Reviewed by Cnet: Cnet likes it

The Fuze just got a very nice review from Cnet, which really liked everything except the proprietary cable; the fugly (older-seeming) interface; and a bit of dullness to the screen, due to the screen’s protective coating.  Once again, the value for the buck was noted.

http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sandisk-sansa-fuze-4gb/4505-6490_7-32896581.html?tag=bubbl_2

It would seem that the smaller concerns are matters that SanDisk really could have handled, in QC/product review and testing.

I want one

does anyone know why sandisk went with a proprietary connector insted of mini usb?

Does anyone find it odd that the connector on the bottom of an Apple isn’t bemoaned as proprietary?  This connector has been used for years on various Sansas, quite reliably.  It allows multiple features and signals to pass, like a video signal on the View, and analog audio when docked.

Why would swapping to a kludgy 5-pin connector be an improvement over the capabilities of 30 pins? 

The connector is well made and durable.  I would have preferred that its edge tabs would be just a wee bit different, inhibiting accidental connection to an iPod dock, but that’s just human nature we’re fighting, I guess.

Bob  :stuck_out_tongue:

because this isnt the thread to ■■■■■ about how much apple products ■■■■. but yea i hate that they use one to why cant we have a 30 pin standerd connecter for all products by everyone.

Look carefully!  There isn’t any use of the word “■■■■” there, I simply prefer physical controls.  As to the 30 pin connector, the Sansa and Apple are two variants of the same sourced AMP device, yet only one is attacked as being “proprietary”.

I have nothing against Apple, they’ve simply gone down a different road over the years.

Bob  :wink:

Check out Anything But iPod.com, they have a very nice April Fools regarding the proprietary connection.

@psywiped wrote:
does anyone know why sandisk went with a proprietary connector insted of mini usb?

Mini-USB doesn’t have pins for line-out (for docks). Its only a disadvantage because of the dearth of accessories & cables.

As far as the Apple proprietary standard goes…its not a technical standard but it is a defacto standard. The vast majority of accessories have Apple connectors (even on many chargers, where a plain USB would be more universal). CNET complaining about the Apple connector would be like whining about why everyone insists on using MP3 when AAC is the ANSI standard.

It’d be great if all of Apple’s competitors get together and agree on a standard, but there’s too much to lose in it. Either one company’s connector becomes the standard and everyone else’s legacy connectors are obsolete, or they agree on a new standard and everyone’s connectors become obsolete.

Message Edited by bdb on 04-02-2009 09:39 AM

The downside of Apple’s de facto standard is that they can change it anytime they want…and they recently did, swapping some pins so a lot of legacy iPod docks could no longer charge your iPhone 3G, iPod Nano 4G, etc.

I have a few docks like that.  Grumble. 

@miikerman wrote:
  …and a bit of dullness to the screen, due to the screen’s protective coating…

 

It would seem that the smaller concerns are matters that SanDisk really could have handled, in QC/product review and testing.

The “Protective coating” needs to be greatly improved because my Fuze actually atracts every scratch it can seduce. If there is a “protective coating” on the Fuze, whoever sold the coating to Sandisk made out like a bandit. Sandisk should be looking at legal action.

@psywiped wrote:
does anyone know why sandisk went with a proprietary connector insted of mini usb?

The Clip does use a mini-USB connector. Of course it is only a music player, but it does that one job quite well.

The need for the 30-pin connector is realized when you add the video/photo & docking capabilities present in the larger models.