Results for "mp3 player"
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0
I have owned my View for a month and I love it even more than when I first got it. I will tell you about all the complications I have had, how I overcame them, and why this player rocks my world.
The View is small, like the nano and provides equally excellent sound, photo/video quality. It comes in 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32GB, but trumps the iPod with its memory expansion slot which allows you to add up to an additional 16GB of data for just the memory card's price. Be aware however that it only takes microSD chips, which for most people needs an adapter, but an 8GB card can be bought for $20 with an adapter, so it still isn't bad.
Upon receiving my sansa view, I knew instantly that it would be prone to scratches and fingerprints, especially since the screen and the player itself are one, so I recommend buying at least a screen protector. The material of the player is more similar to the first generation iPod nano, which doesn't feel as cheap as the new generations of iPod. The face of the
The View is small, like the nano and provides equally excellent sound, photo/video quality. It comes in 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32GB, but trumps the iPod with its memory expansion slot which allows you to add up to an additional 16GB of data for just the memory card's price. Be aware however that it only takes microSD chips, which for most people needs an adapter, but an 8GB card can be bought for $20 with an adapter, so it still isn't bad.
Upon receiving my sansa view, I knew instantly that it would be prone to scratches and fingerprints, especially since the screen and the player itself are one, so I recommend buying at least a screen protector. The material of the player is more similar to the first generation iPod nano, which doesn't feel as cheap as the new generations of iPod. The face of the
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
more
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
26 price(s)
0
I bought this for my wife and as soon as I used It I fell in love with it. I wish I had of bought two. This player has alot of features pic, vid, music, and text. I actually like this better that my ipod. It has a clear image good sound and good battery life. Coby made a good product for a change
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
The Mp3 player was recieved in great time. It is light weight and small. The sound and color are great. It was a gift for my husband and he loved it. Others that have seen it want one also.
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
The picture quality was great. The sound was fabulous. Sadly, the unit kept freezing up on me after about 20 minutes. Had to return. If I could get this brand new, I'd buy it for sure.
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
What a deal...I ordered a different item that was unavailable...but in true Overstock style..was UPGRADED to a Prime Product! This particular video player is great. So easy to use...clarity in video...sound is super. It pays to read the reviews...trust me!! Thanks O!!
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
Great price compare to other players. Cute shape and nice color. Lot functions that worth money to buy it. I can listen music with it, I can listen radio with it and I can use it as voice recorder. Lot fun to play it. Would definely recommend it to all my friends. Great deal to buy it.
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
Bought this to my boyfriend as birthday gift. He love it. This product has so many functions. Beside you can listen music with it, you can also use it as voice recorder. Nice design and shape. Great value as well. Would like to buy more. Awesome gift.
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
This product is basic, and expectations of its features should be minimal. It plays music well, and the quality of play-back is good. The "features" are difficult to navigate. The Eclipse 11 is a low-priced way to enjoy music. It suits my simple needs, and meets my expectations . I am pleased with the product, however those who what more performance in the features might become frustrated.
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
When I got this it looked ones I had purchased before and had to take back they were made by another company I had gotten two and they did not work well , or at all , and lasted only a few days.
They look flimsy but they are GREAT! I listen to my CDs in my car, and they are loud enough to hear over engine noise and wind coming through windows.
I will purchase another just in case they stop making these for the price you can't beat it.
I purchase from Overstock more and more Love it !!!
They look flimsy but they are GREAT! I listen to my CDs in my car, and they are loud enough to hear over engine noise and wind coming through windows.
I will purchase another just in case they stop making these for the price you can't beat it.
I purchase from Overstock more and more Love it !!!
...
player is easy to clean with a soft cloth (like those glasses ones). When it comes to the design, I like the View over the iPod because the back of the View is a very comfortable soft rubber grip that doesn't attract ugly fingerprints and isn't cold to the touch, and the menu wheel actually turns, which just feels good when you use it (you'll understand...)
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
When it comes to their interface, I'd say they're very much alike. The menus are self explanatory, and both have their pros and cons about their menus. One notable thing about the View is that you can choose your background color on the View's menu screen, which to me isn't very important, but when I'm bored it's one more thing for me to play with.
