Review by S. Rysdyk:
I owned the first generation clip, and the new 8gb clip+ retains everything that was great about the first while adding all around refinements.

Pros:

- Overall build quality has improved, but especially with the clip mechanism.

- Files on MicroSD integrate seemlessly with the on board memory.

- The volume and power buttons have more ergonomic placement on the device.

- Sound quality remains great.

- Audiobook files can be sped up slightly to save some “reading” time.

- The interface is a little smoother and nicer to move through.

- The square trackpad makes it easier to navigate without looking at the player. (good for runners)

Cons:

- No cap on the MicroSD slot, so that could potentially get dirty.

If you don’t need gimmicks such as touch screens and web browsers, then this player is quite possibly the best on the market for value, size, and quality. The Clip+ is definitely worth the few extra bucks over what the first gen clip is selling for now.

UPDATE: Having used the product for a while the one thing I’m disappointed with is battery life. The meter drains down to 50% at the expected pace, and then goes from 50% to 0 quite fast. I haven’t timed it but i’m sure the battery life (using all default settings) is quite less than the advertised 14-15 hours.

Review by Pramod Agrawal:
So recently, because I love my Sansa Clip so much for exercising, and I thought I could use one more, I picked one of these up at Bestbuy. I have used it for about a week so I can’t say anything about the longetivity of the new Clip Plus, but I can tell you about everything else. First I will give you the cons since there is only one and that is also only about preference. I personally LOVED the sleek look of the original sansa clip, but that has been replaced with a sort of glittery finish on the front. That is about it and to add to this, everything else from the outside such as the plastic used has been revamped to feel better in your hands and is just overall better quality. Now on to the most important part, the features. The main thing that sets this apart from the original clip is the addition of a microSD card slot. This can take up to a 32gb microSD card, so if you were to pair one with this, you could potentially get a 36(!)gb memory for this puny little item. That is the next thing I will get into, the size. If you haven’t ever heard about the original sansa clip, basically, Sandisk designed this line of Sansa for portability and mainly for exercise. It feels really good in the hand and the non removable clip on the back can clip on to virtually anything. Next is the display. The menu remains much of the same, but Sansa also added slotRadio compatibility and a nicer flow to menu if you’re into that. Finally we’ll go to the placement of the buttons. On the old sansa clip, there was a button the side for power and hold, but a lot of clip owners including me found that uncomfortable. To cope with this, Sandisk put the power button on the top and put the hold funtion to holding the home button for about 3 seconds. So overall, this is a fantastic MP3 player in any category, but if you are in the market for one for the gym, pass up the Ipod Shuffle for 79$ with no screen and counter-intuitiveness(in my opinion) and get this really nice compact MP3 player for only 50$ for the 4gb, 40$ for the 2gb and 70$ for the 8gb. Thank you and I hope this review helps.

Review by B. Lee:
This little thing does everything it’s supposed to. It’s easy to load with music via drag & drop. I found the easiest way to transfer music was to leave it in MTP mode, format the drive, and just drag and drop my music onto it. There are some files on it from the factory, some podcast program also, I don’t need that stuff so a format worked the best for me. MTP mode lets you just pull it out and go, without having to do the “safely remove hardware” method. (windows XP)

The battery life is what it is. I used it for about 13hrs before needing to change batteries. I will be looking into a rechargeable battery for it soon.

It’s not as smooth and slick looking as the image shown here. It looks a little cheaper and bulkier in person. There is no mic either, as shown in this image. It has a little hole for it, but no mic.

The FM tuner worked just fine, and has a lot of available presets (31).

Instructions are very detailed and easy to understand.

The included earphones are not comfortable, they are the hard disc type.

I bought this with the Coby CVE92 Isolation Stereo Earphones Isolation Stereo Earphones which together make for a great inexpensive MP3 player.

EDIT: I’m sorry to say that this has died after only 3 months of light use. The display started giving a garbled, completely random look, and none of the buttons worked. I was able to connect it to the PC and get all my music from it, but it was useless as an MP3/FM player. I returned it (after the 3 month limit) and lost for a “restocking fee”. I can’t find anything similar in size and function, so I ordered another one to try again. The price went down + since the original order, so I actually spent less this time than on the first order. We’ll see how long the new one lasts….

