Sansa Fuze+ Firmware 02.38.06

and do what to those of us who bought and have it under warrenty still?

I was just saying

Looked 10 pages in and i didnt see any of the Time bug topics… were they deleted ?

I hope they don’t think this issue is solved on this firmware version and if this is the case

please enlighten me Sansa on how to get my clock to work after a reboot please

I came to the conclusion they don’t even know what they’re doing because it’s impossible at this point to still have this awful firmware

I understand your frustration.

I do want to be fair to Sansa (and the community around here)

There IS problems with the device but considering what I would do in there position makes me

think trying to design and build a player with the large amount of features the Fuze+ has, MUST be hard.

I just really wish we had some *more (or any) feedback from the firmware developer(s)

Like what bugs they are aware off AND working on for a future firmware update.

I really think if they were upfront about the development status it would ease

a lot of aggressive frustration around here.

Im tempted to do some down grading of my firmware to see if I can fix the power usage / time bug issues

those two problems are the most irritating to me… Having to use a separate device just to check the time ■■■■■…

Sometimes I don’t carry my cell phone and the Power usage when the device is off bug worries me because

lithium ion batteries have a finite life span and I don’t like the idea that my device is degrading while OFF !

I wonder if the two problems are some how related ?

XPmule they are. Do this: Restore to fact settings>do settings set time and data then leave OFF for a while>come back see if either issue is fixed. IF NOT then reformat reload firmware set up settings/time>DO NOT RELOAD IT YET>turn off leave it for a while then come back and see if either issue is resolved. If not do all three in this order>format>reset fact settings (don’t cust anything yet)>reload firmware>set time/date>charge until full>leave for a while and see if either issue is fixed when you come back. I imagine the time one will be fixed by one of these.

It’s been 3 months since th last firmware update. Is there a new update in the near future ?

@njones wrote:

It’s been 3 months since th last firmware update. Is there a new update in the near future ?

You’ll know when we know. Sandisk generally doesn’t announce updates before they’re released.

Well it would seem downgrading firmware is not possible.

Just tried to go back to v2.37.01 and after reboot it still says v2.38.06 in the info option.

edit: in case anyone is curious i tried the manual method …never used autoupdater for an update yet

I wouldn’t worry too much.  We’re going to keep getting these incremental updates and it is possible to use it now at full capacities of content (16 gig internal + 32 gig SD card).  So it’s well worth keeping it around and remember: keep your eye on the prize!  This is a great combination of hardware and potential  and soon it is going to switch from a problematic device to the best platform out there when the Rockbox port is ready in the next couple months or so.   Certainly we guinea pigs who shelled out roughly $250 for  a 16 GB Fuze+ with an 32 GB SD card as soon as it came out have a right to be ticked off.  After all, these first devices went out of warranty back in early September; out of warranty before they ever became usable!!!  Worse yet, we have wasted over a year and paid $100 over what we would pay now for the same device and 32 GB SD card.  That’s a hundred bucks to pay for the privlege of hauling an unusable device out of the desk drawer every few months to be an unpaid beta tester of a new firmware update. 

The sad thing is that we wouldn’t buy it now, becasue now there are 64 GB iPhones out there with the iOS embedded iPod app which is infinitely better than the Sansa Fuze+ interface.  I have to believe that any servicable mp3 player on an Android phone beats the Fuze+ as well, but the iPod app in a solid state phone with large capacity is significant because it is the iPod that clearly served as the UI design goal for the failed Sansa Fuze+ project.   But now, with most everybody carrying a smart phone, it’s really not clear that devices such as the Fuze+ are even needed.  This is why Apple is now phasing out the entire iPod line.

But Rockbox either equals or exceeds the iPod design depending upon your perspective and in the near future we will have Rockboxed Sansa Fuze+ devices.  The Rockboxed Fuze+ will almost certainly be the best and most full featured solid state dedicated media player available.  This is mostly because it is unlikely that any competitor is going to release new devices to compete in that disappearing niche market. 

These Rockboxed Fuze+ devices will only be of value to very limited classes of users:

  1. Folks who do not carry smart phones because of the cost of a data plan

  2. Folks like me who do carry a smart phone with a lot of music and/or media but do not want to expose it to harsh conditions.

  3. Systems Folks who put in long hours & all nighters maintaining servers and choose to carry a Fuze+ as their USB drive of choice because of the addition of the music and radio.

When the Rockbox port is ready there will be a surge in Sansa Fuze+ sales.  I wonder if the Product Managers at Sansa will understand the reason.  Probably not, but Sansa will have at least earned it to some degree for putting out a decent selection of components.  Too bad the software never really arrived.

