Very dissapointing

SanDisk MP3 players All other MP3 players
1

As a loing time and happy Fuze owner, overall I have to say the + is very dissapointing.

AAC support : The only aspect of the plus which is a step forward is the AAC support.However I would much rather pay Sansa for a software upgrade for my Fuze than buy a plus.

Standard USB port: That’s an improvement.

Touch Pad : Shame about losing the scroll wheel, which I much prefer to the touch pad. I find it much easier to spin the wheel with my thumb in an easy natural circular motion then the up down motion required with the touch pad. The plus scrolling also looks very slow and laggy, and I can imagine in advance the frustration of constantly overshooting and undershooting the thing you are trying to select. Why go backwards? Fashion?

SDXC support: I’m guessing SDXC was left off owing to lack of SDXC support on the commonly available SOC’s. This is a real shame considering that SDHC maxes out at 32Gigs and cards of these size are already on sale.

Removeable battery: Still no easy way to replace the battery. When the battery goes, so does the player. More land fill. Its about time Governments legislated to force manufacturers to take steps to stop wasting our precious limited resources. Our children’s children might like to use MP3 players too.

Large screen: Do people really want to watch video on these tiny screens? Why?

Larger size: Well it’s not a lot bigger, but I see no advantage to making it bigger, and obviously its too do with the larger screen. If you can use it in landscape mode, then this might be a small advantage. Still for me I’d rather have the smaller size.

If Sansa offered me an AAC capable software upgrade for my Fuze for $20 i’d pay it. Even though I really want a player with AAC support, there are too many negative aspects to the plus to interest me as an upgrade. Only if the sound quality was astounding would I be tempted to buy it.

2

I am a new Fuze Owner (I now own a Fuze+) and I am very happy with it. From what i gather you don’t own a fuze + so I have a few things to say about what you said

@tempusfuzit wrote:

 

Touch Pad : Shame about losing the scroll wheel, which I much prefer to the touch pad. I find it much easier to spin the wheel with my thumb in an easy natural circular motion then the up down motion required with the touch pad. The plus scrolling also looks very slow and laggy, and I can imagine in advance the frustration of constantly overshooting and undershooting the thing you are trying to select. Why go backwards? Fashion?

 

The Fuze Plus scrolling if very responsive and its not frustrating at all. Yes you do have to get use to the sensitives of the touch pad. But it took me 10 or so minutes to get the hang of it and i can land now on anything I want with ease.   

 

Removeable battery: Still no easy way to replace the battery. When the battery goes, so does the player. More land fill. Its about time Governments legislated to force manufacturers to take steps to stop wasting our precious limited resources. Our children’s children might like to use MP3 players too.

 

Ok but the thing about technology is that it gets more and more advanced every day. So to be able to change the battery is (to most people ) of little matter when in lets say 2-3 yrs a new better model comes out  that has better technology. So having it last for our children’s children would make no sense since they will have even greater technology then that which we have now.  

 

Large screen: Do people really want to watch video on these tiny screens? Why?

 

4 Words : Landscape and Not tiny

 

Larger size: Well it’s not a lot bigger, but I see no advantage to making it bigger, and obviously its too do with the larger screen. If you can use it in landscape mode , then this might be a small advantage. Still for me I’d rather have the smaller size.

 

All movies are played in landscape mode (you turn the player on its side with the touch pad on its right side) 

As to the Second part. GET A CLIP IF YOU WANT SMALL

 

If Sansa offered me an AAC capable software upgrade for my Fuze for $20 i’d pay it. Even though I really want a player with AAC support, there are too many negative aspects to the plus to interest me as an upgrade. Only if the sound quality was astounding would I be tempted to buy it.

 

The sound quality is amazing on the Fuze Plus  but thats not something you will ever find out now will you.

 

This Is DBT OUT

3

"SDXC support: I’m guessing SDXC was left off owing to lack of SDXC support on the commonly available SOC’s. This is a real shame considering that SDHC maxes out at 32Gigs and cards of these size are already on sale.