Review by Mark Albert:
The sound quality is good–excellent if you give extra points for the low price. It was easy and reasonably quick to load MP3 files from my PC to the Coby MP305 once I figured out how to get into the correct USB mode. I am also impressed that this unit includes an excellent FM radio–my 0 iPod doesn’t have a radio

I like everything about this device higher except for the confusing and limiting user interface. You can set up separate folders for each album or artist, but navigating from one album to another or from one artist to another is quirky at best. If you are looking for an excellent value on a shuffle-mode MP3 player, look no further, but if you want to be able to select specific songs, this may not be the model for you.

Review by musicfan:
If all you are looking for is a great sounding, small, cheap mp3 player with a display and expandability options, then the clip + is your best choice. This is very similar to the old clip with the following major differences:

- two minor button placement changes (improvement)

- UI is a bit smoother (menus scroll now)

- volume normalizing/gain

- micro-SD slot for up to 16 added gigs (which is huge)

- a little thicker, probably due to SD support

- clip is no longer removable (depending on your preference, this is a good or bad thing-guess you could just rip it off and file it down if you wanted to)

As always, it sounds great and blows away the iPod Shuffle in terms of value. So light and small–great for the gym. If you need your mp3 player to play games, surf the internet or serve double purpose as a grocery list, then this isn’t for you, but if you’re on a budget or just need something that plays music and does so well, this is the one.

Review by D. Ireland:
I got one of these as a backup player to use for running. Its great – small, lightweight and you can clip it onto a pocket, shirt sleeve or collar and it will hold firmly without falling off. Only had it a week week and its already taken the place of the Cowon D2 I bought a couple of years ago.

If you’re looking for a small form factor, well made and cheap flash player without any frills, you’ll find it in the Clip+.

These days, the only real benefit to buying a bigger player is so that you can play video on the fly and indeed the design of a lot of new MP3 players seems to be moving in the direction of Portable Media and Games. But if you’re after an old-school, no frills MP3 player that sounds great – this is the one for you.

This is easy to use, the interface is simple (crucial if you’re using it for running) and it requires no proprietary software (like iTunes) – just a simple drag and drop, and you have an Micro SD card slot to expand the memory (another or will get you a 16 gb micro-sd). All in all a lot better value for money than the screenless iPod shuffle.

If you are in the market for a budget MP3 player, there’s really no reason not to buy one of these.

The only downer is the battery life – at 15 hours its decent, but the battery is non-removable (though the cost of the player is so little that by the time it wears out you’ll have got your worth), and I’m not sure how the use of the SD card slot will impact that. On my D2 with its rated 52 hours of battery life – playing music or video from the memory card slot seems to reduce the battery life by up to 50%. Something to bear in mind.

Review by Eli:
I began the search for the most versatile MP3 video player I could find at a descent price. Yes, my search included the ipod as well. When all was said and done, I choose the Sansa Fuze due to the amount of features, and they happen to come at a better price than the Ipod.

I wanted the ability to expand, in the event I fill my fuze, I can use the micro sd slot. The micro sd cards are relatively cheap and seem to be expanding is size all the time. I bought the 8 GB fuze and can expand as needed.

FM radio is a great feature. You may have all the music you want, but sometimes it is nice to listen to the news or hear new music. And just in case you hear something you like, it can be recorded and played back on your fuze.

The navigation is straight forward and things load very fast. The battery life is great at about 24 hours when listening to music. I have not watched many movies at this point so I can’t give an estimate for viewing time.

Sansa releases updates that are easy to obtain when they make improvements to the firmware. I suspect some of the reviews I read before I bought my fuze regarding slow load time were fixed with firmware updates.

If are looking for a feature packed MP3 player at a great price check out the fuze.

Review by Doc Stew:
I’ve tried a ton of MP3 players. A TON. And for the money, I will argue that you can’t find a better MP3 player on the market.

I’ve owned and loved Sansa MP3 players for years. They have a great interface, are super easy to use, and have excellent sound quality. The Fuze, as opposed to the View, has the same sound processing as the amazing Clip. What does that mean? That means that this MP3 player arguably has the BEST sound quality of any MP3 player right now.

It’s thin, light, and bright. It has a great screen (would be handy for movies, although I haven’t tried watching any yet) and a very slick interface.

It has a rubberized back which makes me much less paranoid about babying this player. I can toss it around on the table or in my pocket and not have to worry about scratching it up. I use a protective clear skin on the front (from bestskinsever) and it keeps the screen pristine and scratch-free.

