Folder/Bookmarking

MP3 players Sansa Clip | Clip+
1

Greetings…

     I just bought a Sansa clip a few weeks ago due to problems(random sound blips, difficult technical support) I had with the Creative brand mp3 player I had.  The one main reason why I liked Creative’s mp3s was their easy organization of mp3 files.  You were able to group the files on the mp3 by folders.  I had assumed the Sansa Clip was the same. 

     I’m wondering why the player groups according to artist/album/songs/genre/playlist, etc., but when you view the contents in My Computer it’s a little different?  It would seem much simpler to be able to create/name your own folder & have it appear on My Comptuer in the same way it does on the Clip. I am aware that folder/bookmaking is one of the top requested features in the next upgrade.  

                                                                                                                                        MIKE 

2

@mflip wrote:

     I’m wondering why the player groups according to artist/album/songs/genre/playlist, etc., but when you view the contents in My Computer it’s a little different? 

The Clip’s firmware uses a database of songs based on the songs’ MP3 tags, and uses this database to present the songs, intentionally, based on MP3 tag (artist, album etc. as you mention).

 

My Computer displays the Clip’s internal memory contents as you would expect any computer’s disk to be presented; based on folder hierarchy and then, within folders, alphabetically based on file name.  Actually this depends on your Windows Explorer settings, but you get the idea … it has nothing to do with MP3 tags.

 

I think the assumption in Sandisk’s marketing department is that people would identify their music, first, by things you normally associate with songs … the artist, the album, the song name, etc. … and that people wouldn’t know and/or care about folders, file names etc.  Actually I think it’s a pretty good assumption, when you’re marketing towards the general public.

 

What would be nice is to have an alternate mode where you can browse by folder/file name.  Given Sandisk’s responsiveness to people’s suggestions in this forum, I wouldn’t be surprised if they add it in a future firmware release.

4

I am just ready to order a Sansa Clip 4GB. I sent an email to support to ask this very question - whether I can organize by folder. I don’t put music on my current MP3 player, but download bible teachings that are organized by folders for books, or weeks (podcasts). I would like to organize accordingly as it would be silly to do a random playlist from a sequential topic. This feature could be offered as an additional organization tactic rather than as replacing the current method.

The one major thing that keeps me looking at anything Apple, is the ablility to load the device like an external drive rather than using a PC based media player. 

A further question was how the fast-forward or rewind feature works. The user manual shows the buttons used as the left and right buttons, but they have multiple functions:

“Left/Previous/Rewind Press for previous track, rewind, or move left”

“Right/Forward Press for next track, fast forward, or move right” 

Nowhere in the manual is a description of how to use the fast-forward or rewind features, or whether there is a acceleration algorithm employed (holding down longer increases speed) both essential for my useage in getting around the large MP3 files that I typically use (an hour to an hour and 20 minute lectures). My current player is a bugger since the same rocker switch is used for forward and backward (depending on direction pressed) and holding it in that direction performs the fast-forward and rewind functions. It worked well enough when new, but now the switch is sensitive and it usually jumps to the next MP3 just as I am finally getting back to where I want it. To further exacerbate the situation, the scroll is one speed and this is slow - fine for 3 to 5 minute tracks, but murder on my size files. The solution is adding an acceleration algorithm (longer push yields faster scroll). This can be done in different ways, but a simple timer to detect how long a key has been pressed to determing how fast to go, is the simplest to impliment.

I like the button control of the Clip since this allows me to operate the controls without looking at the device (rewind, fast-forward, volume control, and next track selection) while driving a vehicle. Since my primary use of a device is while driving alone, this is crucial to me.

Another feature of the Clip that has me looking is the voice recorder - to record lectures or teachings (my own). I hope they never eliminate this.

I hope that SanDisk reads these forums, AND responds to these requests.  

5

@cyberron wrote:

 

The one major thing that keeps me looking at anything Apple, is the ablility to load the device like an external drive rather than using a PC based media player. 

You can do this with iPods using non-iTunes programs, but the loaded media will still be presented on the iPod using tags, rather than by folder/file sorting.  Unless you load the Rockbox firmware on the iPod.

Message Edited by PromisedPlanet on 03-18-2008 08:40 AM

7

Glad to hear that at least the accel function is in there.

As for the folder view, there must be more people than myself who have this need. Since my MP3’s are not music, but hour long lectures, am I still able to set them up (group them by topic) so that they appear to be albums? If so, how would I do this in MSC mode (I really don’t want to use MTP if I can avoid it)? Thanks in advance.

PS I’m impressed with the speed of response on this forum. I hope it bodes well for the speed of response from Sandisk in addressing consumer issues. I was only looking (comparing various brands and features) this morning when I first joined this forum. I have since placed an order for the silver 4GB Clip. I had sifted through a lot of comments and opinions prior to making this decision. I hope this is a correct one.

I looked at a lot of models as candidate choices from the iTouch and other iPods, through Samsung (don’t like the mushy touch screen), in-house brands at Best Buy, and the Sansa line. The Clip seems to be the best all around for what I want, and it seems to have the least issues as well. 

8

CyberRon wrote:

Since my MP3’s are not music, but hour long lectures, am I still able to set them up (group them by topic) so that they appear to be albums?

You would need to use an MP3 tag editor to supply album tags, where the tags would be your lecture topics.

 

I believe there are tag editors out there that can actually convert portions of a file’s total path specification, such as the folder, into the tags you specify, such as the album tag.  e.g:

 

c:\some folder\another folder\topic blah\lecture1.mp3 tags lecture1.mp3 with Artist = “another folder” (or whatever), Album = “topic blah”, Song Title = “lecture1”

Message Edited by PromisedPlanet on 03-18-2008 11:42 AM

9

The next release of the clip will allow you to place audiobook or podcast content into specific folders and the GUI will group these content separately from the music.  Also you will get a “resume position” saved for these files.

11

When do you expect the next release to be available???  I can’t wait for the resume position option!!