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Thread: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    I rarely get upset, but I've just about reached my limit on this issue. Good thing there's a max character limit to posts, or I'd be on a tear.

    I am now returning the THIRD mp3 player I've purchased in the last couple of weeks. Each has been from a different maker (although they're all Chinese, so maybe not). None of them has worked.

    Supposedly, they plug into a computer's USB port, and then one copies mp3 files from the computer to the device. Easy-peasy, right?

    Except that none of my computers can "see" them. I've tried multiple computers (in multiple locations), multiple USB cables, checked for firmware upgrades, reset the devices to factory settings, read the manuals from cover-to-cover (so to speak; some are written in a language that appears to be English, but isn't). Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

    Given my multiple attempts, I can't believe it's me.

    I can only assume that nobody makes mp3 players any more. I guess "cloud streaming" is now the thing. Sorry, but when I'm out running, I'm not "wired." Nor do I want to be. Arghhhh!

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    as far as technology is concerned, I'm still at the banging two rocks together stage. Granite where it at. Darn kids and their sedimentary crap, not sound as good.

    my CD player in my car died. 6 disk player. Can't buy them anymore. As it is, you can barely buy a single disc unit. I don't have a portable player with Apple Lossless capability. So I'm using my cassettes that I still have from the '80s. Some of these tapes are well over 30 years old.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    MP3 players are pretty simple devices, maybe the seller you’re buying them from has a bad batch.

    If you’re familiar with Apple products, I recommend an IPod. can’t go wrong with those.

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    MP3 players are pretty simple devices, maybe the seller you’re buying them from has a bad batch.

    If you’re familiar with Apple products, I recommend an IPod. can’t go wrong with those.
    I've purchased from different vendors. Amazon among them. Not a reseller issue, as far as I can tell..

    Apple doesn't make small iPods any more. They make a phone-sized iPod Touch. Why bother? If I want a phone-sized device on my runs, I'll bring my phone..

    It's an iPod Shuffle / Nano that I'm trying to replace. I can find them on eBay, but they're old/used. Still, they probably work better than the crap that's out there new...

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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    I'm not a technology expert, but I generally get things to work. Will your computer recognize your phone, or USB memory sticks?
    What OS are you using, some of the old XP computers I've had make you ask to install an external device, (Win 7 and 10 usually just install whatever it needs to talk to them).
    +1 on the old Ipods, I found my grand daughter's that had been lost for years in the grass outside my shop. I cleaned it up, and charged it, and it works just fine!

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    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    I'm with Dan. Cassettes are great. I've got a Walkman. A slew of tapes [loads of blanks for mixed ones]. Keep the heads clean. The batteries fresh. And don't do anything stupid, like drop it!.
    Who needs this modern age horse shit? Not me.

    Side note: when I used to run I was calling cadence for my platoon.
    I'm over the hill now, so I just get on a skateboard and enjoy the ride downhill.
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  7. #7
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Moore View Post
    I'm not a technology expert, but I generally get things to work. Will your computer recognize your phone, or USB memory sticks?
    What OS are you using, some of the old XP computers I've had make you ask to install an external device, (Win 7 and 10 usually just install whatever it needs to talk to them).
    +1 on the old Ipods, I found my grand daughter's that had been lost for years in the grass outside my shop. I cleaned it up, and charged it, and it works just fine!
    I _am_ a technology expert. Been working in the field ~35 years. I have two Macs I use on a daily basis, one Windows 10 PC I use at work, a Windows 10 and a Windows 7 PC I play with at home, and numerous virtual machines of myriad flavors (mostly Linux).

    Scraping through wires and cables, I finally found one that worked. Loaded a bunch of stuff on it and went to take it for a walk.

    Its Bluetooth wouldn't find my earbuds. Took it to my car. It wouldn't connect to my audio.

    I dug into a bit and found its firmware was dated 2016. By my reckoning, that's three years old, and not up with the current state of the art. There is no firmware update available. Back it goes.

    Apple has spoiled me. I'm used to things that just work when you plug them in (I'm the same way with guitars). I spent way too much time on this. I'm just going to split my music across multiple iPods. As soon as I find where I stashed them.

  8. #8
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    I've purchased from different vendors. Amazon among them. Not a reseller issue, as far as I can tell..

    Apple doesn't make small iPods any more. They make a phone-sized iPod Touch. Why bother? If I want a phone-sized device on my runs, I'll bring my phone..

    It's an iPod Shuffle / Nano that I'm trying to replace. I can find them on eBay, but they're old/used. Still, they probably work better than the crap that's out there new...
    You betcha. Still got my iPod shuffle, old but still running.

  9. #9
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Ranger View Post
    I'm with Dan. Cassettes are great. I've got a Walkman. A slew of tapes [loads of blanks for mixed ones]. Keep the heads clean. The batteries fresh. And don't do anything stupid, like drop it!.
    Who needs this modern age horse shit? Not me.

    Side note: when I used to run I was calling cadence for my platoon.
    I'm over the hill now, so I just get on a skateboard and enjoy the ride downhill.
    I’d still be using cassette tapes if cars still suported Roadstar stereos.

    I do collect vinyl LPs, though, and prefer those to any digital media!

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    I think some 99.5% of my cassettes are from LPs, only a scarce few store bought. I bought good tapes, kept them in their cassette boxes and kept the boxes in a carrying case and kept the carrying case in my bedroom closet, a climate controlled storage through and through.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  11. #11
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    My current home audio system, a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound Ouverture, purchased in 2004. It plays CDs, FM and cassette tapes. I listen to all three (and I've added a Bluetooth dongle to the AUX input for listening to podcasts). As long as it doesn't break (my first B&O system lasted me over 25 years), I'm set.


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    Re: RANT: When Technology Goes Bad

    I started thinking about my mp3 player, I received as a door prize years ago, and remembered it wouldn't pair with my powered speaker when I tried. There is a 2008 date on the rear label, but after a search, I found there is an update for it! I'll download it, and see if it is more friendly with my bluetooth devices. (It is 2.0 BT).
    Well the "update" is a third party, and my security gives me lots of warnings about the site! I did try talking with Samsung support, (online, and on the phone), and finally got the news that support stopped 5 years ago! They say Best Buy may still be able to update it, but that's at least 120 mi. away from me. Oh well!
    Last edited by Bill Moore; 05-30-2019 at 09:04 AM.

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