The absolute best part about the Fuze is the microSD slot. I have the 8 GB player, and an 8 GB micro SDHC card inserted which gives me a 16 GB mp3 player for 70 dollars!! You canNOT find another mp3 player with that kind of memory for that kind of money. Period.

I use this with my Rhapsody-to-go subscription. It works perfectly with Rhapsody, and even has an option to transfer Rhapsody channels on it (radio type stations with a ton of different music that Rhapsody thinks you would like based on your previous selections). Superb.

You don’t need Rhapsody to enjoy this player though. I drag and drop mp3s just using Windows Explorer (you can also use Windows Media Player). It’s got amazing compatibility and will play just about any kind of music file.

You won’t find a better deal on the market today. Set any brand snobbery aside and just get an amazing mp3 player with amazing sound – you won’t regret it!

Review by S. Rysdyk:
I owned the first generation clip, and the new 8gb clip+ retains everything that was great about the first while adding all around refinements.

Pros:

- Overall build quality has improved, but especially with the clip mechanism.

- Files on MicroSD integrate seemlessly with the on board memory.

- The volume and power buttons have more ergonomic placement on the device.

- Sound quality remains great.

- Audiobook files can be sped up slightly to save some “reading” time.

- The interface is a little smoother and nicer to move through.

- The square trackpad makes it easier to navigate without looking at the player. (good for runners)

Cons:

- No cap on the MicroSD slot, so that could potentially get dirty.

If you don’t need gimmicks such as touch screens and web browsers, then this player is quite possibly the best on the market for value, size, and quality. The Clip+ is definitely worth the few extra bucks over what the first gen clip is selling for now.

UPDATE: Having used the product for a while the one thing I’m disappointed with is battery life. The meter drains down to 50% at the expected pace, and then goes from 50% to 0 quite fast. I haven’t timed it but i’m sure the battery life (using all default settings) is quite less than the advertised 14-15 hours.

Review by Pramod Agrawal:
So recently, because I love my Sansa Clip so much for exercising, and I thought I could use one more, I picked one of these up at Bestbuy. I have used it for about a week so I can’t say anything about the longetivity of the new Clip Plus, but I can tell you about everything else. First I will give you the cons since there is only one and that is also only about preference. I personally LOVED the sleek look of the original sansa clip, but that has been replaced with a sort of glittery finish on the front. That is about it and to add to this, everything else from the outside such as the plastic used has been revamped to feel better in your hands and is just overall better quality. Now on to the most important part, the features. The main thing that sets this apart from the original clip is the addition of a microSD card slot. This can take up to a 32gb microSD card, so if you were to pair one with this, you could potentially get a 36(!)gb memory for this puny little item. That is the next thing I will get into, the size. If you haven’t ever heard about the original sansa clip, basically, Sandisk designed this line of Sansa for portability and mainly for exercise. It feels really good in the hand and the non removable clip on the back can clip on to virtually anything. Next is the display. The menu remains much of the same, but Sansa also added slotRadio compatibility and a nicer flow to menu if you’re into that. Finally we’ll go to the placement of the buttons. On the old sansa clip, there was a button the side for power and hold, but a lot of clip owners including me found that uncomfortable. To cope with this, Sandisk put the power button on the top and put the hold funtion to holding the home button for about 3 seconds. So overall, this is a fantastic MP3 player in any category, but if you are in the market for one for the gym, pass up the Ipod Shuffle for 79$ with no screen and counter-intuitiveness(in my opinion) and get this really nice compact MP3 player for only 50$ for the 4gb, 40$ for the 2gb and 70$ for the 8gb. Thank you and I hope this review helps.

Review by E. Yasi:
Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.

I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)

Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.

Points of comparison:

- Brighter OLED screen with more vivid color and better contrast

OLED screens can wash out in direct sunlight more than others, but in almost any other situation they are clearly preferable, and have a marvelous eye-catching picture that needs to be seen to be appreciated. The screen has slighly lower resolution than the iPod Touch, but is also slightly smaller, so in the end video looks a little less pixellated when viewed closely, and very vivid.

