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Sansa e200 vs. iPod nano
atkbob
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm in the market for my first mp3 player, and I'm looking at a price range of about $200 - $250. I'm thinking of getting something with flash memory, as opposed to hard-drive based, and the two players I've been looking at are the SanDisk Sansa 8GB MP3 Player (e280) ($200 CDN) and the Apple 8GB iPod Nano ($300 CDN). I've been looking at the features of the Sansa (Video playback, drag-and-drop, FM tuner w/ recorder, expandable memory, $100 less) against the iPod (better click wheel, thinner) and I think I'm going with the Sansa. However, as I've never seen one in the flesh, I wouldn't know of any major/minor issues that would change my mind. So, I ask: in your opinion, which should I get, or is there even a better option?
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Those are some things...
I still like it though, wish there was a "top played tracks" option or "music I never listen to" option like the rio's have, but.... oh well
Seriously, get the iPod Video at that price, it's not worth $299 for the Nano.
Edit: Fixed for correct price.
EDIT: Shit nevermind, I'm an asshole.
Sansa does have some cons of coarse. On mac it creates .1 KB files on your mp3 player which have to be deleted on a Windows/non mac computer. You also can't beat the speed of the iPod wheel when it comes to finding that certain artist/album.
I'd get the Sansa and see if you can get a rebate with it. I payed around 60 dollars way back for the 512 and my friend got it for $20 with a rebate.
EDIT: My spelling sucks, (and I always push quick reply on accident with the new forums).
My nano is the only MP3 played I've had that doesn't make me feel like an antisocial prat dragging technology around in oversized cases and pockets. But hey, if you've come to terms with being dweeby enough to have a special vest for technology or something this might not be a consideration. Its not like the bigger iPod is really all that big.
...
But if this thing dies? I've already bought another nano in my head. No questions.
猿も木から落ちる
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I have the F40 from that page, which has a version of Rockbox available for it, but have a look through them all. I'm extremely pleased with my purchase, although to be honest I wish I'd waited for an S. The newer versions contain a radio as well as doing video etc. There's a community site at http://www.mygigabeat.com if you're interested.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
In conclusion, I recommend a Nano over a "real" iPod. Can't comment on Nano vs. Sansa.
Same size as a nano, plays ogg and mpeg, drag and drop, even has an FM tuner.
And looks slicker, IMO:
http://www.samsung.ca/k3/
Really, a pretty awesome deal. If I didn't already own a nano, which I've had for a year, I'd totally go for it.
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?langid=EN&sku_id=BDL10001170&CMP=ILC-BBY_hmpage_slide1#
I'M A TWITTER SHITTER
I have an 8gig Nano. I really like it, but $250 is a premium (I got a bit of a discount being University staff). In addition to the size, the nano has the solid state drive advantage over the similarly priced 30gig ipod video. I don't use video at all. But it all depends on what you want it for.
I would definitely recommend pair of headphones. The ipod earbuds are terrible and a pair of decent headphones makes a huge difference.
Looks like there's no way to feel out the buttons on that though. You kind of really do want an MP3 player that you can operate without looking at it. Being able to reach over and push pause on my ipod without taking it off my armband or pulling it out of my pocket is a good thing.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Go with this instead of whatever.
Forsake, Warlock of Stonemaul
Li-po's are by far the best battery type available today. They're an offshoot of Li-on's, if you're familiar, and have therefore much the same attributes.
- No memory effect like NiMH's and NiCDs
- Shorter charge times, longer battery life
The only downsides of Li-on's and Li-po's is that you should A) NEVER allow them to reach 0% capacity. It's bad for their lifespan, always keep them charged up, and never push them when the player gets so low it starts shutting itself off. and
But that's the same for cellphones, iPods, digital cameras, and any other new consumer device in use today. They pretty much all use Li-po/Li-on these days.
Both, according to Futureshop web reviews.
The sound quality certainly seems to be getting alot of praise...
I'M A TWITTER SHITTER
This is annoying. The solution is quite simple, however: FinderCleaner
Toss that in your dock and use it to eject the player when you're done loading it up. I use it on my Walkman phone to get rid of all the little ._files and it works great.
Because these people aren't terribly intelligent and fail to realise that a hard drive has moveable parts and you'll break you iPod, they're fine for walking with but if you run with it you'll screw up the hard drive. If you go to apple's store you notice that they don't sell iPod sized arm bands because of this problem.
Nanos are also a bunch lighter to run with.
Satans..... hints.....
But I digress...
I found the player to be generally great in that it plays music cleanly and clearly. It works just fine as a thumb drive (except for the proprietary interface, naturally), and you can direct-copy music over instead of going through some maddening application. Viewing pictures while listening to music is fun, and I'm sure the video would be nifty, but I haven't tried it out. The FM radio works, but Good Lord, why would I be listening to the purile airwaves of America today when I could be listening to my own music? Maybe someday I'll listen to a ball game, I guess.
For what it does, though, it does well. I can listen to it when I run or am at work. In our family car, every member has their own playlist which we cycle through every day on the "shuffle" functionk. At home, we've got the docking station plugged into our home theatre, so we can pump the music through the house. Works great. I haven't lost any files, and it hasn't shown any signs of wear. I'm sure this could be done with just about any mp3 player, but it can be done with Sansa for under $300 for the 8 Gb player and accessories.
However, it does have a few quirks.
