Questions About New Clip Zip

Before I purchase the new Clip Zip I need 2 questions answered.

  1. Does it come with a wall charger?  If not can I use my wall charger from my other Sansa Clip machine?

  2. Is it true it comes with a disc thatll allow me to download Rhapsody on the player then I can add songs to the player without using a computer? 

@eric777 wrote:

Before I purchase the new Clip Zip I need 2 questions answered.

 

  1. Does it come with a wall charger?  If not can I use my wall charger from my other Sansa Clip machine?

 

  1. Is it true it comes with a disc thatll allow me to download Rhapsody on the player then I can add songs to the player without using a computer? 

No on both counts. 

However you do get a cord for charging so if you have a usb adapter that plugs in to the wall you are set.

As for Rhapsody. It comes with a disk and you can Rhapsody on your computer but not on your player.

PC Magazine is reporting it comes with a small disc you put into the player and it downloads Rhapsody on the player. No computer needed.

@eric777 wrote:

PC Magazine is reporting it comes with a small disc you put into the player and it downloads Rhapsody on the player. No computer needed.

Do you see a CD drive on the Clip Zip? :wink:

The disc goes into your computer, and Rhapsody installs on your computer.

From PC Magazine  read the entire article

To get your music on the player, You can connect it to your Windows or Mac computer, and just drag and drop files onto the drive as you would with any external drive. Or, you can pop the tiny disc that’s included with Clip Zip, which lets you update the device’s firmware, as well as installs the Rhapsody software onto your machine. The Sansa Clip Zip and Rhapsody are tightly integrated, giving subscribers access to Rhapsody’s huge library of songs, and the ability to manage your player within the Rhapsody application. If you’re not into iTunes but still want a robust way to manage your music, Rhapsody is a nice alternative, but I preferred the drag-and-drop method.

@eric777 wrote:

From PC Magazine  read the entire article

 

To get your music on the player, You can connect it to your Windows or Mac computer, and just drag and drop files onto the drive as you would with any external drive. Or, you can pop the tiny disc that’s included with Clip Zip, which lets you update the device’s firmware, as well as installs the Rhapsody software onto your machine. The Sansa Clip Zip and Rhapsody are tightly integrated, giving subscribers access to Rhapsody’s huge library of songs, and the ability to manage your player within the Rhapsody application. If you’re not into iTunes but still want a robust way to manage your music, Rhapsody is a nice alternative, but I preferred the drag-and-drop method.

*sigh*

I did read the article. When they say"device" they are referring to the CZ, and when they say  “machine” they are referring to their PC.

But if you don’t believe me, ask neutron_bob…he is a Rhapsody user.

@eric777 wrote:

Before I purchase the new Clip Zip I need 2 questions answered.

 

  1. Does it come with a wall charger?  If not can I use my wall charger from my other Sansa Clip machine?

 

  1. Is it true it comes with a disc thatll allow me to download Rhapsody on the player then I can add songs to the player without using a computer? 

Eric777, you can use your earlier Clip wall charger with your Clip ZIp, subject to one clarification:

The Clip Zip’s USB port uses the newer micro USB connection standard, as versus the older mini USB connection.  If your earlier wall charger has a cable with a mini connection permanently attached to it, you still can use it with the Clip Zip, but will need to attach a mini=>micro adapter (inexpensive; around $1 shipped at eBay) to the end of the cable.  Otherwise, if your earlier wall charger is just the charger without any cable and to which you plug in your cable, you can use it with the Clip Zip using the micro  USB cable that comes with the player.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-USB-Micro-USB-Adapter-Data-Charger-Converter-5-/260768831661?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D5%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2294210207960459890

Indeed, Rhapsody is wonderful with the new device.  The supplied disc containns the Rhapsody 4 Client application, a music manager that is installed on your PC.

It works like iTunes could only dream of working.  I use both systems regularly: iTunes has a nasty habit of shepherding you into a purchase, good luck undoing a mistake.  On the flip side, Rhapsody purchases are arranged in a list that you can change or confirm prior to purchases.  You also have the Rhapsody Channels feature, where you can test drive all the music you want, and purchase permanent copies later.