Removeable battery: Still no easy way to replace the battery. When the battery goes, so does the player. More land fill. Its about time Governments legislated to force manufacturers to take steps to stop wasting our precious limited resources. Our children’s children might like to use MP3 players too." I

I have been proposing for quite some time that Sandisk make a player with a full sized SDXC card slot. One reason they don’t want to do this is that it  seems that they are commited to a micro sized card slot for their players. Some time next year we might see 64 GB micro SDXC cards. They will be very expensive though.

Another reason is that a player probably needs to keep the song database in ram to be very responsive, and since many people still use 128 kbps songs averaging around 4 minutes each, a player that could hold up to 96 GB or flash memory(32 internal plus 64 on a card) would need to be able to have a database that holds up to 24,000 songs. The database on the Fuze+ hold up to only 10K songs. While many people do use higher bitrates than 128 kbps, 128 kbps is still a somewhat of a standard(at the lower end). Of course there will be some who want to cram 48,000 songs in 96 GB using 64 kbps.

As for having an easily swappable battery, I have been a long time proponent of that.

http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Site-suggestions-Product-feature/AA-battery-powered-mp3-player/td-p/63452

Having an easily swappable battery is more about being able to carry spare batteries and never run out of power than it is about replacing a battery just when it is worn out and doesn’t hold much of a charge.

Imo the Fuze+ would have been even better as a video player if the screen was at least 3.3", and battery life was at least 10-15 hours for video. I guess Sandisk wanted to keep the price and size small enough so that many not interested in video would still buy it. Imo this was a bad idea though. Instead of the Fuze+, a player midway in size between the Clip+ and Fuze with 40+ hour battery life that is audio only, and a second player with at least a 3.3" screen should have been made.

Now that the Fuze+ is already out, there is one thing that imo could improve usability for many. Have a firmware update that allows a few basic functions via the three tactile buttons while the touch controls are locked. Imo the most important one would be play/pause. Perhaps this could accesible through a quick press of the power button, (or perhaps a long press of the volume up button?) while the touch controls are locked? If someone is walking around listening to podcasts or audiobooks while the player is in a shirt pocket and touch controls are locked, they need some way to quickly and easily pause or restart the player without having to take it out of the pocket, and unlock it.

4

"Ok but the thing about technology is that it gets more and more advanced every day. So to be able to change the battery is (to most people ) of little matter when in lets say 2-3 yrs a new better model comes out "

Auto technology increases each year. Imagine if cars could only be driven for 3 years then would need to be scrapped… Many drive a car for a few years, then give the car to a one of their children and buy a new one. Imagine if instead after 3 years the car needed to be scrapped. Would you be happy to scrap the 3 year old car since  the replacement has better technology?

5

@jk98 wrote:

 

Imagine if cars could only be driven for 3 years then would need to be scrapped . . . Would you be happy to scrap the 3 year old car since  the replacement has better technology?

Many do. Especially true if they’re involved in any kind of accident; they’re now designed to crumple around the passenger compartment, absorbing the shock for the safety of the people inside. Anything slightly more than a fender-bender is likely to ‘total’ the car.

There’s a slight difference in price between a car and an ~$100 mp3 player. I don’t think this is a viable argument. And yes, many do trade-in their cars every few years, or lease them to begin with, as a car is a huge money pit & you will never recoup the money you spend on it. Plus leasing allows you to get a new car every few years.

6

“And yes, many do trade-in their cars every few years, or lease them to begin with,”

That is exactly my point. With players that have an easily swappably battery, after using the player for a few years and I get tired of it, I can give the player to someone else to use, not have to throw it in the trash.

7

@tapeworm wrote:

“And yes, many do trade-in their cars every few years, or lease them to begin with,”

 

@ JK98 wrote:

That is exactly my point. With players that have an easily swappably battery, after using the player for a few years and I get tired of it, I can give the player to someone else to use, not have to throw it in the trash.

I agree with Tapeworm. And in a few years (lets says 3) there will be at least 7 (collectively) new mp3 players and no one is going to want your old mp3 player when they can get a brand new one with improved technology.

DBT

8

“no one is going to want your old mp3 player when they can get a brand new one with improved technology.”

No one will want to buy it, but someone who can’t afford to buy an mp3 player will appreciate a working one for free, The people who I gave my old CD players and old mp3 players to appreciated them.

