best provisioned place in town, with an actual room above an TV/gadgets/etc. store and not a mall desk.

I ended up using superglue, borrowing a soldering iron from a friend's dad, and doing it myself. It was a crappy iron likely decades old. Good enough for 6-month fix for an near EOL laptop. Not for fixing an iPod.

So I've resigned to the fact that there probably isn't a decent fixit place in town. For that I'll have to visit the big city (pop. here is 60K people). Which means factoring in travel costs.

Re: Ask HN: What can replace my iPod for podcast listening?

#153

Post by elagost » Sun, Nov 08, 2020, 1:22 PM UTC

ed25519FUUU wrote: post #109

elagost wrote: post #90

I use newsboat (cli program) to manage and download podcasts, which I sync to a Fiio M3k. it's solid, beautiful, and sturdy. Not using a smartphone for podcasts has been incredible for me, personally.

What’s the benefit of not using a smartphone exactly? Mine syncs all of my podcasts automatically.

I'm aware that smartphones can do the all-in-one sync/download/play dance for podcasts. However, smartphones are basically tracking devices riddled with spyware, and I don't want one around me when I'm not on call.

Plus they're far too bulky, features change constantly, they throw ads at you when you're just trying to play music, and they don't have headphone jacks. They suck at audio playback. I have a few The benefits go on and on. It forces me to be deliberate about my actions - when I decide "I'm going to listen to stuff now", that's all it can do, and I won't get sucked into the multitude of features a smartphone offers. I get to make decisions about what I'm doing, not the designers of the smartphone. I get that they're interesting, neat devices. But they're overall the wrong choice for most things - you wouldn't replace your whole tool shed with a Leatherman.

Re: Ask HN: What can replace my iPod for podcast listening?

#154

Post by Tepix » Sun, Nov 08, 2020, 9:30 PM UTC

BeniBoy wrote: post #67

Tepix wrote: post #64

I'm also looking for a low cost dedicated MP3 player. But I'd like it to support bluetooth. Is there anything decent?

I love my Walkman NW-A55. Good DAC, solid bluetooth and long battery life. Two things that sucks: * The proprietary cable. Seriously, in 2020.. * It does not support album cover in JPEG 2000. Seems like a detail, but if you like your library well organised, it can be a time sink !

Not really low cost.