The readers of Slashdot (some of them at least) continue not to "get" the Rio Receiver. Someone posted a review on Slashdot the other day and the responses to it have been as bad as ever. Here is a typical posting:

I made a device with similar functionality... (Score:1)
by haggar on Sunday November 25, @10:23PM (#2611869)
(User #72771 Info)
It's called shielded stereo cable, and it runs from my PCs soundcard, to the hi-fi system's amplifier.

Really, folks, what's the point of this box, except that it's cool to have something shiny with debian in it? I mean, who gives a [censored] when you just don't need it. The calbe costs me 5 bucks, preassembled 10-meter, 3.5 mm stereo plug to RCA. It's actually cheaper than a CAT 5 cable of the same lenght!!! And the PC has a much better "interface" to control my playing list, than this tiny little box.

If you have money to spend on little amenities, that's OK, but this is simply nonsensical.

Argghh...

It seems everyone on Slashdot lives in a 10x10 room, likes the sound of a PC fan while listening to their music and doesn't realise how poor the output from PC sound cards are !

It seems everyone on Slashdot lives in a 10x10 room, likes the sound of a PC fan while listening to their music and doesn't realise how poor the output from PC sound cards are !

In other words, they are mostly college students. Yep.

I concur. Despite all the flaws and misconceptions, a credit to the reviewer for at least setting up Mock's server. Too bad the reviewer didn't bother to set up JRec in prepping for the review, or much less even try to understand what is being attempted with the architecture. He may have liked the stability and functionality of the 0.1.6 release. Dozens of users are apparently quite pleased with it.

--Reed (http://jreceiver.sourceforge.net)

I don't think Andy was trying to slam the reviewer. I think the reviewer did a very good and accurate job of reviewing the unit.

I think Andy was complaining about the slashdot posters who commented on the review, those who "don't get it" and say statements like, "I can build one of those myself from spare PC parts, why would I buy one?"

__________
Tony Fabris

Agreed, Andy said nothing of the kind.

I ought to have distinguished the shared frustration with the comments from my own difficulties with the review.

Ahhhh. I only read /. for the humor(or lack therof) now. I've tried several times to build a mp3 player out of a computer, and always run smack into the noise problem(either fans, or something blasting out the soundcard I can't supress)...I picked up the Rio Receiver, started playing with Mock's scripts, found them lacking, and quickly figured out he wasn't doing anything more with it...Then I found Reed's server, got stuck in a few places getting it running(Still haven't fixed the issue, but with Reed's help, got a workaround in place), contributed (mostly getting the laundry list together of what is needed to compile the jsp's, and getting it so when you picked an Album, it would play in track order unless you hit the random button on the player), then I made the mistake of picking up the Empeg(RioCar)...Yes, I need to get the server running again, so I can use the Receiver at home instead of the Empeg...If there was only a way to get the really cool features of the car player on the home one.

--Ben

then I made the mistake of picking up the Empeg(RioCar)...

I hope you mean that in the sense of "I am now spoiled by all of the Rio Car's features" as opposed to "it was a mistake to buy the Rio Car".

__________
Tony Fabris

I hope you mean that in the sense of "I am now spoiled by all of the Rio Car's features" as opposed to "it was a mistake to buy the Rio Car".

Um, er, yea That's the reason. I just love the shuffle mode, espcially being able to hit a button on the remote, and getting the next song changed to the same artist/etc... I've still not gotten the parts together to get it installed in my car yet, and it's a PITA to work on my car(I'm going to have a pro do the installing...And they've done an empeg install before too...As well as dealing with the issues of my car) I listen to it at home, work, and my car...(I've got it currently feeding into the current stereo until I can get it installed properly)

--Ben
10GB (soon to be more) Mk.IIa 03012576 and a RioReceiver