9

@demobetatester wrote:

 

I agree with Tapeworm. And in a few years (lets says 3) there will be at least 7 (collectively) new mp3 players and no one is going to want your old mp3 player when they can get a brand new one with improved technology.

DBT

All this talk about what people want to do with respect to upgrading there players sounds a tad self centred to me - I tend to think preserving the planets resources goes way beyond personal choice. Just because people might like to keep upgrading their players every year does not entitle them to stuff up the planet for future generations just to suit their personal desire to have the latest fashion. How often are the future generations going to be able to upgrade their players, when there is a world shortage of Lithium? It seems to me the issue of the world running out of resources is not getting through - people are still treating it as something of a joke. Really its very real and not very funny at all.

 

10

@demobetatester wrote:

I am a new Fuze Owner (I now own a Fuze+) and I am very happy with it. From what i gather you don’t own a fuze + so I have a few things to say about what you said

 

 

  

 

Removeable battery: Still no easy way to replace the battery. When the battery goes, so does the player. More land fill. Its about time Governments legislated to force manufacturers to take steps to stop wasting our precious limited resources. Our children’s children might like to use MP3 players too.

 

Ok but the thing about technology is that it gets more and more advanced every day. So to be able to change the battery is (to most people ) of little matter when in lets say 2-3 yrs a new better model comes out  that has better technology. So having it last for our children’s children would make no sense since they will have even greater technology then that which we have now.  

 

My childrens children comment was actually about leaving planetary resources (such as Lithium) to our children’s children, not the mp3 players themselves. I doubt these flimsy plastic players would last that long, even with removeable batteries. As to our children’s children getting much better players, that might not happen. The way the worlds resources are being plundered and wasted with all this modern throw-away-after-6-months technology, and the increasing world population, its touch and go if they will have enough water to drink or food to eat, or clean air to breathe. MP3 players may not be high on the list of priorities.

11

Why do most people who bring up the subject of the battery not being easily swappable focus on what will happen when the battery wears out? I want a player with an easily swappable battery so that I can carry spare batteries with me and not run out of power. With a player with a built in battery, I could use external usb power packs, but these are much bulkier than a spare battery, and one needs to also carry a usb cable to use it. I guess a player could  probably be powered by a usb battery pack when the internal battery wears out, although if the internal battery becomes totally dead(and not just diminisehed in capacity) this might not work.

As for older players becoming obsolete, someone might like an old player and still want to use it.

12

@tempusfuzit wrote:

 

 

Removeable battery: Still no easy way to replace the battery. When the battery goes, so does the player. More land fill. Its about time Governments legislated to force manufacturers to take steps to stop wasting our precious limited resources. Our children’s children might like to use MP3 players too.

  

My childrens children comment was actually about leaving planetary resources (such as Lithium) to our children’s children, not the mp3 players themselves. I doubt these flimsy plastic players would last that long, even with removeable batteries. As to our children’s children getting much better players, that might not happen. The way the worlds resources are being plundered and wasted with all this modern throw-away-after-6-months technology, and the increasing world population, its touch and go if they will have enough water to drink or food to eat, or clean air to breathe. MP3 players may not be high on the list of priorities.

The future can’t be that gloomy.   Just look at the hybrid cars and buses that are on the road and there are wind turbine farms in Texas and even China.  More and more is being done to help preserve our natural resources.  And there are large corporations that run their operations using sources of sustainable energy as much as they can, like Johnson & Johnson.

 

Having a player with a replaceable battery is better, but when the battery dies, it’s not the end of the line for the player.  A battery extender can be used.

13

“Removeable battery: Still no easy way to replace the battery. When the battery goes, so does the player. More land fill. Its about time Governments legislated to force manufacturers to take steps to stop wasting our precious limited resources. Our children’s children might like to use MP3 players too.”

Exactly. There should be legislation to force product manufacturers to use a standard sized battery, and to have it easily user replaceable.

“Having a player with a replaceable battery is better, but when the battery dies, it’s not the end of the line for the player.  A battery extender can be used.”

How many people want to carry an external battery pack and a USB cable with them? Some do it now however it is not the best solution.