Now, the controls. After using the iPod for so long, it took a bit of time to adjust to the View. For example, when using the iPod, you simply press the up key to go back one step in the menu no matter what you are doing, but whenever I press the up key while something is playing on the View, it will play/pause it. If you press left or right on either players, it will go backward or forward in the track list. So then that leaves the down button, which on the iPod pauses or plays what you are playing, and on the View gives you the song/video/photo menu (it adjusts to whatever you're doing) and from there you are able to get back to the music list. What will really spin your head about the View though is that when you're not on the "now playing" screen, you use the left/right buttons to navigate the menus...so it keeps your mind sharp. So sometimes, it's one more click than necessary to navigate the View, but once you're used to it, there really is no difference. Plus, whenever I'm lost in the controls, I simply hit the handy home button and start over again.
One cool feature from the View which doesn't exist on the iPod is its voice recording. I am in college and I use this feature to record lectures, or simply to punk friends. The sound quality from the recording is amazing, and unlike other recorders, it doesn't alter the voice being recorded. Also, if you are listening to the radio on the View (yes, it has an FM receiver), you can record what you are listening to, which is pretty cool also. For me, voice recording and radio are the most used applications on my View, and maybe that's because I've never had an mp3 player with those options. Whenever I'm like "darn, why do I love all the songs on my View? I want something to compare it to so I don't get used to all this good music", I simply switch to the radio.
When it comes to battery life, I would hands down give the award to the Sansa View. I've never had an iPod whose battery lasted over four hours on one charge. The View can last me a whole week without recharging, as long as if I control its volume, backlight, and be sure to turn it off when I'm not using it. I use my View for at least 2 hours everyday. But one thing about these players' battery is that it all depends on your luck or willingness to ask. Lithium Ion Batteries will die when its time comes, so when you purchase one, you can rely on luck to get a fresh battery, or you can ask them how long this player has been sitting on the shelf. Of course, if you're buying from Amazon, you won't have that option. Therefore, I bought my player from Best Buy.
Now, to the most important part of this player: actually getting music/photos/videos on there. Let me tell you, there is nothing simpler for the View. Plug your View into the computer (be sure you switch its USB mode to MSC, or it won't let you do anything but charge), and drag and drop your files into the correct folder. If you know how to use an USB, you'll have no problem with putting music on your View. Also, the SUPER BEST part is that you don't need another program like iTunes on your computer to do it. I almost cried (in joy) at its simplicity and how much time this feature has saved me. Also, one very good feature in the View is its ability to delete songs from the player itself. So if you decide that you've outgrown one of your songs and you never want to hear it on your View again, you don't have to go to the computer to delete it, you can do it right then and there wherever you are.
Other stuff:
The View will bookmark your podcasts and audiobooks as long as if you don't switch to another podcast or audiobook in between pausing it and going back to it. There is also video bookmarking.
For the best sound quality, I strongly recommend you adjust the EQ settings and get new earbuds.
There is a hold button, power button (which I find more convenient than iPod's "push and hold the play button for 3 seconds" way of turning off the player), memory expansion slot, and allows you to reset your player in times of freezing
There is a power saver option that will turn off your player automatically if it's not doing anything for a set amount of time that you choose - however I found out that turning off your player is still the smarter option if you are not going to be using it for a while.
You can adjust how long the backlight stays on, and of course, the shorter you set it, the longer your battery will last on that charge
You can find the shuffle/repeat options on the music menu or the settings menu
There is a slideshow option for photos, and you can even tag a song on it
There is a quick list option called "music go" and "photo go"
Charging takes about 3 hours if your battery is low
There is a "refresh" screen after you disconnect your View from the computer, but it only last for a couple seconds - it's updating your music, and it will still do it even if you don't change anything
You won't be able to listen to music, or do anything on your View while it is charging
When you're viewing photos and videos, you will have to turn your view horizontally, but Sandisk had you in mind when creating this player, so the button functions will automatically shift places so that up is still up, down is still down, left and right are still left and right when it's being used sideways...i really like this feature, lessens the confusion
Tips for optimizing your View's potential:
1. Before you even attempt to use your View, download the free firmware from the sansa website. This will solve the freezing and charging problems.