- HD Radio

If you live within the reception area of some HD radio stations this can be a surprisingly nice feature. For me it’s not so much the slightly better sound quality as it is the additional streams of content that make this fun. For example, if you tune into an FM station, then it’s playing what you here, and if you don’t like it too bad. With an HD station, you may tune in and it will be shown with up to three signals to chose from labeled HD1, HD2, and HD3. HD1 may have whatever is playing on the FM version, HD2 may be news, and HD3 might be some alternative music w/ a different theme. For example one of our oldies station in the Boston area broadcasts a love-song themed selection on HD3. One caveat: if you don’t have a strong enough signal, these HD versions can cut in and out, making them frustrating to listen to. But, when the signal is strong enough it’s very enjoyable.

- 720p video output via (an over-priced) dock. When transferring video content to the Zune you can specify if it should be sized appropriately for playback on the Zune or TV, so if you do plan to just watch on your Zune you won’t have the video taking up huge amounts of storage.

- Zune Pass subscription service

This is my favorite feature that will keep me using a Zune until it’s pried from my my desperate grasp. For a month I get 10 DRM-free MP3 songs to keep, and unlimited access to millions of songs. As long as you would have bought at least 10 songs anyways that means you’re paying only for that access. It’s better than Pandora, Slacker, LastFM or other services because you can listen to full CDs, specify playlists and tracks in the exact order you want, AND can either stream this music or store it on your Zune to listen to later, even if out of wifi range. Lots of people present subscription services as something you do INSTEAD of owning music, but at this cheap a price there’s no reason you can’t use this as a supplement to whatever purchases you make. It’s not either/or, it’s a wonderful “AND”, especially if you’re the type who likes to explore and enjoy a broad range of music.

Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.

- Wireless sync

In addition to wireless net access, you can sync your Zune to your PC wirelessly, which can be quite convenient on occasion. The new Zune HD seems to have better wireless reception than my prior Zunes.

- Smart DJ

Rhapsody first popularized a playlist construction service with its ‘Channels’ feature, and Apple followed with its ‘Genius’ feature. The idea is that you specify a song or artist, and the service will construct a playlist of similar music of both familiar and new artists for you to enjoy. The prior Zunes had a ‘Channel’ feature too, but I found it lacking in sophistication and accuracy. The 4.0 Zune Marketplace upgrade (the Zune equivalent of iTunes) now has a ‘Smart DJ’ feature that is a much improved version of the old Channels. I actually find it very useful now, and what’s even better is that if you have Zune Pass you can specify whether it should pull music exclusive from your collection, from the Zune Pass selection, or from a combination of both. It’s wonderfully flexible and lots of fun.

- Web Browsing

The new Zune browser is surprisingly good, but not as good as the iPod’s. It works well, but isn’t as fast as Safari, and has a clunkier interface. If you occasionally plan on using the web browser that’s not an issue, but if you’re planning to browse the web alot from your PMP then the iPod’s larger screen and better browser may be important.

- App Store

Hands down, Apple’s app store wins by a mile. It’s a huge selection of all sorts of apps vs a rather sad selection of a handful for Zune. Microsoft has plans, especially in the realm of games, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on the future if this aspect is important to you. The iPod is a much better choice in that case.

- Zune Marketplace and iTunes

This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.

- UI

The HD’s UI was a bold move that paid off. It may look cluttered and overly busy in screenshots, but to see it in action is to appreciate the design. It isn’t always obvious, and the provided documentation is sparse, but a little experimentation will show you a UI with lots of flexibility, like a menu of favorites, newly added music, and a user-definable set of shortcuts to your favorite playlists, artists, HD Radio stations, etc. One quibble: it takes one too many clicks and touches to bring up the now playing screen after the display has ‘gone to sleep’ while you’re listening to it. Other than that, the UI is delightful.

- Summary

The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.

If you’re still on the fence: grab your favorite earphones, head down to a Best Buy and ask to plug them into a Zune then an iPod and see which one sounds better to you, and which interface makes you smile more. Then you’ll know which is right for you.

- Current Zune Owners

(See, I didn’t forget you!) I think owners of any of the older flash players will be delighted at the upgrade, as long as money isn’t an issue. Don’t hesitate. Those who value the higher capacity of the 80gb or a 120gb will have a tougher choice. If you can’t afford both, then you’ll have to weigh the ability to be able to have all (or at least most) of your music stored on the device vs the HD radio, better display, and sleeker than a seal UI. As I said before, this new Zune is surprisingly small and light, and you should find one to get a feel for in person too, because then you can really evaluate how compelling those new features are to you. Oh, and don’t forget it has an Equalizer if that matters!

