SanDisk MP3 Player: ok with USB-1.0, Windows ME, and Easy CD creator classic
Written: Sep 25 '05 (Updated Dec 12 '06)
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Pros: Light, 400+ songs, AAA battery, drag-n-drop songs from computer
Cons: Not expandable memory, poor radio (as with all micro-units)
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a very small/light unit, that'll hold a lot of songs, and $119 is in your price-range, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one!
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| graphics_guy's Full Review: SanDisk SDMX1 (1 GB) MP3 Player |
There are a lot of reviews on this item, so I won't waste your time re-hashing every single feature ... I'll just give you my opinion on the exact features I used.
I bought this unit to listen to music, while I walk to work (about 45 minute walk each way).
This 1Gb mp3 player retails for $149 at Circuit City, and I got it on sale for $119.
The packaging only mentions USB 2.0, so I wasn't 100% sure it would work with the old/slow USB 1.0. As I hoped/assumed, it worked fine :) I plugged the cable into my old Toshiba laptop (which only has USB 1.0), and Windows ME recognized it, and auto-loaded the drivers. Then, it was just like any other external disk drive.
I totally ignored the software that came with this MP3 player. Instead, I used Easy CD Creator 6 (I actually just
used the 'classic' mode, which I believe is Creator 5) to 'rip' songs off my favorite cd's and save them to my harddrive in (Windows Media Audio) WMA format (with a separate folder for each cd, giving the folders a short name for the albums, and naming the files by the title of the songs). When I had all my files ready, I drag-n-dropped them from my hard drive onto the MP3 player (works with mp3 and/or wma).
I was *very* happy that I can just drag-n-drop songs onto this unit as if it is an external disk. Sounds like some other units force you to use the software they include, and also force you to use a certain format.
To transfer an entire 1Gb over USB 1.0, I estimate it might take about 30 minutes (I only did one or two albums at a time, and each album only took a few minutes).
Since the MP3 player's package says it can hold 480 songs at 64kbps WMA format, that's the format I used to save them. Indeed, I think I could get about 480 songs in this lower-quality resolution, and they certainly sound good enough for walking/exercise music.
To play my favorite cd, I go into MP3 player mode (as opposed to radio or voice-recording modes), and use the thumb-joystick to select the folder I want, and then go into the folder and select the song I want to start with, and click 'play'.
This unit comes with an armband, and a beltloop-pouch carrier, but I opted for using a laniard. It didn't come with a laniard, but it does have a loop you can clip one to it.
I've tried the radio a few times, and it is 'ok' (not great). This is a tiny unit, and as with other tiny units there's just not great radio reception. As I walk, it kinda winks in-and-out of stereo/mono (even if I put the unit into mono-mode) -- maybe I should read the directions one day ;) One neat feature - it can auto-set your presets to the strongest stations in your area.
The earbuds are very light & low-profile. I think this is a good/cheap choice to include with the unit. People's taste varies so much in headphones, it would be a waste to include some certain kind of fancy/expensive headphones with the unit. Let people choose which good/expensive ones they want, and pay for them separately.
The earbuds come with optional thin form rubber covers. They're tough to put on (might be easier as a 2-person job), but they help the earbuds stay in better and more comfortably.
The display shows you lots of info (including song title). I like that it's back-lit - this really helps when walking in the evening when there's not much sunlight.
The unit is impressively small and light. Probably 1/2 of the weight is the one AAA battery. The battery seems to last for a reasonable time (being that it's only driving some tiny earbuds, and there is no tape/cd to have to spin). There is also a 3-led meter that shows you the remaining battery life.
The only annoying thing was the salespeople in the store (or actually BestBuy - the store I didn't buy it at) kept mentioning that this unit has 'anti-skip'. No *duh*! ;) That's the way ram/memory works -- it doesn't "have" anti-skip ... it *is* anti-skip. (Whereas cd players have several seconds of memory to buffer & anti-skip, these units are, of course, *all* memory).
As compared with some other units, this one doesn't let you add bigger memory cards. I think 1Gb with 400+ songs is probably enough for now :) By the time I fill it up, I think 1Gb units will be down in the $30-$50 price range, and I'll just buy an extra unit (1 unit for rock, one for country, one for techno, etc 8)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 119
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
graphics_guy
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Reviews written: 35
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