2. Charge your battery to full before using it for the first time, and NEVER let it completely run out from that point on- that is the quickest way to kill your Lithium Ion Battery
3. If you watch videos, download their free photo/video media converter. It's not as much of a pain as everyone makes it out to be. Just be patient, you don't have to stare at it while it's working =), go eat or something
4. Get an AC adapter, it will speed up your charge and provide a more complete charge. When I use USB charging, the battery hops around after a couple hours, which kinda drove me crazy, because then I didn't know when I actually needed to charge the thing.
5. If at first you can't view your photos, go to more>settings/options>system settings>display>TV out>off, if you still can't see them, try using the media converter
6. LOVE IT!
I hope this review helped. I'm still learning about my View, but I pretty much got all the features I frequently use down, and I hope it will be the same for you!
0
I love my Zune. After 4 iPods (in a span of 10 years), I decided to try something different. I never really had an issue with my pods, but I was curious about the Zune. I decided to purchase the Zune 30 a year after it was released. The player [Zune 30] was extremely durable, and I loved the device interface; although hated how I had to click in order to scroll down. There was much to be improved.
Fast forward two years and several major Microsoft updates later, I now own the Zune 120. I absolutely love it. The capacity is enough for me at the moment; although I'm a music junkie. The playback quality of the songs is noticeably better than the quality my iPod's. The features, such as wireless sync, song sharing over the air, and the Zune Pass are wonderful. I lended the Zune to my girlfriend for an entire week so she could discover some new music (over 8000 tracks on my Zune), and she came back wanting to purchase one herself.
Pros:
- Great interface
- Wonderful sound quality
- FM radio
Fast forward two years and several major Microsoft updates later, I now own the Zune 120. I absolutely love it. The capacity is enough for me at the moment; although I'm a music junkie. The playback quality of the songs is noticeably better than the quality my iPod's. The features, such as wireless sync, song sharing over the air, and the Zune Pass are wonderful. I lended the Zune to my girlfriend for an entire week so she could discover some new music (over 8000 tracks on my Zune), and she came back wanting to purchase one herself.
Pros:
- Great interface
- Wonderful sound quality
- FM radio
...
+ buying songs from FM
- Wireless syncing
- Sharing music over the air with other Zunes
- Improved software (more usable than iTunes, in my opinion)
- Support for podcasts and audiobooks
- Zune Pass
- Purchasing and streaming songs off Wifi
- Free updates every few months; they recently added games.
Cons:
- Battery life could be better
- Included headphones are good but not great.
- That's all I could think of.
Final word:
I still use my iPod nano and video from time to time, but I love my Zune more. There's nothing wrong with iPod's, but if you'd like to give something different a try, by all means give this a try. You can't go wrong with purchasing one.
Extra:
Living in a populated city like NY and taking the train to school every monrning, and coming back in the afternoon, there's always at least one other person on the train with a Zune. Sometimes I get random "let me send you a song" request. Totally discovered a few new artists from random people with the 'send' feature.
more
- Wireless syncing
- Sharing music over the air with other Zunes
- Improved software (more usable than iTunes, in my opinion)
- Support for podcasts and audiobooks
- Zune Pass
- Purchasing and streaming songs off Wifi
- Free updates every few months; they recently added games.
Cons:
- Battery life could be better
- Included headphones are good but not great.
- That's all I could think of.
Final word:
I still use my iPod nano and video from time to time, but I love my Zune more. There's nothing wrong with iPod's, but if you'd like to give something different a try, by all means give this a try. You can't go wrong with purchasing one.
Extra:
Living in a populated city like NY and taking the train to school every monrning, and coming back in the afternoon, there's always at least one other person on the train with a Zune. Sometimes I get random "let me send you a song" request. Totally discovered a few new artists from random people with the 'send' feature.
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The Latte Ice 2GB player, a rebadged Ramos RM750 Rockchip-based DAP, offers many features at an attractive price. Sadly, it performs none of them very well. It's a case of death by a thousand cuts - no drawback is a showstopper, but the sheer volume of them weigh heavily on the user's day-to-day experience. It's not quite the Yugo of DAPs, but in this case you get what you pay for.
