Good player, maybe great, but why no USB connection!?
I haven't done much with this device except move audio files onto it and listen to them. I've also listened to radio. These features are both fine.
Really I'm just posting this review to make note of one thing: the physical connection to your PC is NOT a standard USB or USB Mini port. Instead, they have their own proprietary connection. I just cannot understand why a company would use proprietary technology in the 21st century. So when I travel, I need to take multiple chargers/connectors, just because of this MP3 player's connection. That's a shame, and really poor design. (The connection is USB to your PC, of course; just not to the device.)
I should note that I use Windows and I drag/drop files directly into directories where I want them, and I also listen to items by navigating to specific folders (as opposed to using the artist/song/album tags of the mp3 file). All of this is quite simple, with the small exception that it takes about two more clicks than it should (on the player) to navigate to the songs stored in folders. Not all players let you navigate via folders (and I have them nested three or four deep), so this is a nice feature. There's a small problem, however, that only 28-character names are allowed for folders. The reason I need folders (as opposed to artist/album) is that my collection is primarily classical, and the player doesn't have a "by composer" setting for getting to your music. The folder name limit is a problem for classical music listeners!
2010-03-02
cheap headphone jack
After reading all the positive reviews on Amazon, I bought 2 of these as valentine's presents for me and my wife.
Her headphone jack seems to be okay, but the one I got a Black 4 GB Fuze has a flimsy jack and the headphones lose the connection with only the motion of the cable when I walk with the player in my shirt pocket.
The jack only fits part way in, so that more than 1/8 inch of the shaft is still sticking out. It looks like you should shove the jack all the way in, but it won't go in very far.
Other than not having a good set of earphones because of the jack, and the ear buds are too big, it seems like a reasonable MP3 player for the price.
If you think you want this so you can get audibooks, Audible is a little hard to work with also. I went to a lot of work to download a book from them, and saved it in MP3 format so I could also listen to it on my laptop. But the MP3 format must be converted to audible's special format or it won't play on the Fuze.
I wish I had looked a little more before buying the Fuze.
2010-02-25
BETTER THAN MICROSOFT'S ZUNE
After dealing with Microsoft's Zune MP3 Player, I found that there are several disadvantages:
1. Pay $45 every 3 months for the privilege to LISTEN ONLY to music and NOT be able to burn music. This is a stupid quarterly expense especially when we are minding our budgets.
2. Zune freezes a lot and takes time to trouble shoot; very frustrating.
3. Zune does NOT have a re-set button when it freezes; unlike the Sansa Fuze.
4. Zune is bulky.
5. I went on a cruise and took our Zune. All of a sudden it does not work because it wants me to sync with Microsoft's website in order to confirm that I am still a valid paying customer. How in the world am I going to do that when I am in the middle of the ocean?! Even if I can access the Microsoft website on the ship, the internet quality on cruise ships are as bad, if not worse, as dial-up connection. Consequently, I was not able to use my Zune during my cruise. As a result, my search to replace my Zune started and I was glad to discover all the great Amazon reviews regarding the SanDisk Sansa Fuze.
I read all the Sansa Fuze review on Amazon and purchased a Sana Fuze 4 GB MP3. It is a great MP3 player. For the amount I was paying Microsoft, I was able to BUY AND OWN music by downloading directly from Amazon. My Sansa only cost $59, the Zune is $199.
My only suggestion is to NOT use the Rhapsody software that came with the Sansa. I read from other reviews that the Rhapsody software is like a virus in that it is hard to get rid of the Rhapsody software once you download it into your PC. Plus, it puts you in a "membership" status in that you must pay periodically for the use of the software.
Amazon did a great job in delivering the Fuze in a timely manner. I got it in 4 days even though I selected the Free Shipping.
I use Windows Media Player to organize my songs and buy music from Amazon. I had a bit of a learning curve when I downloaded Amazon's software that enabled me to download MP3 music. I bought one song for 99cents and somehow failed to download it properly in my PC. I e-mailed Amazon and they allowed me to download the same song again at no charge. Indeed, I am happy with the SanDisk Sansa Fuze and I tossed my Zune in the trash.
2010-02-24
