Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 More Headache Than It's Worth - Going Back! August 22, 2008
Unlike most people, this was my first purchase of an MP3 player. I was looking for something small, didn't need all the "bells & whistles," and price was definitely a factor. The Sansa Sandisk Clip seemed to fit all of those requirements.
I was excited when I received this item - visually it fulfilled all of its promises. Then I tried to download music and charge the unit, and that's where the struggles started!
PLUG & PLAY: Contrary to some reviews, this unit is NOT plug & play. Plug and play means one simply plugs the unit into their computer and they can follow the instructions and begin using the component. Sansa Sandisk does not allow for this. The instructions that come with this unit state that after plugging the unit into a USB port, the user is click on "Open...." and the Sandisk will appear in a folder under MyComputer. First, there was nothing to click on, and there was no folder in MyComputer containing Sandisk. I checked, re-checked, and checked again. I tried to open the drive where the Sandisk was located, and was unable to. It wasn't until I went the Sansa website and checked the forums that I learned I has to put the unit on HOLD and then PRESS & HOLD the center button while I was connecting the USB port. Even this took several tries, but eventually it worked. I never did receive the verbage to click on the included instructions told me would appear.
DOWNLOADING MUSIC: This fairly easy, I guess. The first time I downloaded music, the unit stated it was writing, but when I attempted to search for it, nothing was in the Sandisk. I've no idea where the music went. The second time I attempted download, it worked. I'm not sure if this was my error or not, but after my initial problems with this unit I'm not as willing to accept "user error."
BATTERY: The requirements on the box states one needs a USB 2.0 port. Not being a Computer Scientist, I just assume that means ALL USB ports are 2.0. Evidently, this is not true. There are USB ports that are 1.1 and "enhanced" ports that are 2.0, and this thing requires the 2.0 ports to charge effectively. (I learned this AFTER I had purchased this!) Once I had the music downloaded, I left the unit plugged into my computer to sufficiently charge. Overnight, no less. The next morning the battery was so low, the unit wouldn't even turn on. HUH??? So, back out the forums on the Sansa website I go, where I discover the above in relationship to "enhanced" USB ports, and the possibility that of multiple USB ports on one's computer, there may only be one that is "enhanced" - and that one may be in the back! So, if you need to recharge the battery, and the only "enhanced" USB port you have is in the back of your computer, you are going to have to plug this thing back there each and every time! Keep in mind, the cable to do this is only about 3 inches long. Yes, that's what I said: 3 INCHES!
There was another item I learned about the battery on the Sansa website in relation to the Sandisk Clip. In some (I gathered quite a few) units there are defective batteries that the company knows about. This battery discharges very quickly, like within just a few hours. Now, Sansa will replace units with this defective battery, but replacement units can take up to 2 - 3 weeks to arrive. So, if you are having charging problems, it might be that you are not plugged into the correct USB port or it might be your unit has one of the defective batteries.
For me, this is way too much headache for something that was supposed to be simple. I'm not exceptionally technically minded, and I hate it when electronic gizmos don't work the way the manufacturer tells me they should. I don't like putting in a whole lot of extra time and effort on something that should be simple and easy to use. I can understand if MP3 players were first on the market they might have been complicated, but they have become rather standard by now and this should be as simple as any other electronic device.
My advice? If you don't like to hassle with electronics and just want ease and simplicity, stay away from this one! After all, there is a reason why it is so cheap! Let those who enjoy hassling with this stuff have at it. For me, this one is going back, and I say: Good Riddance!
 sansa clip August 9, 2008
very good sound quality
2Gb
light and can be cliped on a lot stuff (nice for biking)
 A tiny player.... that Rocks! June 23, 2008
This little player was a big surprise to me. Have you ever seen a super tiny electronic device that seems to do more than is possible for it's tiny size? Well, this certainly fits into that category. To illustrate how tiny this thing is, the size of the circular dial on the front of it (the blue glowing circle) is slightly smaller than a quarter. The player itself is super thin too. So here are a few more reasons why this player is amazing:
Pros:
-Super Tiny and Thin
-Sound quality is great
-Built in Radio
-Built in Microphone
-Built in Clip (hence the name) and perfect for jogging
-Super bright 2 color Led Screen (it's probably organic LED)
-Plug & Play (at least it was for me)... just like a USB drive
-Long lasting internal battery (my guess is at least 8 hours play time)
-Charges through standard Mini-usb to USB cable.
-Amazing price for all the features it includes.
Cons:
I honestly don't have anything bad to say about this player, and I swear that I don't work for Sandisk. I kind of collect MP3 players and also own the Creative Zen Vision and Zen Muvo^2.
Conclusion: If you are thinking about buying an Ipxd shuffle or replacing your shuffle, this player is perfect for your needs and is so much better than a shuffle. It is easier to use, has more features, and sounds better! Not to mention it also has a LED screen. Plus, you don't have to deal with Itunes. Just plug this baby in, drag some songs from your computer and you're done. And yes, it does have a "Shuffle" play mode which includes "Repeat tracks" or "Play once" options. This little player really is a marvel of modern tech... I hope someday they will sell one with 60GB of memory. Now that... would Rock! For now, they only come in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB... I think.
 Good Overall February 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have enjoyed this so far. I seem to get about 7 hours of play time out of it. I like it's simple interface and clip along with having a FM receiver.
The only problem I had was the battery would die after 3 days, even if turned off. I had to return it to Sandisk for a replacement.
Great MP3 player January 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I did a lot of research to find the best mp3 player for an economical price and I found this little jewel. I didn't pay attention to the dimensions, so I was a little surprised at how small the player is. I started charging it right away. It comes with a very short USB cable (around 4 to 6 inches), but I used my digital camera USB cable. I'm not sure how long it took to fully charge, but I think it was around an hour or so. It also came with some software, but I didn't install it.
I didn't have any problems with Windows XP recognizing it and Windows Media Player was easy to use to move my files over. I almost used up the entire 2 Gigs and it wasn't super fast at transferring that amount data, but it wasn't slow either.
The display is easy to see and I love the size of this player and it has a good clip. It's small enough that you can clip on the neck line of your t-shirt and it doesn't bother you. This is great for walking. Of course if you have pocket on your shirt, you can put it there as well.
I have big fingers, but I still find it easy to push the buttons. You can either play the songs in your music folder or you can select a playlist that you have created. I was surprised by how good the sound is. I don't have the best hearing in the world, but I can hear the sound loud and clear with the volume up halfway. Other reviews I read said the sound quality is better on this player than the I-pod. The ear buds work well in my ears, but they may be too big for someone with small ears.
I don't know how much I will use the FM radio, but I did try it and it works well. It will automatically scan for stations and then you can keep them or delete them. It will only pick up strong stations, which is to be expected without an antenna.
I haven't tried the voice recorder, but I am sure it works fine as well.
There are several adjustments that can be made under settings. The one I found most useful was the sleep mode. If you like to go to sleep listening to music and don't want to run the battery down while you're sleeping, you can set the player to automatically turn off. The longest setting is 90 minutes. I have only had my player for 2 days, so I can't tell you how long it lasted before it needed to be recharged, but based on other reviews I read, it will stay charged for about 15 hours of use.
There are other settings I could tell you about, but I don't want to write a manual. Overall, I think this is excellent product and I look forward to using it.
|