I hate built in batteries, not just in mp3 players. I have 2 shavers that still work well except that the built in battery is worn out! UGH!!!

14

@jk98 wrote:

 

How many people want to carry an external battery pack and a USB cable with them? Some do it now however it is not the best solution.

 

 

 

Off-hand I can think of one. And he rarely passes up an opportunity to tell us about it.

 

Smiley

15

“JK98 wrote: How many people want to carry an external battery pack and a USB cable with them? Some do it now however it is not the best solution. Off-hand I can think of one. And he rarely passes up an opportunity to tell us about it.”

LOL! That is not by choice. I would much rather carry one or two AA batteries instead. I have been waiting years for a nice mp3 player that uses a AA battery.

16

@jk98 wrote:

 

Exactly. There should be legislation to force product manufacturers to use a standard sized battery, and to have it easily user replaceable.

Legislation and forcing companies to design product a certain way is not the answer. There are plenty of ways to recycle batteries and electronics. The problem here is simply that the consumer does not take the time or responsibility to properly dispose of electronics. If any legislation should be passed it should be to increase the penalty for those who choose to dispose of electronics in the garbage instead of recycling them. 

17

"Legislation and forcing companies to design product a certain way is not the answer. There are plenty of ways to recycle batteries and electronics. The problem here is simply that the consumer does not take the time or responsibility to properly dispose of electronics. If any legislation should be passed it should be to increase the penalty for those who choose to dispose of electronics in the garbage instead of recycling them. "

I was looking at some instruction manals for mp3 players, and right near the front of the manuals  was instructions on how to dispose of them! As if the mp3 player is like a piece of chewing gum, and will need to be disposed of very soon.

Reuse first is the most efficient way to deal with an old product, not recycling. Rather than focusing on recycling, reuse should be focused on. Using an easily swappable battery will make the player useful for much longer. I like giving old mp3 players, radios, and other electronics  I no longer want to people who can’t afford to buy these.

Many people would like to resole their shoes when the soles get worn, but quite often the cost of resoling is more than the price of a replacement pair on sale.

18

JK98 wrote:

 

 Using an easily swappable battery will make the player useful for much longer.

 

 

These players are made to be used while we’re out-and-about, not just left at home where there’s little chance of it being damaged.  Before the battery dies a natural death, anything can break.  It could be the screen, the connectors, the ports or the buttons.  Then, reusing isn’t an option.

19

“These players are made to be used while we’re out-and-about, not just left at home where there’s little chance of it being damaged. Before the battery dies a natural death, anything can break. It could be the screen, the connectors, the ports or the buttons. Then, reusing isn’t an option.”

Some people are careless with their player and will break it before the battery wears out. Many others though will wear out the battery first. I haven’t worn out the built in battery on an mp3 player yet, as until 2 years ago I only used mp3 players that were powered by  AA or  AAA batteries. I keep thinking about the two shavers I have that work just fine except that the built in battery in both are worn out. I remember throwing away electric toothbrushes that were working fine except that the built in batteries worse out. I guess the fruit company got the idea of using a built in battery when an executive there threw out an electric toothbrush that worked fine except that the built in battery wore out.

20

I routinely have to dispose of electronics products that are in like-new or fine condition, just because the non-replaceable or proprietary-and-no-longer-being-produced battery has died.  I think that many manufacturers have used non-replaceable or proprietary batteries because they can save a bit of space, they can save in design and manufacturing costs (no need for battery compartments, covers, etc.), they can allow the manufacturer to do things more easily in the precise manner the manufacturer wants, and they can be a means, often, to require a consumer to buy a new device sooner rather than later, and thereby produce further profits for the manufacturer. 

Unfortunately, this also can and does result in significant waste from the original product, environmental harm, and landfill waste. 

It’s unclear to me if consumers have enough voice to get manufacturers to move green, in the face of this.  Perhaps legislation can help.  Perhaps a law that manufacturers must provide a means for consumers to return, at a manufacturer’s cost, outdated electronics for the manufacturer to dispose of in a green way?  While, of course, the cost would be passed down to the consumer at least in part, the burden of the requirement could help encourage manufacturers to think about non-obsolescence to begin with.