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[Tapeworm]

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@JK98 wrote:

it is easy enough to carry some spare batteries. With a player with a built in battery, if I deplete the power in the battery, I might be without use of the player for part of a day, but if I then forget to charge it when I get home, I might be without use of the player the next day as well.

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But I doubt you're ever very far away from an AC outlet to plug in a charger? Sometimes yes, fishing, hiking, etc. in the boonies, but even then you can carry a USB charging device powered by . . . yep, your AA batteries. (Oh sh!t, I think I just made a point for you)

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@JK98 wrote:

If there is indeed a 4000 song limit on the Fuze with the current firmware it is because they felt that few would exceed this with 16 gigs of storage. If a full sized SD slot was included instead, the limit would have been set higher.

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I don't buy this as an oversight on SanDisk's part. A firmware boo-boo? Definitely! But with the amount of time spent in R & D and testing before these things actually make it to market, somebody would have HAD to try & put more than 4000 songs on a player. And it's not exactly 4000. It varies; it's just around that number. So it probably has something to do with the processor and the amount of data it can read or something. If I knew what it was, I'd fix it! But first, I'd enter into a techinal independent contractor status with SanDisk and get paid for it!

Besides, they (SanDisk) knew going into this realm that with the SDHC micro-card the possible near-future total memory capacity would be 40GB (8GB on-board & 32GB SDHC card). And the Fuze is choking on less than half that? So the idea that they would have planned for a higher ceiling with the full-size card is just silly. They should have planned (key word: planned) for it regardless!

Anyway, good back & forth!

[JK98]

"But I doubt you're ever very far away from an AC outlet to plug in a charger?"

it is not about being far from an outlet for a long time, but remembering to recharge a player with a built in battery when it needs it, and leaving enough time to do so. Some chargers will charge up to 4 AA batteries in just 15 minutes.

"but even then you can carry a USB charging device powered by . . . yep, your AA batteries."

That seems very annoying. One would need 4 AA batteries to reach around 5 volts. If one could power the player from an external battery pack it wouldn't be so bad, but charging the internal battery from an external battery pack does not seem like a desirable thing to do.

"I don't buy this as an oversight on SanDisk's part. A firmware boo-boo? Definitely!"

Not really, as a 4000 or so song limit seems reasonable when the player can't hold more than 16 gigs, since most people use a bitrate of at least 128 kbps for their music. Having a 4000 or so song limit when 16 gig micro SD cards are available though, and the player could have 24 gigs of storage is not a good thing.

"Besides, they (SanDisk) knew going into this realm that with the SDHC micro-card the possible near-future total memory capacity would be 40GB (8GB on-board & 32GB SDHC card). "

They also knew they would have firmware updates before then.

"They should have planned (key word: planned) for it regardless!"

They did plan for it, they planned future firmware updates.  Since they are a leading maker of micro SD cards, they know exactly when certain capacity cards will be available.

[mstubie]

Hey There JK98,

I agree. AA or AAA. I would like to see SanDisk put out a "flashless" drive player.

Modify the ImageMate Reader with an FM radio, and the firmware be able to play multiple video and audio formats (including OGG for those that want it) (less M4A/AAC of course), and view photos. Definitely increase the screen size so video is more viewable, 2.5? When you connect to a PC, I am thinking the double drive issues go away? Someone more tech savy can advise on that thought.  

To me it seems like 2GB, 4GB, 8GB flash drive players are like a game. Fill them up with high quality mp3's, video's, and photo's and start buying cards for the expansion slot. 

I purchased a 4GB micro SDHC Card from the SanDisk Store for my 8GB Fuze and it is packaged with the SanDisk Adapter, so the little Micro can play in a full sized SD/MMC slot. SanDisk sells so many different size cards at so many prices I do not know why they (sales/marketing) wouldn't find something like this a "home run".

I'm no programmer, copy right lawyer etc. and do not know what it would take to accomplish this. Perhaps there are restrictions which would make this prohibitive. As a consumer who prefers SanDisk products over the others, this is something I would like to see. Maybe there are others, maybe not.

I just purchased an E130 from Amazon for just this purpose. (should arrive this week). Although it is a discontinued model, it plays on 1 X AAA battery, has an FM Radio, with an "up to" 2GB full size expansion slot. (You Go SanDisk!) No video capability, but I think they WERE headed in the right direction.

This is my personal wish list, so let the bashing begin!

Regards

I forgot - yes on the AM for talk shows

Message Edited by mstubie on 10-05-2008 11:14 AM

[Tapeworm]

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@JK98 wrote:

"But I doubt you're ever very far away from an AC outlet to plug in a charger?"

it is not about being far from an outlet for a long time, but remembering to recharge a player with a built in battery when it needs it, and leaving enough time to do so. Some chargers will charge up to 4 AA batteries in just 15 minutes. So by your reasoning, manufacturers should design & build an mp3 player for those few who can't remember to charge their units? Has the cell-phone industry, who sells many, many more units than the DAP industry done this? No. They and other 3rd-party vendors sell chargers, car-chargers and even protable chargers powered by AA batteries. Same with the mp3 market. What the manufacturer does not offer, opens the door for 3rd-party accessory companies; a symbiotic relationship and one that encourages free enterprise, innovation and advancement in technology.

