New User Questions about Yahoo Unlimited Program

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1

Hi,

I am upgrading (or maybe downgrading :slight_smile: ) from e260 to Connect. I didn’t want to spend
too much $ on a player just for gym, if not I woulda gone the Zune 80g or Ipod Itouch. But
I wanted to take advantage of the Yahoo Unlimited to Go (I have used Rhapsody to Go
before with the 260).

I noticed a bit of klunkiness with the program, I was seeing lot of disconnect from the Yahoo
program and had to login back, then I realized that it had something to do with Trillian using
the Yahoo messenger, so I stopped using Trillian while Yahoo program is running.

So my question is that why is there an upgrade on the program and when you actually click
on it, it is asking you to upgrade to the unlimited program for PC, that’s very confusing,
since the To Go subscription is actually more expensive than the unlimited for PC. Why
don’t they just get rid of it in the menu when you login to your To Go account, so people
do not by mistake also sign up for the unlimited for PC (because the unlimited to go allows
you to get music for PC anyways), so thought to point this out.

Overall the product isn’t too bad, the price is right $99 for the player, but the subscription could
be a bit cheaper (but not bad considering it’s the price of a CD), I think the Connect is a bit
cheaper in design than the e200 series. But the Wifi is pretty nice, though I wish they had left
the regular radio on the device. I played a little bit with the brightness and you gain a little bit
on the playing side time. Though wondering, how many times can you charge and use the
battery before having to replace it (also how much does it cost to get a new battery ?)

as far as the microSD slot, does it accept the microSDHC with the latest firmware ? if so
is it possible to drag and drop music from Yahoo to it (DRM or non DRM?)

Thanks
Houman

2

Sounds like there are issues with the install disk that came with the unit.  I didn’t use it as I already had a Y! To Go account.  The easist way to implement is to download Jukebox from the Y! music web site, and it will give you the latest version.  Then go to music.yahoo.com/sansa to subscribe to To Go, or, you can click on the portability link from within the Jukebox main screen.

I use mine at the gym, which has WiFi, and I have downloaded/transferred about 700 tracks to it.  I like the music discovery features and integration with Launchcast.  For me, and for the price, it has been a great product.   The price of their To Go tier is the same as Rhapsody. 

To avoid problems with DRM and issues with Jukebox, be certain you have Windows Media Player 11 and all of the available updates installed.

Sansa has issued a major update to the firmware, which is delivered to the device via WiFi.  So, the first time you use it, connect to a WiFi source, and it will do the update in 20-30 minutes.

While I really enjoy the product, it isn’t for everyone.  It shines when paired with all the features of Y! To Go.  So, if that isn’t your intention, other MP3 players are probably a better value (although at $99, it’s still a pretty good deal).  It is a WiFi enabled device with a narrow firmware implementation to Y!'s system (much like the 250r for Rhapsody).  It is not a web-enabled device, and shouldn’t be expected to access resources and perform web functions for which is wasn’t designed.  It is a PlaysForSure compatible device, but has leanings toward captive provider services, like Microsoft has done with the Zune, and Apple has done with the iPod.

So, if you’re okay with Y! Music Unlimited service, it’s a great $100 device that does what it was designed to do.

I believe I read somewhere in the Sansa literature that the battery is capable of a minimum of 400 charge/discharge cycles???

The latest firmware allows the Connect to accept SD cards up to 8G. 

Message Edited by GnisiBrianJ25us on 12-10-2007 11:21 AM

3

The “upgrade” button isn’t required for the To Go users.  Thats one of Yahoo!'s marketing ploys. 

I’m not sure what the process is for replacing the battery, but I’d imagine it requires contacting SanDisk Support since there is no way for users to open the device on their own.  This may help in anwering some of your battery questions:

Q: What is the life expectancy of the Connect battery?
A: The Sansa Connect uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery. This battery will retain at least 80% of its capacity after 400 charge/discharge cycles. A properly maintained battery is used regularly and kept out of extreme heat or extreme cold. After a full charge, the battery will last roughly:

  • 6 hours streaming music via WiFi
  • 12 hours playing music stored on the device
  • 4 hours playing video

Lastely, yes, with the latest firmware, you can use microSDHC cards up to 8GB in size.  You can also drag and drop music files (DRM or non-DRM) from Yahoo to your deivce or microSD card.

-ML

4

Thanks for the responses, that’s what I wanted to know…

I actually downloaded the program from Yahoo directly @ work today to have a copy @ work
since I did not have the CD here, and the upgrade link is still there. No biggie.

Good to know about the microSDHC! I also got the firmware via wifi. I got this device so that
I could use the Y unlimited music to go service, so it seemed to be the best option out there,
for gym usage.

Now I need to get one of those protection (DLO and such). It was nice because I believe my
case for the e260 was made by Sandisk, but there is no shortage of these on Ebay.

Thanks again for replies.

Houman