User categories

Introduction

The users of Squeezebox and Transporter products and related software can be divided into a number of different main user categories. Many users often feel that they belong so several of the categories, but in that case they often feel that there is one of the categories that they belong to more than the rest.

The purpose of this page is the get a better understanding of different user categories of the Squeezebox solution to act as a guide when targeting new features at different user categories.

If you feel that you can't be categories into one or several of these categories, please edit this page and add a description of a new category which you feel fits you better.

User categories

The Geek

This is the user that is very interested in technology and also in music, he likes to run the latest software and latest hardware just because the fun of it. He has nothing against complicated solutions, it's just fun to see all the nice stuff they can accomplish. The geek might be able to do some programming or small modification to the code, but he might also just be interested in the installation and configuration. The installation and configuration is a big part of the fun, because this is the step on which the geek often spend a large part of his time, although sometimes he hasn't always realized himself that this is the case yet. There are a lot of people on the SlimDevices forum in this category trying to make themselves heard. This user has no problem with re-tagging his whole library just to verify a new concept. The geek has no problem running a 24/7 server, although he loves to do it in special ways, such as hacking his NAS box to make it do stuff the manufacturer haven't even thought of. The geek gets very satisfied after finishing an advanced configuration that does exactly what he wants, but he won't stay there, he often very soon starts the next configuration project to perfect his environment.

If you feel that you really belong to this category but feel that the name "The geek" doesn't feel good, don't be ashamed you can think of it as "The guru" or "The computer specialist" if it makes you feel better.

The audiophile

This is the user that focuses on the music; SqueezeCenter is just a tool the make him listen to his music. He is typically a bit interested in technology, so he can do some configuration to get what he wants, however it is never the configuration process that is the fun part. His goal is always to listen to the music the main part of the time, the configuration process is just necessary to get there. If a configuration takes too long or gets too advanced, the audiophile often stops and reverts to the previous solution which lets him listen to the music: after all the music is the important thing, not the easiness in accessing it. The most important thing to the audiophile is the audio quality, so if he can purchase some new hardware to improve the music experience, there is almost nothing that can stop him.

The audiophile typically already knows that he is an audiophile is isn't at all ashamed of being called "The audiophile".

The structured music lover

This is the user that is very ordered and feels that the most important thing is that his library is consistent when browsing. He can spend hours tagging his library to make it look correct. He doesn't know a lot about tags, and typically loves his music manager applications that let him easily structure his library, and for the same reason he sometimes get very frustrated with SqueezeCenter because he can't make it do the things he is used to be able to do. He is a bit similar to the geek, but the difference is that he doesn't like to install and configure new stuff. His focus is to get structure in his library and he also loves to access the music in the easiest possible way. The easiest possible way means to access it through the music manager application which he is used to, this might be iTunes, Winamp, Windows Media Player, foobar or MediaMonkey or a similar solution. He wants the system to work in the same way as the music manager application he is used to and he can often get a bit frustrated that he can't control the SqueezeBox through his favorite music manager application.

If you feel that you really belong to this category but feel that the name "The structured music lover" doesn't feel good, don't be ashamed you can think of it as just "The music lover" if it makes you feel better.

Massmarket Joe

This is the user that knows almost nothing about technology, tags or music formats. The SqueezeBox is just that device he has in his living room that magically lets him listen to his music or to various internet radio stations. He knows that there is something called MP3 and he think this is the format he uses in his library, but he really doesn't know for sure and definitely doesn't care. He doesn't care about lossless quality because he has a hard time trying to see the need for it since he really can't hear any difference between an MP3 and a FLAC file. He has no idea what a tag is and typically doesn't care. He is a bit frustrated that the library looks a bit strange when browsing (due to incorrect tagging), but he has never gotten frustrated enough to actually figure out how to fix it. The SqueezeBox solution either works well enough and he will keep using it, or the strange browsing eventually gets him frustrated enough to trash the product and get a new one from some other manufacturer and model.

If you feel that you really belong to this category but feel that the name "Massmarket Joe" doesn't feel good, don't be ashamed you can think of it as "A normal person" or "The majority of the population" if it makes you feel better.