Keep in mind: Microsoft has made it clear that the HD line is the future. They were great about giving new features to the older models in the past, but we’re seeing a clear signal with the 4.0 Marketplace. Most of the cool new stuff is only going to the new kid on the block, and I think that will continue to be the case. They won’t cut you out entirely, but if they’re going to concentrate on making the HD succeed, then I suspect that is where most if not all of their future focus and effort will go.

Sorry for the huge review, but I’m really loving the new Zune, and hope this, as well as the excellent reviews some other people have written, will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Review by enders4you:
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MCY118RZQL1H Here is a simple video on the features and what the Zune HD player can do . . .

Review by Misty Burnett:
I bought this player for my 11 year old and have had great luck with it. We found that it was easy to load music, videos and games on from my computer – just a matter of copying files from the computer to the device. It is also easy to use once you get the hang of it. The screen is bright and crisp and it seems to be pretty durable. My daughter loves the internal speaker (no ear buds required) and the touch screen display. The only “wishes” that we have for it are – a place to put the little “pen” on the machine, and that the touch screen were a little more sensitive. Her best friend has an I-pod Nano and was jealous of all the features that this little player has and how well it works compared to the I-pod.

Review by J. Rogers:
This unit has a very large screen and it is very easy to see the video. I have a One Click YouTube downloader. Then I use the free software from CNET to convert it to the Media Players file extention. Then plug the Player into the computer and move the files over. I do not see how it can be any easier. There are lots of music videos on the internet ready to download. Even the expensive media players you have to covert to their format. In fact they can be more difficult to use because of copy protection that you do not run into on these units. If you want to download the music videos for free, then this is the one to get. It is like having a little TV in your pocket. Whatever is on TV can be recorded and played on your media player. Esp with the clear crisp digital image they have now. Just get a video capture card and your ready to go. Get some LG speakers and you can share your music with your friends and even look on the screen to see who is making the music. Plug them in at night and your ready to go the next day. Be sure to back up your files, because you never know when you will have to reformat & reload your computer or player. The small screen players are nice also. But this is a great deal with the large screen and the easy to use touch buttons.

Review by gadget lover:
This player is really well thought out. I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about an Ipod nano. The included software is complete and works flawlessly. Best of all, it will play WMA music files, has an included FM radio, has an expansion slot, and plays home videos. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1. MUSIC- You can drag and drop from windows explorer or you can use Windows Media Player 10. Your choice. Either way works great. Note: The installation CD does not include WMP 10 but no big deal.

2. PHOTOS- The included media app on the install CD is a wonder to behold. It couldn’t be easier to use and is rock solid stable. Photos shot horizontally are cropped (like widescreen) but photos that are vertical are shown full screen. I am going to experiment on this but haven’t had time just yet since I just bought the Sansa.

3. VIDEO- Probably the best feature. The same media app that you use for photos also doubles for videos. Again, unlike some other players that have problems with converting video, this is heaven sent. Just pick out a video and press convert. It converts and then transfers in one step. It works perfectly.

Unlike past Sansa’s you have to spend extra for a decent carrying case. Still, if you like felt pouches and lanyards (I Don’t), they come included. One minor drawback is that you can only charge using the USB attached to the computer. An AC adapter would have been nice.

One final note. I tried to convert 2 DVD movies that were already on my hard drive. They were in the 550-700mb range. Each time, the video utility started to convert them no problem. However, in each case the utility timed out after 13 minutes 39 seconds. It cancelled the whole thing so not to worry about having 1/2 a movie on your sansa. I am going to fool around with this and see if I can shrink the file size of those 2 movies to around 200-300mb and try again. If I can work around this and am sucessful I’ll let you know. Even though trying to watch a feature length movie on a 1.8 inch screen might be a bit much, the screen itself is really crystal clear (better than nano) and TFT not STN. I would highly recommend this player to anyone. Finally, a company that got everything right and it all comes right out of the box.

Review by Joe Smith:
The other reviews have already commented on the features and performance, so I’ll try to comment on those aspects that haven’t gotten much attention.

This is a great player, but I will concentrate on some annoying aspects:

1. When you charge via USB, the display on the device is always on. It doesn’t fall asleep or go dim. The device is also nonresponsive in this mode, ie the buttons won’t work and you won’t be able to play or do anything.