Problem 1: recording anything through the built-in microphone produces a background noise as shrill and irritating as a dentist's drill, rendering that "feature" unusable. Does yours do the same?
Problem 2: Sansa tech support appears to be run by a rare species of English-speaking baboon. First, they told me my firmware version was current, when it wasn't. When I asked them about the recording noise, it took them half an hour of fact checking to conclude: "oh, it's supposed to do that. It's just a 'feature', not a primary function." Sadly, they did not respond to my followup question of, "so you are admitting this thing is a piece of junk?"
Problem 3: Playlists are difficult, but not impossible, to manage. I was dearly hoping I could import my WinAmp playlists, but no dice. The only successful method I found was to use Windows Media Player 10 to import my WinAmp playlist, then sync it to the device. In order to change a playlist, I am not able to simply re-sync it. Laws, no! I have to delete the actual playlist file off the device, then re-sync it fresh. Pain in the neck. I wish there was some "standard method" for dealing with playlists, but it appears their documentation was authored by the freaks of evolution that have infested tech-support.
Problem 4: relatively small, relatively unresponsive buttons. The power switch officially takes to punches to get it to power off (one to get to main menu, then another to shut off). Although the ring control is awesome with its tactile feedback and luminesence, the play/pause, ff, rwd, and mystery button (where stop should be) really take some on-target presses with a fingernail to get working. Trying to get those to work for you while the unit is docked in a FM car player can be terrifying, but no more dangerous than, say, talking on a cell phone, drinking coffee, and driving simultaneously.
Wow. I totally didn't plan on sending in a draft of War and Peace 2007 about this player, but I gotta say I sure do like having my choice of music with me wherever I go. And for those of you who would say:
tl;dr: viable alternative to the iPod, but expect to put in some hours getting it to work for you on your own terms.
Oh, and one last thought. Why the Sansa instead of the iPod or Zune? I simply mistrust large organizations. When I buy an mp3 player, I want to buy an mp3 player. I don't want to become some part of their music-marketing paradigm, I don't want to hear about their other products, and I certainly don't want them to assume that I am going to be wedded to their software and operating system by extension. Thus, the Sansa.
Problem 1: Yeah, there's a bit of a ring, but it's not nearly as bad as your description.
Problem 2: I wouldn't know, but I've read reviews that the tech support was pretty good.
Problem 3: I normally use WMP, so it's not really a problem for me, but the online manual only talks about WMP, not WinAmp or other programs, so you may be SOL.
Problem 4: I think that the buttons are great, a nice size and responsive, but I have thin, long fingers. The power works fine too. You're supposed to hold it for 2 seconds to turn it off, not press it twice.
I got the Sansa because, looking at the bang-for-buck I would get, it was a solid deal. I wanted a small, durable player with a grab-bag of feature so I would never say "damn, I wish I would watch a video/listen to the radio/look at some pictures/record something etc. right now". For the price I paid, I won't be anal about keeping in its case or not tossing it on my bed or wiping the screen every 5 minutes. If I was really serious about watching videos or if I was an audiophile, I'd consider other players, but as a casual guy who wants something to listen to and watch the odd clip, the Sansa is right up my alley.
Yeah, running with a hard drive mp3 player isn't the best thing you can do.
I got a Shuffle for when I exercise.
I knew posting on the interwebb would come in handy. Much thanks.
I have both in the house(I have an e250 for working out, + to compliment/supliment my dying 20GB 4G iPod), and my dad has the 8GB nano.
They both have their strengths and weaknesses. the sansa can do voice recording(not good quality though), has microSD expansion, larger screen, fm tuner and I think looks nicer than the nano. But, playlist support sucks, while it *can* play video, it's one of those features they threw in because they could, not because it's any good. the buttons around the wheel are small and kinda hard to press, and I like the UI of iPods better.
The iPod nano has the seamless integration with iTunes, awesome playlist support(from within iTunes), thinner and sleeker(but not necessarily better looking), and I think is generally easier to use. The downers is the small screen, lack of fm tuner or voice recording, and no expansion. The small screen kills me though, especially after going having the sansa, looking at the screen on my dad's nano is a bit painful.
I chose the sansa over the nano because while I like iPods, the sansa has more features for less money, and for me, it is used for workouts only since I don't want to speed up the death of my already dying 4G iPod. if my iPod dies before they come out with the 6G iPod, then I'll be able to use the sansa as my main mp3 player for a while, but not permanently.
For some reason people don't seem smart enough to think a disc spinning at 7900rpm inside of a box, shouldn't be moved up and down, or side to side quickly.
4200RPM. And they have lots of protection on all sides. They're a whole lot tougher than you're probably thinking.
Most people don't know what's inside an iPod, much less why it shouldn't be jostled around regularly. They ran with radios, cassette players, Sony skip proof Discmans, and older flash MP3 players, why not an iPod? Calling everyone who isn't familiar with the internal workings of an iPod "[not] smart enough" is a bit arrogant.
I say that because people treat them like shit then wonder why they fail or get pissed off when their warranty is voided. Also most people I talk to aren't smart enough to realize you shouldn't take them jogging, snowboarding, skateboarding, or mountain biking even when I flat out tell them that they need to get a flash based one. They just get the bigger, and HDD based one anyway. Then 2 months later they come in and demand a new one under Mfg warranty, so I get to tell them to talk to Apple directly(as per Apple's policy), unless they have a service plan, and I get a line like "So you don't honor the products you sell?".