SanDisk intros Sansa c200 player

SanDisk is kicking out a successor to their aggressively-priced c100 line of flash-based players. The c200 won't be out until October, but you're looking at a 1GB model (the c240) that'll sell for $80 and a 2GB model (the c250) that'll go for $100. Both will support playback of MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM files (that includes PlaysForSure compatibility), and sport an FM tuner, integated voice recorder, a microSD memory card for adding up to 2GB of additional storage capacity, a 1.4-inch, 128 x 98 pixel LCD screen, and a battery life of about 15 hours.

[strike @ Sep 1st 2006 4:06AM]

that actually looks kinda decent. i wonder if it has screws on the back

[ccutlip @ Sep 1st 2006 4:32AM]

"...a microSD memory card for adding up to 2GB of additional storage capacity..."

MicroSD/TransFlash isn't up to 2GB yet, is it?

Anyway, looks pretty good (the price is certainly right at a 60% discount from a comparable nano). Does the thing display photos?

Also, why in the world would you have a power button that doubles as a MENU button?

[Jesse @ Sep 1st 2006 5:18AM]

This looks like a *very* promising player. I still use my pre-sansa SanDisk player (SDMX1-512) and I love it. Battery has a nice length, small, *hint* MASS STORAGE DEVICE *hint*, the damn thing wont break even after dropping it so many times the shell has dents in it.

I hope that the color screen wont hurt the battery life too much though. It's also very nice to see someone actually putting a media card slot in their players, it's such a cost effective thing I'm surprised so few people do it.

[D2 @ Sep 1st 2006 5:48AM]

"MicroSD/TransFlash isn't up to 2GB yet, is it?"

It sure is, still amazed at the size everytime i hold a microSD
froogle.google.com/froogle?q=2gb+microsd

[pableu @ Sep 1st 2006 5:51AM]

@ccutlip
Not yet. But you can already find 2GB MicroSD listed in online stores, so I guess they'll be available within a few weeks.

[Jarod @ Sep 1st 2006 7:33AM]

It's only a matter of days before the next generation iPod is released to render all these recent gadgets useless. It's about time too.

[rj @ Sep 1st 2006 8:24AM]

"It's only a matter of days before the next generation iPod is released to render all these recent gadgets useless. It's about time too."

lol... it's funny. u always see the mac fanatics claiming the next best biggest thing is just around the corner from apple... but then it never shows up. haha *rolls eyes*

anyways, back to the product. looks great. can't wait to see it in the stores. this may be my next purchase as i'm looking for something nice and small with a fm tuner built in. the expansion slot is a nice bonus as well. kudos sandisk.

[Scoobydoo @ Sep 1st 2006 9:04AM]

It is funny how it took a memory card maker like Sandisk to move into the nr.2 spot of mp3 makers where multi-billion firms like Creative, Toshiba and iriver haven't managed...

[Jonathan Keim @ Sep 1st 2006 9:05AM]

Come on RJ. Apple is ahead of the game. They had widgets long before windows vista and when the nano came out 4 gigs of flash memory was inconceivable because a 4 gig thumb drive cost $380! How are you going to get a screen, great design and battery on top of that. The answer is, apple.
By the way I don't own an apple computer and don't plan to unless I come across a good job that will allow me to own one as my second computer

[Wanax @ Sep 1st 2006 9:27AM]

Well, I finally gave in and got a Video iPod since Zune wasn't looking like a big upgrade. It's nice but I'm not exactly wowed by it, browsing through 2,000 songs isn't exactly easy and iTunes doesn't seem to auto-generate ID tags for my current mp3 collection. Looks like I still have to use WMP for that.

Not to mention that it still pisses me off that I paid $300 and they couldn't give me an AC adapter which would of cost them $5 to make.

I'm still looking for a Nano for exercise purposes however, but this new Sansa looks really promising. Not as ugly as older model and at $80, it's quite a bargain.

[giorgitd @ Sep 1st 2006 9:29AM]

If this has the characteristics of previous SanDisk flash players expect the low price to also bring a frustrating interface, occasional hard freezes and a couple of trips to the warranty replacement website. I have an m240 as the second warranty replacement for a previous gen model. Just discovered another flaw today - can't get it to show music file folders on computer #2 if copied from computer #1. Huh? Maybe fuxable, but I'm running out of patience. There's a reason for the Apple price premium - interface and useability.

[sputnik @ Sep 1st 2006 10:17AM]

Very nice and at a very sweet price for 2 Gigs. Having the Micro-SD slot is great. I still would rather have the new 8 Gig Nano Sized e-200 series.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 1st 2006 11:23AM]

Looks like an updated version of the c100 series with external storage.

No complaints mind you. I love my c140, I simply see the similarities.

[joe @ Sep 1st 2006 12:12PM]

kinda looks like the new samsung player with the speakers in it

[trev @ Sep 1st 2006 12:17PM]

Im not too fussed about the location of the power/menu button - surely the could have found a more elegent solution. Still, if the battery, audio quality and UI are up to scratch then this could be a great little player for the price. Sandisk would also do themselves a favour if they enabled UMS (a big reason for my purchase of a Z5 recently).

Im sure the 8 gig nano will rock, but it will also cost alot more and still require you to use itunes, if that doesnt bother you then fair play! :)

[RM @ Sep 1st 2006 12:26PM]

A big difference in the c200 compared to the c100 is the addition of the rechargable battery. The c100 had added thickness to handle the AAA battery. Now there is a very thin rechargable battery that allows this unit to be very thin. I'd say it will be as thin as the e200...

[jonathan @ Sep 1st 2006 3:08PM]

So is the only difference between the e200 and the c200 that the former can play video clips?

[Whendfine @ Oct 26th 2006 12:11PM]

Yes the difference between e200 and c200 series is the screen size and the video capability. In the e200r series there is the Rapshody music store/ Best buy music store capability. We have the 8gb and we were doing work in the house. We plugged the unit into my daughters ihome and we had music all day.

[navamske @ Sep 1st 2006 3:56PM]

"Both will support playback of MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM files (that includes PlaysForSure compatibility), and sport an FM tuner, integated voice recorder, a microSD memory card for adding up to 2GB of additional storage capacity."

That wording suggests that it comes with a memory card. Does it, or did you mean that it sports a microSD memory card slot? If it does come with a memory card, what capacity is it? I can't imagine they'd include a 2GB memory card that sells for about the same price as the 2GB version of this player.

[jmg_bt21 @ Sep 1st 2006 10:56PM]

I may just consider this... I have the LDP-600 and enjoyed it (like the sd slot capability)... sure clunky GUI and HORRIBLE random...

but compact, and works for me...

THIS would just mount on a mac... right?

[sdsdv10 @ Sep 5th 2006 8:39AM]

@Wanax

You might want to try Media Monkey to manage your ID tags. I've found WMP a pain in the a$$ for altering tags.

http://www.mediamonkey.com/

I haven't used it, but it goes highly recommended over at www.dapreview.net

Do you thing other DAPs would handle 2000 songs well?