Hmmm, let’s see if we can handle a few issues I see here.
First, it’s normal for the Fuze+ to take longer for connection than the Clip+ or Clip Zip, as the Fuze+ is using a different processor (which includes the USB controller ). With a sample device turned on, let’s try timing the little guy. The display blanks as soon as the device notices that it’s plugged in to a USB port, and relights…15 seconds later, with the “connected” icon.
The downside of these microUSB connectors, in my estimation, is that the connecting pins are very small. If you look inside the socket of the Fuze+ or ClipZip, there’s a thin, about 0.4mm, edge connection. Compared against the Clip+'s miniUSB port, the newer ones seem to require slightly more pressure to mate the connector. I worry about this when breaking (probably a better word would be “disconnecting” ) the connection, as it takes a firm grip on the device.
It’s this “firm grip” that I worry about, especially on the cable side. The Sansa is tough enough, but be careful that you don’t tug on the cable itself, but the end connector. It’s easy to weaken a cable by pulling on the wire, rather than the end. With this in mind, try using the second cable with the two Fuze+ machines, and see if the common factor could be a weak cable.
The delay in response is a normal characteristic of the processor itself. The Fuze+ is using a Freescale processor (a spinoff from Motorola). The Clips are using the Austria Microsystems processor, which behaves differently.
The other side of the coin is the computer you are making a connection with. Depending upon whether you have MTP selected via Settings (either Auto Connect or MTP selected under Settings on the device), the Fuze+ may be trying to connect in MTP. If MSC is selected, the device will connect in MSC, as well as the Auto Connect will fall back on MSC if there’s a problem with MTP on your computer.
You can see what’s happening if you first open a Windows Explorer window on the PC, and watch when the device shows up. If in MTP, it will show up as a media device, with Internal and External Memory listed. If it is seen as a basic flash drive, in MSC mode, the Fuze will show up with a drive letter assigned (E: FUZEP). Do you see the device when plugged in?
Bob 
