Which is better Clip or Clip+?

Hi - I have just joined , so don’t know if this question has already been addressed.

 

However, I have been a happy user of the (old) Clip 2 gb, until last week when it got crushed on

the road by a car wheel.  Unhappy., but must move on…

 

I want to immediately replace, but which is better - the Clip or the Clip+ ?  I would be grateful for

advice etc from people who have had both.

 

Cheers 

As with so many things, it depends on your needs–and there are great deals on the original Clip now, such as at the SanDisk online store.

Having said that, the Clip+ offers:  improved construction, improved firmware (for example, you can navigate by folders now), and the microSD card slot.  Also, it will have support into the future–SanDisk has not issued a new improved firmware for the original Clip for, what, a year now, and it is uncertain if it will in the future.

But candidly, if you were looking for something for a child or someone who doesn’t need the improved niceties, the deals on the original Clip are nice.

Miike I was thinking of getting another Sansa player (possibly the CLIP+) as a back-up player just incase the original clip that I have that gave me a BRODeath scare a couple of days ago (It resolved itself after I let the battery die out and charged it up again)!

Aww…why did Wal-Mart have to quit selling SanDisk Sansa players and only sell iPod, Sony, and Zune…it’s so unfair (but then again, who said life was fair).  Sansas are becoming difficult to find nowadays.  I noticed that Costco only sells the Sansa Fuze and all the other players they sell are iPod.

Personally, I’d probably go for a Clip+ as a primary player.  But again, if you only need what the Clip has, there are some great deals out there. 

Also, new players and versions come out all the time–if I was looking for a backup player just to keep in reserve, I might wait until I actually needed it and see what’s available then (if that wouldn’t be an inconvenience)–prices are only going down and features up, generally.

Keep your eye on Wal-Mart–it’s had the Clip+ at nice prices, recently.

My nearest Brick n’ Mortar Wal-Mart only has one Fuze left for $98 and no sansa section…mostly iPods and Zunes and no Sansa players except for that one Fuze I mentioned…and my nearest Best Buy has a 4 GB clip+ for $49.99 and an 8GB Fuze on sale for $79.99!

I already own a Clip Clip (My primary player at this time)…it hung up a few times, but it still works.  I might get that 4GB CLIP+ from Best Buy…it’s about $10 cheaper than the price for the one being sold on Wal*Mart.com…and the lowest price so far - with a sdhc card from some other place that sells it cheaper!

Or you could get a refurb 2GB Clip at woot.com today (Jan. 15) for $13 plus $5 shipping/handling …

:wink:

Or you could get a refurb 2GB Clip at woot.com today (Jan. 15) for $13 plus $5 shipping/handling …

:wink:

Or for $12 more than the 4GB Clip+, you could get an 8GB Clip+ at Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPS6W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1263539586&sr=8-7  (And I’ll bet that the price will fall back into the $50’s within a couple of months.)

I read in another place about woot! not being a good place to buy players…especially the refurbed kind (dundundun!)!  When I attempt to post something…it gives me an error about invalid HTML!

@miikerman wrote:

Or you could get a refurb 2GB Clip at woot.com today (Jan. 15) for $13 plus $5 shipping/handling …

 

:wink:

 

Or for $12 more than the 4GB Clip+, you could get an 8GB Clip+ at Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPS6W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1263539586&sr=8-7  (And I’ll bet that the price will fall back into the $50’s within a couple of months.)

In spite of the reviews, the Clip+ doesn’t feel like the build quality is any better (but I had no complaints with the old Clip in that regard). Personally, I think the textured plastic and curved edges of the Clip+ make it feel cheaper and more dated than the old model. I wonder whether the reviews that suggest the opposite have been regurgitated from a Sansa press-release…

But, the first thing I noticed about the Clip+ was how much faster the UI is - especially on startup.

Also the screen seems brighter: minimum brightness is brighter than on the Clip (but maybe the Clip’s display had faded over time and I hadn’t noticed).

And at least with the Clip+ I have the likelihood of future firmware updates - although it certainly needs a few.

My old Clip was only a 1GB model without radio, and my Clip+ has a radio with 4GB, so it feels like a good upgrade; but even a Clip with the same spec would have impressed me just as much (I don’t really use the SD slot) and it would have had a more reliable battery indicator.

The Clip+ firmware has the much-requested folder browsing. That may be important to you; I don’t use it.

There’s also an extra screen on pressing the centre-button after the VU-meter screen: it shows you which track will be on next. A third press takes you back to the playback screen.

 I can’t decide whether this “next track” feature is neat or a nuisance, but I thought I’d mention it.

Message Edited by njd on 01-15-2010 02:57 PM

The Next Track function was carried over from the Fuze interface, along with µSD/SDHC compatibility.  I missed this handy function when using the basic Clip.  For those who have moved from the Clip to the new Clip+, it is more of a surprise.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

anythingbutipod.com has a nice comparative video review of the Clip vs Clip+ side-by-side.

I own both Clip (4gb) and Clip Plus (8gb).  My previous (and only) gripe with the Clip was the fragile clip (which eventually broke) and I had a problem getting a replacement until recently.  Other than that it is a great unit.  I ended up giving it to my wife after I got my Clip Plus.

Two great things about the Plus:  External Micro SD card and ability to sort music by Folders.  I easily filled my 8GB so I added another 8GB micro SD.  Sorting by Folders is a fast way for me to find my music as most mp3s are not properly labeled.