Hmmm... This got me wondering: on the Fiio Facebook page, in a post of photos of X3 and other DAPs, Fiio says:
"
FiiO will try to support Thai in the future, we can do that when we have enough time, and it is very easy to upgrade the firmware by our customers"
Wait, what? Does this mean there's going to be some way for users to write firmware patches, tweaks, or there's some open-source magic planned?
I had assumed that the only thing I was going to miss about my trusty old Sansa Fuze was going to be Rockbox, but this makes me wonder...
As I understand it, DAPs using the SOC approach, frequently don't get Rockbox because the chipmakers tended to be secretive with the necessary information. But if that dynamic is going to be different, this could be a seriously big deal. One of the things that gives classic gear its longevity is the growth of a user community around the product, and the ability of users to mod or tweak the unit to meet their needs is surely one of the single biggest factors that can make that happen. I have yet to see any OEM firmware with the richness of adaptability and user enthusiasm as Rockbox. It makes sense, since no single company could marshall as much creativity as a gigantic user community could.
Seriously Fiio, if you somehow make it so users can have access to the firmware to tailor it to their needs - you've got a legend in the making.
EDIT:
Oh, I kinda feel like a dumbass; as I re-read this post, it occurred to me that maybe they intended to say it was easy for the user to upDATE the firmware rather than upGRADE the firmware. Well, everything I said above is still true, IMHO.
Fiio, if Rockbox development is possible for this unit, I feel certain it would quickly dominate its market niche.
Well, I can dream.