As for “doing things solely on the device”, with Rhapsody, you can click on the purchase function on the device, to download a permanent copy for your collection later, it’s very convenient.

The Rhapsody client manages your content on the player like Windows Media Player, so you have a library (backup) on your PC in addition to the device.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

How many items are on the screen at a time when lists are displayed? Has folder browsing been improved compared to how it works on the Clip+? is there a way to resume a folder of podcasts being played in in folder mode, or does a series of podcasts need to be resumed via album tag?

Does it have gapless playback for “live” music?

@eric777 wrote:

From PC Magazine  read the entire article

 

 

you are fail

As to gapless play: To my ears and with my music, the play is gapless. But some have reported sometimes having heard (with their own music) the faintest of clicks (but it must be faint, as different people report different things as to the same music, and people have not been sure if it’s a sound or their imagination–pretty good for a gapless play!).

As long it is as gapless as the clip+ or the Fuze+ it is fine with me.

How is the readability of the Clip Zip when compared to the Clip+?

@jk98 wrote:

How is the readability of the Clip Zip when compared to the Clip+?

The font for the time display is a little small and colored white, so it can be hard to read with the album art shown behind it. It would help if that and the battery icon were a little larger, in bold font and/or a different color. This may be changed in a firmware update down the road (I’m hoping anyway).

The Artist and Song title displayed across the bottom of the screen has a black background which the white, bold font shows up very clearly against. This slides off to the left when you press the center button while a song is playing so you can see the album art without anything superimposed over the top of it. Pressing the button again brings back the Song info and the date and battery icon.

Personally, I find the Clip+'s screen easier to see with the bright yellow and blue of the OLED screen, especially in the sunlight.

I find the readability on the Clip Zip acceptable.

Comparing the 2 players, the Clip+ uses a bright, almost neon blue text on the screen, enhancing the text readability.  The Clip Zip uses a white text which is a trifle less easy to see, but the album info. text is in a slightly larger text size than on the Clip+ and there is a grayed out band under that text and over the album art, making up for the white text and making the Clip Zip’s text a bit easier to read, in my opinion–and it looks kind of snazzy. 

I find this to be the case indoors as well as outdoors, both in the shadows and in the sun; the Clip Zip, while harder to read outdoors as versus indoors–just like the Clip±-is no moreso than the Clip+, in my opinion.

A few extra points, though:

  –  the Clip Zip’s top line on the screen, which shows the time, a play/pause symbol, and a battery icon, is underlaid with a gray band over the album art, which is a lighter shade of gray than the gray band undeneath the album info; in my opinion, that top band of gray should be darker, like the band under the album info.–the time and other info. on the top of the screen can be harder to see/read with the lighter-shaded gray band

  –  note that the Clip Zip’s what’s playing screen for music does not have the track no./total tracks info. that the Clip+ has–helpful and necessary for keeping your place in album play–and does not have the Clip+'s screen’s elapsed time info. (or a total time/remaining time indication); I really would like to see these items come back/be added

–  answering another of your questions, while the Clip+'s music listing screen shows 4 lines of text–the heading and 3 lines of user content data–the Clip Zip, nicely through its larger screen, shows 6 lines–the status line (time, play/pause mode, battery icon), the heading (e.g. Albums, Artists, etc.) in a larger text size, and 4 lines of user content data; perhaps SanDisk could have made that 5 lines of user contant data on the Clip Zip by eliminating the top status line and making the heading line smaller.

Hope that helps–

@jk98 wrote:

How is the readability of the Clip Zip when compared to the Clip+?

I find the readability on the Clip Zip acceptable.

Comparing the 2 players, the Clip+ uses a bright, almost neon blue text on the screen, enhancing the text readability.  The Clip Zip uses a white text which is a trifle less easy to see, but the album info. text is in a slightly larger text size than on the Clip+ and there is a grayed out band under that text and over the album art, making up for the white text and making the Clip Zip’s text a bit easier to read, in my opinion–and it looks kind of snazzy.

