You mean it IS sad. Don’t hold your breath, the Clip is as good as dead. There was an update promised 7 months ago that has never materialized.
@sasafrass452 wrote:
Thanx, Warrior… I might actually get the Clip+ now that support for the Clip has apparently been halted. I hope it works even better!
Good customer!
If a car mfr refused to fix your car under warantee because they were busy with the next year’s model, would you reward them by buying the new one?
@donp wrote:
@sasafrass452 wrote:
Thanx, Warrior… I might actually get the Clip+ now that support for the Clip has apparently been halted. I hope it works even better!
Good customer!
If a car mfr refused to fix your car under warantee because they were busy with the next year’s model, would you reward them by buying the new one?
Exactly the point I’ve been trying to make. Thanks donp.
By buying the Clip+, you are validating what Sandisk has done.
Message Edited by Warrior1986 on 09-15-2009 08:28 AM
@warrior1986 wrote:
@donp wrote:
@sasafrass452 wrote:
Thanx, Warrior… I might actually get the Clip+ now that support for the Clip has apparently been halted. I hope it works even better!
Good customer!
If a car mfr refused to fix your car under warantee because they were busy with the next year’s model, would you reward them by buying the new one?
Exactly the point I’ve been trying to make. Thanks donp.
By buying the Clip+, you are validating what Sandisk has done.
Message Edited by Warrior1986 on 09-15-2009 08:28 AM
The car analogy is flawed, because what you’re expecting in a firmware update is something many would consider an enhancement.
You would expect a car-maker (via it’s dealers) to honour warranties. and I think Sansa’s approach to warranties/defects with the old-gen Clip will be as good (or bad) as it ever was; but that would be hardware rather than software issues: problems like “it doesn’t work anymore”, and not “but I want it to do folder navigation”
I would not expect a car-maker to continue making enhancements to a last-generation model; and pleading that you’ve always wanted cruise and sat-nav on that model (just like the new one has) wouldn’t convince the manufacturer to change it.
Even for safety issues, car-makers are not in the habit of making changes to old products.
At a more practical level, I would expect that most of Sansa’s technical staff (hardware engineers and software developers) have been very busy over the last 6 months working on the new product.
If the company’s focus is on launching a new Clip, that’s where most of the resources will be applied.
I don’t think Sansa’s actions need validating - they’re just doing the same as any other manufacturer, in any industry.
Get over yourselves. If you don’t want to buy a Clip+, then fine, go buy a Shuffle instead, or pay twice as much for a Nano.
I quite like Sansa’s products, and their software updates have been better and more frequent than many other companies, so I’ll happily buy a Clip+ when it’s available in Europe.
@njd wrote:
The car analogy is flawed, because what you’re expecting in a firmware update is something many would consider an enhancement.
You actually believe that a firmware update to fix a problem that goes to the very core purpose of the product (not add functions like folder view which would be a new feature or enhancement) would be considered “an enhancement”? Wow.
@warrior1986 wrote:
@njd wrote:
The car analogy is flawed, because what you’re expecting in a firmware update is something many would consider an enhancement.
You actually believe that a firmware update to fix a problem that goes to the very core purpose of the product (not add functions like folder view which would be a new feature or enhancement) would be considered “an enhancement”? Wow.
I’m guessing that njd is one of the people that cannot hear the pitch difference.
njd wrote:
I would not expect a car-maker to continue making enhancements to a last-generation model; and pleading that you’ve always wanted cruise and sat-nav on that model (just like the new one has) wouldn’t convince the manufacturer to change it.
Even for safety issues, car-makers are not in the habit of making changes to old products.
I can say that a few times I’ve had a car recalled for a free update of a design defect even after the warantee was expired (never mind the next year’s model coming out.) IN one case it was a new ignition module when the car was 8 years old.
Since you mention cruise control, the pitch-speed problem might be analogous to a car with a speedometer that was wrong, or a cruise control that consistently held the car at a speed higher than it was set to.
Of course, cars have safety issues that usually aren’t at issue with an audio player.
On the other hand, the software and hardware businesses are different than the car industry, and software fixes, improvements and enhancements often are made post-purchase (in fact, I recently read one industry player say that if a product is not released still in beta form and “finished”/corrected post-sale, a company is proceeding foolishly as to business. Just amazing, that.) As SanDisk considerately has been doing with the Clip since its original sale.
