Talk:Philips GoGear

Models
Hmm, I have a 2GB GoGear made by Philips that I bought at Wal-Mart like 2 years ago. I wonder why this isn't on the list :S.-- §  Eloc   §  06:48, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Not all GoGears need software to update their SQLite databases. I have a 2 GiB model. All I have to do is upload and go.

ViBE
The 2Gb and 4Gb ViBE (I've added this article to the Vibe disambiguation page) likewise can operate as a USB mass storage device. They also have a database, written to the device by the Philips Songbird software. The device can be operated without the Philips Songbird software, but some features are lost, such as the ability to specify an album cover or other picture when a song is playing.

I have the following observations, which I don't claim merit addition to the article, but which should be published somewhere:


 * If you install the Songbird software, you can no longer operate the ViBE as a mass-storage device, but only through a Philips driver. The ViBE appears in the Folders view of Windows Explorer, but no longer with a drive letter, and the driver keeps you from seeing certain files in the device's root directory.  This persists if you uninstall Songbird.
 * The ViBE contains a real-time clock, but the only time you can view the clock is if you select this mode as the device's screen saver. If you have not viewed the clock, then the current time is not the default when you go to set the date and time, but instead, I think, the last date/time you set it to.  Setting the time does not reset the seconds to :00.
 * The ViBE includes a "SmartShuffle" feature that purports to optimize song selection to the user's preferences. Philips provides no additional information.  Although the human mind sometimes sees patterns when there are none, I've become convinced that, after a series of half-hour uses of the device, the ViBE notes the songs I have listened to all the way through, and gives them a bonus score, which means that the device tends to serve up the same songs over and over again.  This can be reset by deleting \SMARTSHUFFLE.IDX on the device (unless you've installed Songbird; see above).  I would appreciate any further details on how this works and how to disable it, here or on my talk page.
 * The ViBE is shipped with an AUTORUN file in its root directory that may, when the device is connected to the PC, try to induce the PC to contact the Philips web site without the user's decision.

I leave to the regular editors any decision on what information to include in the article. Spike-from-NH (talk) 00:14, 28 March 2011 (UTC)