Sansa Clip
March 6, 2009
For the last few years, I have used one version or another of the Creative MuVo to listen to music, audio books, and podcasts. After some extensive research last fall, I asked for a new MP3 player for Christmas: a red Sansa Clip made by SanDisk. It has a couple of differences that have required some adjustment, but a few key features have made the transition a great success.
New Features
-
Resume Playback: Most MP3 players only remember your location for the most recent audio file. This is fine for listening to small music files, but it was quite a nuisance with longer audio books and podcasts. When I would listen to an audio book at the gym but then switch to music on the train, I would have to remember my position on the audio book and fast-forward back to that spot. This was the most important feature for me in a new player, and the Sansa Clip handles this very well.
-
FM Radio: My gym shows ESPN on some of the televisions near the exercise equipement, and they broadcast the accompanying audio over an FM signal. I like having the radio built into my MP3 player so that I can take one device with me and then decide after I get there to listen to an audio book or to ESPN.
-
Protected WMA Files: I am not a fan of audio files with digital rights protection that provide restrictions to where they can be played. Although I hope these techniques eventually disappear, I suppose I can understand why many companies are not willing to publish audio files in open formats. Our local public library offers cardholders access to many audio books on NetLibrary.com. Many MP3 players cannot play these protected files (including iPods), but I wanted to have one that could take advantage of this service.
Differences
-
Cable Required: Many MP3 players require a cable to connect them to a computer and transfer files, but I have primarily used players that could be plugged directly into a USB port. The cable is a fairly standard one, though; I picked up a couple extra cables so I can keep one at home, at work, and in my bag for when I want to transfer files.
-
No Batteries: All my previous MP3 players have used a battery that I could swap out, but the Sansa Clip requires charging. I can see the advantages and the disadvantages of each approach. If the Sansa Clip dies when I’m on the train, for example, I cannot charge it back up until I get to a computer. I have to be a little more diligent to keep it charged, but I no longer have to carry triple-A batteries around with me everywhere.
The Sansa Clip has definitely improved my audio life over the last couple of months, and I would highly recommed it.