| |
| |
![]() |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
Few can admit to never owning or using a flash memory card and USB flash drive. So chances are you would have bought, seen or at least heard, of SanDisk (not ScanDisk as everyone mistakenly chooses to call the product).
SanDisk prides itself as being the original inventor and world's largest supplier of flash memory cards, and it comes as no surprise that it has decided to bring together its practical knowledge and design prowess to offer within its range, an MP3 player known as the Sansa.
Sansa will have you looking at removable storage with new eyes, the way Apple has given new meaning to the letter "i" and Creative has made us re-think sound.
Those who want entertainment on the go and love living with no strings (or cables) attached may find the upcoming Sansa Express attractive.
It looks like any other plug and play USB device measuring just 2.5 cm wide and 7.8 cm long but in fact packs an FM tuner, voice recorder and is designed to work with a wide range of music downloads.
The 1GB Sansa Express also comes with a microSD slot so it can expand storage (including data) by up to 3GB.
If you want a little more than music there is the Sansa E200 series, also known as the "Lil Monsta" which comes in various sizes, from 2 to 8GB.
Some of you may be wondering if it's worth a thought given the small capacity when compared against the 80GB iPod for example. However, as SanDisk's Managing Director Gavin Wu pointed out during a recent media meeting when challenged about the Sansa's capacity, just how many albums or songs can you realistically listen to in a day or a lifetime, given that a 2GB Sansa offers 32 hours of music or 500 MP3 tunes (double that amount if it's WMA).
Nonetheless, the Sansa has provided a slot for a microSD card that should keep music junkies happy.
The Sansa E250 which holds 2GB isn't as slim as a Nano but it is way lighter and smaller when stacked up against a normal iPod or iPod video.
There is a 1.8 inch TFT screen which shows up in colour the various icons for the on-board programmes, such as video viewer, voice recorder and FM radio.
Navigation is with a clear dial which lights up in blue when the device is turned on with a practical but small on-off/menu button tucked in a corner of the front panel.
Though the dial seems a little lightweight with its plastic look and feel, it does the job, whether it will last till your next upgrade is another question.
It is therefore nice to know that the designers have given users a second option in navigation that is, through four buttons set flush around the dial, at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions.
With the device on, you can scroll through programmes with the top and bottom buttons, while the left and right keys will take you in and out of programmes.
The Sansa comes bundled with a range of options that a user would want and need, such as a voice recorder which offers pretty clear playback when recorded with the on-board microphone that sits discreetly on the top so there's no guessing or fussing about once the recording option is chosen, either on-screen or with the record button found on the side of the device.
The microphone is sensitive, giving clear playback with the device held about 15cm away from the mouth with even a little peaking if the person decides to raise normal speech levels a few decibels.
Another good thing about the microphone is that it will try to minimise other ambient noise and direct itself only to the source of speech. However if you're thinking of using the microphone for conferences or lectures you might want to re-consider, especially if you're not one who likes sitting up front.
Taking advantage of the recording programme available is the FM Radio. It's easy to search and store a radio station's frequency on the device and users can choose within the radio option, to record a piece of music or an interesting news item being broadcast over the radio for playback later.
It is however a little tricky to work out just how you stop the radio or for that matter, a radio or voice recording.
There is only a pause button and exiting the programme won't shut it as the menu bar will continue to scroll on screen, letting you know that the playback is still active. The only way to stop the audio playback apparently, is to start the MP3 player, which is not really the best solution.
Fortunately, more thought has gone into the Video and MP3 music playback programmes which stop when the left or right button is pressed.
The Sansa comes bundled with a media converter which is simple to use and converts almost all formats of photos, music and video quickly for use in the portable device. Those who have Windows Media Player 10 will also find media transfers easy, all it takes is to synch the device.
Video playback is clear although clips can be viewed only in landscape, which makes sense since you wouldn't want everything squashed up. You will have to be prepared to sacrifice a little on viewing pleasure since the screen is only as large as the one found on an average mobile phone.
In terms of audio, the Sansa does offer clarity but just how good a piece of music sounds really depends more on the headphones you use.
What the Sansa does lack is the Contact list option, but isn't that your mobile phone and SIM card is for? Oh yes, there are also no games, but if can you save the (virtual) world with four buttons then maybe the next incarnation of the Sansa could complete the package for those who want to use up each second of their 24 hours.
The on-off/menu button allows users to run music while viewing photos but navigate carefully while scrolling through the music or photos as you can easily turn off one of the programmes.
The replaceable, Lithium Ion battery which is re-charged when the device is connected via USB to PC can run for 20 hours based on continuous music playback and the alloy metal casing on the back promises to keep scratches to a minimum.
The Sansa E200 comes only in a sleek, black coat bundled in the box with a lanyard, headphones, USB cable and a pouch. There's also a collection of "Lil Montsa" stickers for those who'd want to dress up the device which is quite a monster given that so much is crammed in a little body (4.4 cm wide x 8.9 cm long ).
With a price tag of a little over S$230, this is a pocket monster worth carrying about and unleashing.
|
