Clip Zip Feedback and Feature Request Thread

As one probably would guess, the more recent the player, likely the more frequent the firmware upgrades.

PLEASE!!!

Raise the 8000 song DB Limit at least to the 10000+ song limit on the Fuze+.  This player is capable of supporting a 32GB microSD card for a total 40GB storage.

Since this player is incapable of running Video, then it is a music only player.

I have a mix of 128kps MP3’s ( and greater) and 6700 tracks that fit on less than 27GB. of storage.  The Fuze is only capable of addressing 5537 of them.  Much less than the advertised 8000.

I currently have a two Fuzes, a 4GB backup and 8GB primary player.  I also have a Fuze+ which DOES fit all my content, but the touch controls and laggy UI make it nearly unusable.  And the lack of tactile controls make it completely unusable in the dark.

I do love the Fuze, but I realize that Lithium Ion batteries have a tendancy to discharge even if it is not being used.  As a result, I am always looking for my next player.

The Clip Zip will be it if the DB size increased.  Otherwise, I’ll have to think about a Clip+ rockboxed.

I like Album Art, so I’d prefer the Clip Zip. 

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE increase the DB size or at the VERY MINIMUM, offer TRUE folder browsing that reads the actual File Allocation Table on the flash memory instead of basing the folder navigation on the DB contents.

p_opus wrote:

 

The Clip Zip will be it if the DB size increased.  Otherwise, I’ll have to think about a Clip+ rockboxed.

 

I like Album Art, so I’d prefer the Clip Zip. 

 

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE increase the DB size or at the VERY MINIMUM, offer TRUE folder browsing that reads the actual File Allocation Table on the flash memory instead of basing the folder navigation on the DB contents.

 

 

PM sent. :wink:

@aj123 wrote:

I think a few things that could be on the new firmware:

-elapsed time and time remaining for songs (maybe you could make it an optional feature if some people don’t want it). This is important for me because I use it for backing tracks when playing guitar and its easier to practice a part when you what time it is.

-how many songs in your current selection, like the old clip (eg. if your listening to an album it would say song 03/12 or if your listening to your whole collection say song 55/600)

 

I agree with this. I also would like next track information when you click the center button while the current song is playing. I just got my new clip zip last week, and I love it! but these things would make it even better. 

@p_opus wrote:

 

Raise the 8000 song DB Limit at least to the 10000+ song limit on the Fuze+.  This player is capable of supporting a 32GB microSD card for a total 40GB storage.

 

I agree with you on this. If it has been done for the fuze+, it should also be the same for the clip zip. I would guess that the additional memory space needed for it shouldn’t be so great that users without a huge library will complain about it.

 

 

I have a mix of 128kps MP3’s ( and greater) and 6700 tracks that fit on less than 27GB. of storage.  The Fuze is only capable of addressing 5537 of them.  Much less than the advertised 8000.

 

 

When it comes to any advertisement, you know you should always read the fine print. :wink:

 

 

                                   

Playcount support! Please, oh please.

This allows songs to be automatically moved to/from the device after listening. Drag-and-drop content management really isn’t a viable option when the device holds thousands of songs. Also, some indication if the song/audiobook/podcast has been played already. Sometimes I have several episodes of a podcast loaded and, if they don’t have descriptive names, it’s hard to tell which ones I’ve already listened to.

It would be nice if the Zip remembered where in each menu structure you were after power-off. So, for example, if you are listening to podcast x, next time you go into the podcast menu it pre-selects the previously chosen menus as you go through the menu tree.

The lock button should always immediately lock/unlock the device, even after the screen has shut off. Currently, if the screen is dimmed, it first shows the mode so sometimes requires one press (active screen) and sometimes requires two presses (inactive screen.)

Thanks for listening!

I originally bought the fuze when the DB limit was 4000.  They increased it to 8000 with a firmware update.  I never ran into the limit because I had a 16GB card.   When I got the 32GB card, I was able to fit everything I own on the card, and ran into the limit.

Rockbox takes care of that.

I understand that the DB is probably memory resident and there is a limit of that internal memory space.  I work support for products with embedded systems and I realize that somethimes you just can’t raise the limit without adding more internal memory to run the application.  I get it.  Rockbox uses is a file DB so I get that Rockbox doesn’t have this issue.  They just increase the file size

But one thing I have never understood is the inability of the firmware to directly read the File Allocation Table of the Internal Flash Memory and SD Card.  I organize my music already using folders.  Add a filter that only shows supported file types and you are done. 