To begin with the screen, it is a pleasant size at 2.8" and bigger than many other DAPs'. However, you'll notice that there's no information given on the number of colors the screen can display. Be assured that it's not 16 million; Latte claims 260K. The reason you should care about how many colors a screen can display is that a low color depth can lead to "smudgy" artifacts being displayed, especially in areas where the color is rather uniform, like a blue sky or a dark night (e.g., there aren't enough colors available to display the gradual change in hue from close to the sun to farther away, or from directly
To begin with the screen, it is a pleasant size at 2.8" and bigger than many other DAPs'. However, you'll notice that there's no information given on the number of colors the screen can display. Be assured that it's not 16 million; Latte claims 260K. The reason you should care about how many colors a screen can display is that a low color depth can lead to "smudgy" artifacts being displayed, especially in areas where the color is rather uniform, like a blue sky or a dark night (e.g., there aren't enough colors available to display the gradual change in hue from close to the sun to farther away, or from directly
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under a streetlight at night to the dark corners). I've watched more than a dozen tv episodes and documentaries on the Ice, and can testify that this periodic artifact of low color depth can be very distracting. You end up with smudgy halos around light sources, blotches in what should be uniform backgrounds, etc.
Another issue with the screen is that it is not very bright or glare resistant. You can forget about watching video outdoors, often even as a daytime passenger in a car with the brightness cranked up all the way. The screen fades out almost completely in bright conditions.
Moving on to the video quality, the specs of the player are rather optimistic (a disturbing pattern with this player). It's claimed that it can play at 24fps (frames per second), which is the speed of film. It CAN, but users of the Ice or other players based on the chip inside it will tell you that it can't do so without losing sync with the audio. Even 22fps can be too much depending on the bitrate. It's telling that if you use the included video file conversion software and convert at it's top quality setting of "high", the video is created at 533kbps video, 128 kbps audio, and only 20fps. It's not like watching stop-motion animation, but it's not what's promised, either.
File transfer speed is another disappointing area. The product claims to be "USB 2.0 full speed", but this is misleading. It is USB 2.0 *compatible* - as is any other USB 1.1 device. There is no "USB hi-speed" logo on the box, and this is because it can't transfer at real USB 2.0 speeds. USB 2.0 full speed is the name for the compatibility mode with the faster of the two old USB 1.1 settings. It is considerably slower than USB 2.0 hi speed (12Mbps vs. 480 Mbps!). I didn't need the diagnostic tool I used to tell me this though; it was painfully clear when I began copying files over to the device that it was no faster than the USB 1.1 device it was replacing for me. My $10 1GB *real* USB 2.0 drive benchmarks several times faster at reading and writing than the Latte Ice.
More specification-confusion is encountered when we get to the memory card slot on the device. It is very nice to find in a device at this price-point, even if it is only SD, not SDHC, compatible (this limits the capacity of the cards
Another issue with the screen is that it is not very bright or glare resistant. You can forget about watching video outdoors, often even as a daytime passenger in a car with the brightness cranked up all the way. The screen fades out almost completely in bright conditions.
Moving on to the video quality, the specs of the player are rather optimistic (a disturbing pattern with this player). It's claimed that it can play at 24fps (frames per second), which is the speed of film. It CAN, but users of the Ice or other players based on the chip inside it will tell you that it can't do so without losing sync with the audio. Even 22fps can be too much depending on the bitrate. It's telling that if you use the included video file conversion software and convert at it's top quality setting of "high", the video is created at 533kbps video, 128 kbps audio, and only 20fps. It's not like watching stop-motion animation, but it's not what's promised, either.
File transfer speed is another disappointing area. The product claims to be "USB 2.0 full speed", but this is misleading. It is USB 2.0 *compatible* - as is any other USB 1.1 device. There is no "USB hi-speed" logo on the box, and this is because it can't transfer at real USB 2.0 speeds. USB 2.0 full speed is the name for the compatibility mode with the faster of the two old USB 1.1 settings. It is considerably slower than USB 2.0 hi speed (12Mbps vs. 480 Mbps!). I didn't need the diagnostic tool I used to tell me this though; it was painfully clear when I began copying files over to the device that it was no faster than the USB 1.1 device it was replacing for me. My $10 1GB *real* USB 2.0 drive benchmarks several times faster at reading and writing than the Latte Ice.
More specification-confusion is encountered when we get to the memory card slot on the device. It is very nice to find in a device at this price-point, even if it is only SD, not SDHC, compatible (this limits the capacity of the cards