2. If you have a USB wall charger, the display will dim and the buttons will work while charging. But the device must be on, it won’t charge via AC if the device is turned off.

3. Playlists can be made on the fly, but you have to play each song you want to add to the playlist in order to bring up the option.

4. Video conversion software only installs on windows XP. It also breaks up larger files into smaller ones, and it’s not very intuitive to copy whole DVD’s. The quicktime format it uses is proprietary. Also, video files are only recognized in the root folder, so the device won’t see files located in subfolders. Videos run at 15 fps.

5. Has the option of choosing MSC or MTP mode. MSC loads the player like a flash drive so you manually drag and drop files. MTP works with wmp 10, and some other third party software to manage your syncing. I prefer MSC, but I switched to MTP because when you unplug the USB cable in MSC mode, the device reboots itself. It does not do this is MSC mode.

This is a great player, but you’ll need to spend some time configuring everything to your preferences. The Sandisk firmware has good basic functionality, but if you’re used to lots of features for customization, be prepared to work for it with this device. I miss features like “play most recently synchronized” that my old player had. The good news is that these firmware drawbacks may soon be addressed when Rockbox firmware is released. The hardware and build quality of this device is truly excellent, and it will be the best flash player on the market once Rockbox firmware is released for the e200 series.

Review by Jeff ten Bosch:
This little device is a high quality and very easy to use ‘MP3′ player. Of course it does more than just play music. From a usability perspective, I think it rivals the iPod interface and provides more feedback. While I really love the device, there are some things that I wish were a little better.

Pros

—-

- Very nice screen and just big enough that if you were stuck on a plane, watching a movie still is an enjoyable experience.

- Simple and very intuitive interface. I love the fact that the iPod-like wheel actually rotates.

- Expansion via MicroSD cards is a great feature. I was able to swap the MicroSD card between my BlackBerry and the Fuze and be able to share images, and music.

- The FM Radio and ability to record from it is one of the coolest features. There’s something about the randomness about radio that I still really like. And the ability to record a song that I don’t already have can save you some money.

- I haven’t used the external mic yet, but I think that’s a neat feature to have when you have a thought and want to record it. I can think of several times where I’ve had a thought and wasn’t able to write it down.

Cons

—-

- The most frustrating experience I’ve had with the Fuze is the ability to get Video transferred. I’ve tried multiple formats and have been very unsuccessful in finding the right format to use. This is the main reason I’ve not given it a full 5 star review. Of course it’s ridiculous to think that this would be a ‘Movie’ player. However, I have some great concerts that I would love being able to watch as well as listen to. I’m not interested in watching a movie.

- The on/off switch is great if you want to make sure that you don’t accidentially turn on/off. However, I think it’s overly difficult. Especially if you have large fingers. I would have preferred to press the Play button for a couple of seconds.

- The device ‘hiccups’ when scrolling through music that has album art. For some reason, when you get to the list of albums, the select button doesn’t work until the album art appears. Often requiring you to double-click. Not a big deal, unless you’re quickly trying to find a song to add to the play list.

- Finally, the device is either too new or not popular enough to warrant accessories. I really want to buy a protective cover, but they don’t exist. I’ve read that some people are using Nano covers, but they don’t fit well enough. This is really bad if you want to use the Fuze while exercising or cutting the lawn.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Fuze to anyone looking for a low-cost small media device. The cons shouldn’t sway you away from buying it, but they are good to know. I’ll update my review when I figure out the right combination of video formats for the device.

Review by Chet Ragsdale:
This player has really just become available. I ordered thru an Amazon seller, before it became available. Shipping was a little higher. But I wanted it right away. This thing is a perfect size, but beware..little if any accessories exist for it at the moment. I am sure this will change. A skin would be nice to protect the front face..which is very attractive to scratching. The thumb wheel works great, and I have big thumbs. All the menus are easily accessible and it syncs with Windows Media

Player 11 quickly and easily. I have mostly older CD’s that I wanted to rip to file and then sync. Most all of the cover art was available with WMP11 and it rolled seamlessly into the Fuze. Several view modes while playing , one with the EQ, one with the cover art enlarged, one with time of song and time left etc;. Screen is big enough to suit my needs and it plays very well through the aux jack in my car. Battery seems to last longer than some. I would say the only drawback is that this battery is NOT replaceable according to Sansa, so hope it lasts awhile. Overall the price is great and the ease of carrying a few Micro SDHC cards give it unlimited potential. Great unit.