It doesn’t really matter, however.  I am a big Rockbox fan, and it looks as if the Clip Zip has enough similar with it’s predecssors that Rockbox isn’t far behind.  Also, since I found out how to maintain my Rhapsody integration on fhe Fuze, I think I’ll be picking up the zip as soon as I see Rockbox come up.

I concur with all 3 requests from dcastro

“x/y” display

With podcasts with the Clip+, the display during play of a given podcast would indicate that the episode being played was the x episode of y episodes on the device.    I found that useful to help me understand how many episodes i might have listened to already or how many I had left to listen to.      Certainly a “nice to have” for managing my various  lists of podcasts. 

@bpkengor wrote:

“x/y” display

 

With podcasts with the Clip+, the display during play of a given podcast would indicate that the episode being played was the x episode of y episodes on the device.    I found that useful to help me understand how many episodes i might have listened to already or how many I had left to listen to.      Certainly a “nice to have” for managing my various  lists of podcasts. 

Yep–also good for album play, rather than “flying blind” as to one’s place in an album.

Please bring back the Real Time Spectrum Analyzer Display and the Artist Information that I had on my Clip +.  On the Clip Zip, pushing the center button alternates between the album cover and track information.  This is nice but it is a big step backwards from what I could do with my Clip +.

Paul O.

@tokadap wrote:

Please bring back the Real Time Spectrum Analyzer Display and the Artist Information that I had on my Clip +.  On the Clip Zip, pushing the center button alternates between the album cover and track information.  This is nice but it is a big step backwards from what I could do with my Clip +.

 

Paul O.

It would be nice to have the artist info, but the spectrum analyzer didn’t really serve any purpose but to look pretty.

@gwk1967 wrote:


@tokadap wrote:

Please bring back the Real Time Spectrum Analyzer Display and the Artist Information that I had on my Clip +.  On the Clip Zip, pushing the center button alternates between the album cover and track information.  This is nice but it is a big step backwards from what I could do with my Clip +.

 

Paul O.


It would be nice to have the artist info, but the spectrum analyzer didn’t really serve any purpose but to look pretty.

Agreed!

I like pretty stuff…

I would like to see the following changes to the Clip Zip’s operation:

When locked, pressing the volume buttons should not light the screen. The volume button is often used when the player is locked and lighting the screen just wastes battery power.

When paused during playback, holding the back or forward butons should scroll through the song/audiobook/podcast.

During playback of a podcast, pressing the back button should first take you to the beginning of the CURRENT podcast.

Thanks for asking for feedback!

@p_opus wrote:

 

It doesn’t really matter, however.  I am a big Rockbox fan, and it looks as if the Clip Zip has enough similar with it’s predecssors that Rockbox isn’t far behind.  Also, since I found out how to maintain my Rhapsody integration on fhe Fuze, I think I’ll be picking up the zip as soon as I see Rockbox come up.

 

 

Bertrik finally bought a Clip Zip for hacking (apparently they weren’t available in Europe), so hopefully they’ll be a usable rockbox build before too long.  Internally its almost the same as the Clip+.

I agree with the others regarding playback screen and other features that multiple users have mentioned.  I would also like to see:

  • Better stopwatch function with more features that a standard stopwatch would have and an easier to read display (the font size is unnecessarily small).  Timer sound is a great idea too.

  • More attractive overall visual design of the menu , and bring back the menu options that the clip+ had. 

  • HD Radio support with itunes tagging (don’t know if this is possible thru firmware).  This would be very cool with the recording option.

  • Games   would be a nice addition.  blackjack, etc.

  • Ape Support (monkey’s audio codec)

  • Coverflow option

  • Workout Routine Planner/Tracker

  • Pedometer

  • USB Control Function   and for gods sakes give us a dock

I don’t know if hardware suggestions are what you wanted at this point in the life cycle, but I do agree that a polished metal case would be nice as well as more color options in the 8gb variety.  I got a 4gb just because I wanted orange.  I would really like to be able to have usb control and some accessories to use it with.  Thanks for listening to us, and giving us the chance to help make the best mp3 player in the world even better.  I love this little player and I sing its praises to everybody.  Keep rocking at life Sandisk!

Ah, a mini-dock indeed would be nice! And I even recently saw one for another product that docked to a side-USB connection.

A couple more; just throwin’ it out there to see what sticks:

  • customizable background image
  • live pause/rewind option for radio
  • one button recording option
  • visualization option

After the screen times out and goes off, it takes two presses of the volume buttons to turn the sound up or down. Can we get that changed so the volume changes on the first press?