@fuzionnow wrote:

 the Rockbox port is ready in the next couple months or so.

 

I would say in the next couples of weeks

 

@fuzionnow wrote:
Certainly we guinea pigs who shelled out roughly $250 for  a 16 GB Fuze+ with an 32 GB SD card as soon as it came out have a right to be ticked off.  After all, these first devices went out of warranty back in early September; out of warranty before they ever became usable!!!  Worse yet, we have wasted over a year and paid $100 over what we would pay now for the same device and 32 GB SD card.  That’s a hundred bucks to pay for the privlege of hauling an unusable device out of the desk drawer every few months to be an unpaid beta tester of a new firmware update.

This is clearly unacceptable. And a lot of other custumers already said so. I hope Sansa is going to give a better approach on their next device.

On the other hand: I’m the one who started the rockbox port’s process by opening the device and giving the picture of the pcb on the port’s page. I did without any kind of knowledge or pratical hability. Just a few video in youtube about how to open such devices.  Right after that came people around, especially Pamaury, starting to work on it. I mean: if people like you had just opened their device from the early beginning, we could be having a rockbox’s port at least since one year already!

@fuzionnow wrote:
When the Rockbox port is ready there will be a surge in Sansa Fuze+ sales.  I wonder if the Product Managers at Sansa will understand the reason.  Probably not, but Sansa will have at least earned it to some degree for putting out a decent selection of components.  Too bad the software never really arrived.

Sansa seems to have helped the port, even offering to send a free fuze+. Also answering a few question. I guess it is not totally a hazard if so many sansa devices are supported in Rockbox.

And clearly I just can’t wait for the port to be usable for the hardware of the fuze+ is really nice!

"1) Folks who do not carry smart phones because of the cost of a data plan

  1. Folks like me who do carry a smart phone with a lot of music and/or media but do not want to expose it to harsh conditions.

  2. Systems Folks who put in long hours & all nighters maintaining servers and choose to carry a Fuze+ as their USB drive of choice because of the addition of the music and radio."

  3. Folks like me who take the privacy of the media I read/watch/listen too, seriously, meaning that no one, not even the phone company, gets to see the list of media I own. And dont fool yourself, they can. Oh and by the way, the only media I actually purchase is purchased in actual stores with paper money.

Ok here is another reason to have a seperate MP3 player.  I work with confidential information and my employer will not allow a cell phone to be on while on the floor. 

@misscrystalyn wrote:

Ok here is another reason to have a seperate MP3 player.  I work with confidential information and my employer will not allow a cell phone to be on while on the floor. 

Ooooh . . . don’t let him find out it has voice record capability, or they’ll outlaw that too. :dizzy_face:

■■■■, you’re right… Oh well.  Less my boss knows the better I am.

Playlists are apparently impossible. Got the Fuze+ a few days ago. Never would’ve dreamed I’d spend all this time going in circles, but that’s all I’ve been doing since trying everything possible to transfer a playlist that doesn’t read empty using Ubuntu.

At least now I know about Rockbox and can keep my fingers crossed that it will soon be here. I only paid $40 for my unit off ebay. Now I know why. On the other hand, I have a Creative Nomad Jukebox that cost about $400 way back when. As clunky as it is, it’s less annoying than the Fuze+ in some ways.

Firmware will probably have to reach 5.5+ before this forum reflects happy, smiling users.

fuze+ only handles m3u(8) playlists if all the files are in one folder. .pla playlists work as expected. I don’t know how you’d make them on Ubuntu.

RB is here and still unstabe but I’ve been using it for days now fine.

I was banging my head against the wall with playlists.

PROBLEM:

Using Ubuntu with m3u files produced an empty playlist no matter what I did.

SOLUTION:

Booted into Windows, used WMP to create a playlist, I now know how to make playlists work.

OPINION:

Fuze+ is okay once you figure out how to use it. I think it’s confusing and clunky, but it works. For $40, there’s not much to complain about at this point. Looking forward to firmware updates or Rockbox to make it seamless with Linux. If you’re 100% Linux and you want playlists, you’re probably out-of-luck for now. If you beg to differ, please, tell me your secret.

Okay, so it’s reported that .pla files will work.

Hopefully this will eliminate the need to use WMP.

sudo apt-get install fapg

manpage
http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/intrepid/man1/fapg.1.html

example
Generate a playlist that will work on a Sansa e200 series  MP3  player:
       fapg -f pla -o /path/to/playlist.pla /path/to/all/music

Right now i have seen - that development of rockbox: http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaFuzePlusPort has been improved a lot since the last time… hopefully they’ll setup a good firmware!!!