Slick Little Gadget

Picked up two of these from Dell.com in December. I am not disappointed at all.

We've had them now for a month and a half and neither has locked up yet. No freezing, no stuttering, no problems at all.

The kids were wanting mp3 players, and an Ipod if possible. But looking at and comparing the goods I wouldn't want a proprietary piece of equipment.

The player itself is pretty intuitive. My boys, 12 and 14, have yet to look at the manuals.

The software included is adequate for its purpose. The Media Converter software is simple enough to use, though I'm not sure what it does when it "converts". But essentially you drag and drop your videos or photos to the screen, press go, and it converts and finalizes within about 30 seconds depending on data.

Putting mp3's on is a breeze. It works with drag and drop through your My Computer icon on the desktop like any other removable media would.

One thing to use caution is downloading from the big megastores who sell music for 88 cents. You have to use Windows Media Player to 'synchronize' your files to the player. This is a bit of a pain when you aren't told that this is a requirement. Unprotected media is simply drag n drop...sweet.

The sound quality did surprise me. It was very clear and crisp. I have not detected any static or distortion yet. One thing though, the jack is a bit touchy if you turn the cord, but it has only happened twice on one and not on the other unit.

It does boast FM radio reception as well as recording the FM radio and voice recording. The FM is weak, it didn't pick up much, but without an antenna I didn't expect much. The kids are really enjoying the voice recorder, it picks up well. I'm sure it is for leverage later in life!

Battery times have been sufficient for the use. We charge them on average every other day. This is when playing music as well as videos. They listen to music more than watching, so the life would be shortened with more video playback.

One thing I'll mention about the battery. It is replaceable, unlike many of the smaller players. When it dies, you don't have to have a techie put a new one in, it can be done by yourself. In the long run this may be a really big perk.

The scroll wheel takes some getting used to. It has ridges to help with the feel and it lights up in the dark. I seem to scroll past my selections a lot and have to back up. It works fine, just takes some adjusting as it isn't as smooth as the Ipod.

Screen is large and clear. I was really surprised at the clarity. It is bright and easily viewed in daylight. I do recommend putting a case or some protective barrier on it. The velvet jewelery bag included isn't sufficient for protecting the player at all. It would be well worth the investment to protect that beautiful screen.

One thing I do have issue with is the fact the mfr. only includes a charger coupled with a USB. This is good for people with extra ports who can let it charge. This is not good for kids or people with no extra ports. Sansa should include a wall charger. Though they can be picked up on Ebay at a reasonable price.

The music files seem to be an issue. This may be a software problem on my end. When we put the songs on the player we want them in a specified order. The player however has other thoughts and arranges them in its own way. It is a quirk that may have a fix I don't know about yet.

Overall, this player really is good for the money. I lucked out and got mine on sale, so I was happy. It can't get any easier getting music on and off of the player. The videos play excellent both visually and audio.

Also, I got them for less than $90 each from Dell. It was through CNet's website that shows pricing details. Before you buy, check out the prices on other sites.

I recommend this player for those who want good sound, easy functions, stylish appearance, and an overall great quality product.