Open Source iPod

Wired magazine has an article about a potential competitor to the iPod.

"Consumer electronics manufacturer Neuros Audio is tapping the open-source community to convert its upcoming portable media player from iPod road kill into a contender.

This could be a stroke of genius. Open-source Linux has taken on Microsoft’s dominant Windows operating system, and Mozilla has challenged the ubiquitous Internet Explorer web browser. In the same way, open source would seem suited to breaking Apple Computer’s digital music stranglehold."

The firmware code for the Neuros Audio player is here. They have assembled the majority of the player, but have left the interface to be developed and modified by open source.

It seems unlikely that an upstart brand will be able to take on the iPod even with a great interface but this is a great experiment and could serve as an example as to what open source can achieve.