UPDATE: After having this a couple weeks, I would give it 5 stars, GREAT little unit…With the Fuze itself and the 4 Gig Micro SDHC card, I now have 2163 songs on it. I also had a 2 gig card with a 150 songs on it and counting. Performs flawlessly.

UPDATE 2: Dec.19,2008. I still have had no problems with mine. No skipping, or ticks. And no problem with a myriad of different headsets.

I’m sure its possible to get defective units, as anything produced in mass quantity is going to have a few slip through with a defect or two. But, from my point of view…..no problem

UPDATE 3: Jul 10, 2009. One minor drawback. With the Fuze volume all the way to max and my car volume on max, it still…on some songs is not loud enough for me. Some rock music, you know…..you just might like loud. This does not always allow that, especially over road noises. Sitting still it is fine, but if you like loud music through the car stereo, this could be a little lacking.

Review by Allan Brown Sr.:
The ear plugs included with the player are too hard and not easily inserted into the ear. I bought the CVE92 Isolation Ear Plugs (White) and they are very good. Manual does not offer a whole lot of advice. Computer literates will be able to find out how to rip and synch up with Windows Media Player. One main gripe! The player does not play the music that is added in the order it is ripped and synched; all music files are arranged alphabetically within the album name on the player. Bummer when listening to soundtracks, etc. Would have upgraded to a better model that loads files in the order ripped. However, for the money, this is a good player.

Review by P. Epps:
Admittedly, I purchased this product largely based upon the price and the good reviews mentioned here. Since I was purchasing this as a replacement for my Autistic son, my basic requirements and expectations for an mp3 player were minimal. An effective player without all kinds of technological bells and whistles would suit me fine. After opening the package, however, I immediately reassessed my “minimalist” viewpoint. The first thing I noticed was the player’s cheap, flimsy encasing; which is some sort of cut-rate, thin plastic. That was my first disappointment. The second thing I noticed was the fact that the manufacturers appeared to have taken my minimalist theory a bit too literally because the entire unit consists of a display area and two buttons: a Menu Button and a Control Button. That’s it. My second disappointment. Still, in an attempt to not be ultra finicky, I read the rather ineffectual instruction manual, hooked it up to my PC, charged the battery and, after a while, went about the process of transferring music files into it using Windows Media Player. Although the synchronization of the music files was slower than my other mp3 player (Sansa), it did go smoothly because it was easily recognized by both my PC and the media player. That was a nice plus.

Now that the unit is fully charged and loaded with 1,500+ music files, the time has come for me to turn it on and give it a whirl. I insert the ear buds that came with the music player into my ears. They feel weird; overly large and slanted at a strange angle. My third disappointment. Time to turn the player on already. Press…press…confused pressing. Eye-roll! The technology is extremely slow and rudimentary, and looks like something I would find on a 1996 CD player. Sigh. My fourth and biggest disappointment. Yet, I persevere on. OK, I got it. It’s playing, but the sound is very, very low. I examine the player looking for the volume control button. No button. I search through the manual looking for answers to my volume dilemma. Nothing. Time to dig into the player itself to see if the volume can be controlled with either of the two buttons. After a series of frustrated presses and slow displays, I find an area in the system that allows me to alter the volume output, but the only selections are “Jazz, Pop, bass, etc.” I stare at the display in utter disbelief. I haven’t seen such options in years! This has got to be a joke. Am I being punked? My fifth disappointment. Before I begin to panic, though, I take my expensive Bose headphones and plug them into the unit with the hope that the ear buds that were enclosed with the player were of poor quality. No such luck; the same faint tinny sounds ring through. Huge sigh. The sixth disappointment. Disgustedly, I sit there looking at my purchase as the truth finally sinks in. I just bought a cheap, crappy mp3 player that is using Sega technology in a Wii world. I feel like such a doofus.

Cons:

- Looks cheap

- Feels cheap

- Extremely antiquated technology

- Slow start up and display

- Does not signal to the user that the battery is fully charged

- Confusing controls and display

- Ridiculous volume settings

- Very low volume

- Uncomfortable headphones

Pros:

- Low price

- Ease of file synchronization

In summary, unless you have taken out your disco ball and are in need of a music player to complete your ensemble, skip this one.