"but even then you can carry a USB charging device powered by . . . yep, your AA batteries."

That seems very annoying. One would need 4 AA batteries to reach around 5 volts. If one could power the player from an external battery pack it wouldn't be so bad, but charging the internal battery from an external battery pack does not seem like a desirable thing to do. I don't see the difference. You would be carrying 2 devices either way. And as in the point I was making above, it's a benefit to those who happen to forget to charge their devices and get caught short. It's not meant as an everyday, totally reliant method.

"I don't buy this as an oversight on SanDisk's part. A firmware boo-boo? Definitely!"

Not really, as a 4000 or so song limit seems reasonable when the player can't hold more than 16 gigs, since most people use a bitrate of at least 128 kbps for their music. Why is this reasonable? NOT having a limit seems reasonable. A limit is so . . . well, limiting.  Having a 4000 or so song limit when 16 gig micro SD cards are available though, and the player could have 24 gigs of storage is not a good thing. Maybe you haven't heard; the 16GB SDHC card is available NOW! Yet SanDisk said they did not have time to fix this in the latest firmware release for the Fuze on Friday. Users will have to wait until the next one. And what about the e200 series users? They're in the same "4000 song limit" boat, but no firmware update has even been hinted at for this model.

"Besides, they (SanDisk) knew going into this realm that with the SDHC micro-card the possible near-future total memory capacity would be 40GB (8GB on-board & 32GB SDHC card). "

They also knew they would have firmware updates before then. Did they really? (see above)

"They should have planned (key word: planned) for it regardless!"

They did plan for it, they planned future firmware updates. Not very well, it seems! Since they are a leading maker of micro SD cards, they know exactly when certain capacity cards will be available. Exactly my point! But as in other large companies, many times "one hand doesn't know what the other is doing". How long are the users that are buying the 16 gig cards as we speak going to have to wait for the firmware update that will "fix" this issue that shouldn't have been as issue in the first place?

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[Tapeworm]

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@mstubie wrote:

Hey There JK98,

I agree. AA or AAA.

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SanDisk does indeed already make a AAA battery-powered mp3 player AND it has a full-size SD card slot. Just what you guys (edit: JK98 & vidra) have been asking for. It's called the SANSA SHAKER. It even comes in colors; blue for boys & pink for girls.

Also, the Sansa M series uses a AAA user-replaceable battery too. No card slot though.

Message Edited by Tapeworm on 10-05-2008 04:25 PM

[mstubie]

Hi Tapeworm,

No, I went with E130. I'm too old to Shake!

Later

[JK98]

"Has the cell-phone industry, who sells many, many more units than the DAP industry done this? "

Cell phones have a user replaceable battery, and spares are available. When was the last time you saw a cellphone that has a battery that is not user replaceable(besides the iphone)? When was the last time you saw a digital camera with a battery that is not user replaceable?

Message Edited by JK98 on 12-11-2009 03:39 PM

[Tapeworm]

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@JK98 wrote:

"Has the cell-phone industry, who sells many, many more units than the DAP industry done this? "

Cell phones have a user replaceable battery, and spares are available. When was the last time you saw a cellphone that has a battery that is not user replaceable? When was the last time you saw a digital camera with a battery that is not user replaceable?

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And so do 4 of my Sansas (e200 series).

[JK98]

"And so do 4 of my Sansas (e200 series). "

Imo it seems like the E200 series might be discontinued soon, since the Fuze and the Clip seem to replace it. It also seems like it is not so easy to buy spare batteries for the E200 series at a low price. The E200 seems like it only supports up to 2 gig micro SD cards.

[Tapeworm]

O'contrere, Pierre. While the e200 series' thunder is being replaced by the latest & greatest Fuze & Clip, I don't think it will be going anywhere for a while yet. As far as the batteries go, they are plentiful and in-expensive on Amazon and E-Bay, among other places. About $9 - $15 average.

And only the v1 e200 series only support up to 2GB cards natively. But you can install Rockbox on them & get the higher SDHC support (plus a lot of other features that even the Fuze doesn't offer). The v2's have the same processor as the Fuze & Clip and therefore DO support the SDHC cards as-is. I have an e280 (8GB) and a 8GB SDHC card. The card is filling up fast, so probably as soon as the price comes down a little on the 16 gig cards that just came out, I'll be picking one of those up and the 8 gig card will maybe go into one of my v1's if I install Rockbox. At that point, I'll have 24GB capacity and a vested interest and personal concern over this 4000 song (approx.) ceiling and will be anxiously awaiting a firmware fix.