I find this to be the case indoors as well as outdoors, both in the shadows and in the sun; the Clip Zip, while harder to read outdoors as versus indoors–just like the Clip±-is no moreso than the Clip+, in my opinion.

A few extra points, though:

  –  the Clip Zip’s top line on the screen, which shows the time, a play/pause symbol, and a battery icon, is underlaid with a gray band over the album art, which is a lighter shade of gray than the gray band undeneath the album info; in my opinion, that top band of gray should be darker, like the band under the album info.–the time and other info. on the top of the screen can be harder to see/read with the lighter-shaded gray band

  –  note that the Clip Zip’s what’s playing screen for music does not have the track no./total tracks info. that the Clip+ has–helpful and necessary for keeping your place in album play–and does not have the Clip+'s screen’s elapsed time info. (or a total time/remaining time indication); I really would like to see these items come back/be added

–  answering another of your questions, while the Clip+'s music listing screen shows 4 lines of text–the heading and 3 lines of user content data–the Clip Zip, nicely through its larger screen, shows 6 lines–the status line (time, play/pause mode, battery icon), the heading (e.g. Albums, Artists, etc.) in a larger text size, and 4 lines of user content data; perhaps SanDisk could have made that 5 lines of user contant data on the Clip Zip by eliminating the top status line and making the heading line smaller.

Hope that helps–

@jk98 wrote:

How is the readability of the Clip Zip when compared to the Clip+?

I find the readability on the Clip Zip acceptable.

Comparing the 2 players, the Clip+ uses a bright, almost neon blue text on the screen, enhancing the text readability.  The Clip Zip uses a white text which is a trifle less easy to see, but the album info. text is in a slightly larger text size than on the Clip+ and there is a grayed out band under that text and over the album art, making up for the white text and making the Clip Zip’s text a bit easier to read, in my opinion–and it looks kind of snazzy.

I find this to be the case indoors as well as outdoors, both in the shadows and in the sun; the Clip Zip, while harder to read outdoors as versus indoors–just like the Clip±-is no moreso than the Clip+, in my opinion.

A few extra points, though:

  –  the Clip Zip’s top line on the screen, which shows the time, a play/pause symbol, and a battery icon, is underlaid with a gray band over the album art, which is a lighter shade of gray than the gray band undeneath the album info; in my opinion, that top band of gray should be darker, like the band under the album info.–the time and other info. on the top of the screen can be harder to see/read with the lighter-shaded gray band

  –  note that the Clip Zip’s what’s playing screen for music does not have the track no./total tracks info. that the Clip+ has–helpful and necessary for keeping your place in album play–and does not have the Clip+'s screen’s elapsed time info. (or a total time/remaining time indication); I really would like to see these items come back/be added in

–  answering another of your questions, while the Clip+'s music listing screen shows 4 lines of text–the heading and 3 lines of user content data–the Clip Zip, nicely through its larger screen, shows 6 lines–the status line (time, play/pause mode, battery icon), the heading (e.g. Albums, Artists, etc.) in a larger text size, and 4 lines of user content data; perhaps SanDisk could have made that 5 lines of user content data on the Clip Zip by eliminating the top status line and making the heading line smaller.

Hope that helps–

Thanks for the responses. So far the thing that impresses me the most about the Clip Zip is the RDS radio. I wish it had HD radio instead though.  The Clip Zip looks like a nice player, however so far it doesn’t seem to me to be that much nicer than the Clip+. The Clip+ is indeed very tough competition. I guess I may buy a Clip Zip, but am not excited enough about it to rush to get one soon.

The color screen and AAC support will probably get many Shuffle owners to buy one. I am surprised that so many people care about album art.

@jk98 wrote:

I am surprised that so many people care about album art.

It amazes me too. I had several people this year tell me that the lack of it  was what kept them from buying a Clip+, even though I was telling them they were missing out on such a great little player.