How do you automate podcast reception with a Dell Pocket DJ.
December 12, 2005 3:21 PM Subscribe
How do you automate podcast reception with a Dell Pocket DJ.
This is probably a bit too specific for askmefi, but I'm desperate enough to give it a shot. I'm trying to make a Dell Pocket DJ work like an ipod, where you plug in the player, run a program and the shows appear on the device.
I'm attempting to help a blind computer user (using window-eyes) in being able to enjoy the podcast experience. I'd been raving about it for some time, so he wound up with a Dell Pocket DJ as a gift. The thing is, unlike the ipod and most other players I've encountered, the driver software does not represent the Dell player as a virtual drive, but instead as a sort of custom construct in Windows Explorer.
This means I am unable to use his podcast client (Juice) to download directly to the Dell mp3 player, or even set up a simple batch file for him to move the received podcasts to the player (unless I'm missing something simple?). I've tried talking him through it, and while he can get it done, its simply too byzantine a process for it to be practical for him.
I suspect the root cause of the difficulty is that Dell is trying to force you into use of the execrable MusicMatch software, in order to tap into the revenue stream for buying music. There may even be a way to accomplish it with that program, but it is horribly designed for a blind user, and he was having trouble navigating anywhere within it.
I may be missing something (or many things) obvious about this process, as I am trying to accomplish this mostly over the phone (I visited at Thanksgiving and will again at Xmas). So, any advice is appreciated. I've spent a good amount of time googling for answers but without success.
I'm attempting to help a blind computer user (using window-eyes) in being able to enjoy the podcast experience. I'd been raving about it for some time, so he wound up with a Dell Pocket DJ as a gift. The thing is, unlike the ipod and most other players I've encountered, the driver software does not represent the Dell player as a virtual drive, but instead as a sort of custom construct in Windows Explorer.
This means I am unable to use his podcast client (Juice) to download directly to the Dell mp3 player, or even set up a simple batch file for him to move the received podcasts to the player (unless I'm missing something simple?). I've tried talking him through it, and while he can get it done, its simply too byzantine a process for it to be practical for him.
I suspect the root cause of the difficulty is that Dell is trying to force you into use of the execrable MusicMatch software, in order to tap into the revenue stream for buying music. There may even be a way to accomplish it with that program, but it is horribly designed for a blind user, and he was having trouble navigating anywhere within it.
I may be missing something (or many things) obvious about this process, as I am trying to accomplish this mostly over the phone (I visited at Thanksgiving and will again at Xmas). So, any advice is appreciated. I've spent a good amount of time googling for answers but without success.
Deubox (formerly Dudebox), from Red Chair Software.
It's worth the measly $20 registration fee.
posted by twiggy at 7:18 PM on December 12, 2005
It's worth the measly $20 registration fee.
posted by twiggy at 7:18 PM on December 12, 2005
Is he running Windows XP? I can just drag files right to the DJ. I don't have iTunes or MusicMatch or any of those apps. After plugging the DJ into a USB, I go to My Computer, and the DJ is listed there as a drive. Along with my hard drive, my CD-rom drive, and my A drive, there's an icon of the DJ. I just drag MP3s to it and it loads them, thereby eliminating the middle man. Would this help your friend? It's extremely easy.
posted by iconomy at 7:53 PM on December 12, 2005
posted by iconomy at 7:53 PM on December 12, 2005
I'm attempting to help a blind computer user
no go iconomy...
posted by stratastar at 9:43 AM on December 13, 2005
no go iconomy...
posted by stratastar at 9:43 AM on December 13, 2005
Response by poster: Exactly stratastar. I've been talking him through the process, and he is actually able to perform drag and drop via a series of keyboard actions. But it really is too impractical for him to perform on a daily basis, to listen to the radio. It needs to be the seamless experience of plugging in a device and having it fill itself.
I'm very hesitant to spend any money on software, as I've found 90% of custom programs are not designed with any attention to non-sighted usability. I'd be more inclined to hunker down and write an app which performs the transfer myself (which is still a possibility).
Meehawl, some great tips there. I was actually trying to steer him towards the Archos with Rockbox, but it got lost in the translation. Badapple sounds like it may be the ticket, I'll give it a try over xmas.
Thanks all!
posted by Manjusri at 1:16 PM on December 13, 2005
I'm very hesitant to spend any money on software, as I've found 90% of custom programs are not designed with any attention to non-sighted usability. I'd be more inclined to hunker down and write an app which performs the transfer myself (which is still a possibility).
Meehawl, some great tips there. I was actually trying to steer him towards the Archos with Rockbox, but it got lost in the translation. Badapple sounds like it may be the ticket, I'll give it a try over xmas.
Thanks all!
posted by Manjusri at 1:16 PM on December 13, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
I know it's a bit late, but the blind user's mp3 player of choice seems to be an Archos or iRiver with Rockbox. It has support for voice navigation, ie, the menus and playlists/songs/directories can be assigned audible speech or cues, and it has tactile buttons. This is also great for hands free operation by sighted users.
Regarding the Dell DJ, you could use something like Media Center, which supports the Dell through the Windows WMDM interface and also supports podcasts (new feature). Not sure of its suitability for blind use though.
Although I don't use it, could you use iTunes and its built-in podcasting with a the BadApple plugin to add support for the Dell. Of course, if the podcasts download as AAC I think you might have to transcode them into WMA or mp3 if the Dell doesn't support that format. Of course, since Apple's expertise is generally with visual metaphors, its software and hardware tends to be not especially suitable for non-visual operation.
posted by meehawl at 3:48 PM on December 12, 2005