Hmm, looks like I opened a can of worms 
Well, I ordered the Clip+ via Amazon.com. I’m hoping for better battery life, since my Clip lost about 3 hrs worth when the meter was “tweaked” via firmware to be more gradual as the battery is used. I’ve complained about it again & again, even posted my test results here, which proved without a doubt that the firmware was to blame for my loss of battery life. 3 firmware revisions later, Sandisk still didn’t fix it. I’m not holding my breath for the Clip+ to be any better, but we’ll see how it goes…
But even Wikipedia lists the pitch problem as a problem and says (even if it is wrong) that Sandisk says that it is not going to fix the problem for the Clip.
OH, well, if Wikipedia says it, it must be true! :manwink:
@promisedplanet wrote:
OH, well, if Wikipedia says it, it must be true! :manwink:
Wikipedia articles carry all the credibility of their references. In this case, the reference is back to the sansa forum, so citing it doesn’t bring a lot to the table
I don’t speak for Sansa Corp… But when I read this:
** At this time due to
development targeted on the Clip+, firmware for the original Clip is
not currently under development. This may change in the future as time
permits.**
–
When do companies every have extra time to work on old products. Only if there is something terribly broken. Such as an updater not working. Incompatabilty with a new version of Windows XP or Rapsody.
The CLIP is a great product - I would have to give Sansa a 10/10 score for the CLIP. Released/Reviewed back in Aug 2007 … still on retailers shelfs sep 2009… upgraded from 1 GB to 8 GB.
I’d welcome any new updates but I don’t really expect them. I will probably go get a new CLIP+, but maybe not until black Friday @ best buy.
I’m 100% happy with the clip… except the flipping plastic clip part cracking at the spring…
Peace…
I have to add a few more things…
Sansa has done a FLIPPING Fantastic job supporting the CLIP…
In two years. We saw them updating the firmware many times addressing bugs and adding features such as Ogg and Flac support. Starting with 1 and 2 gig models, and bringing out 4 gig and 8 gig models.
And I remember when the idea of a CLIP with a slot was talked about on this forum. I wonder if Sansa already had the idea, or if they were listening… Now its a product.
Thanks Sansa for Listening and improving your products …
@marvin_martian wrote:
I’m guessing that njd is one of the people that cannot hear the pitch difference.
Yeah, I’m using a V1 Clip, and I don’t hear a pitch difference.
Admittedly, I think if I were experiencing a glitch in playback, I’d be pretty annoyed about it and want it fixed.
But other products have niggling problems like this too - every digital set-top box I’ve used has had problems with audio/visual sync (so it looks like you’re watching a dubbed foreign film) and the manufacturers’ infrequent software updates have never fixed it.
@warrior1986 wrote:
@njd wrote:
The car analogy is flawed, because what you’re expecting in a firmware update is something many would consider an enhancement.
You actually believe that a firmware update to fix a problem that goes to the very core purpose of the product (not add functions like folder view which would be a new feature or enhancement) would be considered “an enhancement”? Wow.
I don’t agree that it goes to the very core purpose of the product.
The Clip’s core purpose is to play music, and it still can; just not to the fidelity that you would like.
Me, I can’t hear a problem. But even if I could, I think I’d tolerate it considering all the other aspects of the product, and its price.
And yes, I think improving playback accuracy (it’s not a new feature) can be called an enhancement.
I think the very best enhancement would be to close this and all the other threads on this topic. Everything that can be said has been said, either live with it or buy something else, but nothing will be gained by further discussion. If a firmware update is made available fine, else let’s be done with it.
@dave61430 wrote:
I think the very best enhancement would be to close this and all the other threads on this topic. Everything that can be said has been said,
THere was a move to close the patent office in the late 1800’s because everything had been invented.
Is anyone twisting your arm to follow this thread, or does it just upset you to know it exists?
Couldn’t agree more.
If you don’t have any problems, why are you posting in here?
The most disgusting part of this whole thing is that, unless I’m really misreading what they posted before they discontinued the Clip, is that they went on record, in writing, committing to apply the fixes that _ they said they had already created. _
Now, we’re told to go take a hike, they will not give us the fixes that they had in their hands a month or two ago – back then, we were told to hang on, give them some time to catch up with some other stuff, _ and then they’d roll out the next firmware, which would include the fixes they had already made for this model. _
Am I misremembering anything?
Maybe they think they’re saving a buck or two by tossing us under the bus, but that is really flawed logic, because when word gets out that Sansa sells stuff with design defects, promises to fix them, and then, instead of fixing them, simply discontinues the product and comes out with a slightly revised replacement – people are gonna hear that, and RUN to some other vendor.
People do not like getting shat upon, and with the economy in the deep dark dump, people are gonna vote with their dollars like never before. Any vendor that thinks they can get away with treating their customers like this is going to get a really rude awakening.
