Squeezebox mash note

A couple of months ago I ordered a new home music player, the Squeezebox Duet. I was a little reluctant because it wasn't cheap (nearly $500 by the time you include shipping, import duties, etc) and it requires server software, but I liked the look of it and I liked the fact that the server software was open source. I didn't really look too deeply: I just thought "shiny!" and dug out my credit card. Besides, my bro-in-law loves his old Squeezebox, so I figured it'd be good.

But zOMG, I was totally unprepared for what I got: more than meets the eye. This thing is incredible – a real example of what a great product a company can build when it totally understands how to use open source software to build a platform and build a committed community of users and developers. Everything about it is cool. Yes, I knew I was essentially buying an iPod-style remote control for my stereo which would hook to my network and suck all of my music off my computer (actually, my NAS). But it really is a platform.

First, the hardware is very slick. It is well designed, feels nice, looks very chic, and has tons of room to grow. They built in so many extras that the platform can grow for a long time just catching up with the hardware: 3-axis accelerometer, USB adapter and SD flash slot on the remote, WiFi all over the place... simply spectacular. You could build a bunch of cool things on this platform.

Second, the software is quite capable. It was easy to install (on Ubuntu, I just had to add their repository and the package). Unfortunately, the latest version of the server software, SqueezeCenter, has not yet been adapted to run on the NSLU2 I purchased for the express purpose, but it is doing okay on my four-year-old laptop. Besides, I might be able to put it directly on my NAS200 soon.

Third, they're working quite actively on the software, and they walk the talk when it comes to full disclosure: the whole stack is open. They not only release all of their code, they give you a real toolchain and support in making changes. Unlike other devices which manufacturers churn out and abandon, they've recently released an update to the remote control firmware that addresses issues with seeking through music lists, making it much more friendly and responsive. The remote control software also builds and runs on desktop Linux, OSX, and even ghetto Windows (a true tour de force) which makes it easy to build and debug your add-in modules (in Lua: how very nerd chic) or your own custom firmware. It also just gives you a nice remote control to run on your laptop. The open source firmware makes it possible for a community of hackers to come up with endless cool applications for all of that tasty overengineering that went into the remote.

But here's the clincher: I had an issue with my album images not showing up. I've been compulsively tagging my music collection and applying album images to make the lists look pretty, but the images weren't showing up properly – even worse, it was sending corrupt images to the browser, throwing the format and making it all look weird. So I started looking at it, and reported the problem on their bugtrack system. One of their engineers fixed it fourteen hours later; I grabbed the in-development build the next day and my issue was fixed. Twenty-four hour turnaround.

That is not only great service, it helps them build and take advantage of a community of expert users. Unlike some companies which persecute people who fix their problems, at least one part of Logitech has it figured out.