How would you change SanDisk's Sansa Fuze?
By Darren Murph 
posted May 16th 2008 6:30PM
posted May 16th 2008 6:30PM
posted May 16th 2008 6:30PM
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add a clickwheel, touchscreen, proprietary iTunes codec playback, and call it the iFuze
Shut up.
its called a joke, get a sense of humor douche
It's called shutting up, get a sense of decency, toilet.
Jokes are suppose to be funny.
It's called being assertive of a crappy joke. Get a sense of standards, narcissist.
Behold, the low ranking.
Where the fuck is "lowest?" ENGADGET WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE "EST" RANKINGS?!
If you click on the comments' timestamps you can see the true post ratings.
1. iTunes doesn't use proprietary codecs. AAC is part of the MPEG-4 standard and is supported by a number of different MP3 players.
2. If the SanDisk players sync'd with iTunes I could at least consider buying one. But as it stands, SanDisk players are completely out of the question for me.
(No one expects SanDisk to sync protected-AAC content. That isn't the issue that prevents me from considering SanDisk)
You should have said something really funny, like, add the color brown and call it an Sansa iTurd. Or let's light that Fuze and blow it to smithereens. Or if it gets to looking any closer to an iPod, let's call it the:
Sansa iSueYouForBlatantCopyingOfTheAppleiPod
Sansa really could have used a more practical shape for the case that didn't look like an iPod. How a about a triangle. I don't think Apple has used that shape yet.
You're right. These people here don't have any sense of humor.
just change that fugly blue interface to something nicer looking and it would be awesome.
yeah, that gui has overstayed it's welcome.
I don't get it, why don't people flame the iPod GUI, hasn't it been there awhile? And the blue is changeable >_>
anyway I would add a QVGA display and add some real Xvid playback, nothing to unreasonable to ask for
I wouldnt mind if for once they brought these things to the UK, ive been hassling Sandisk for ages to bring it over.
I'd explain to their design department that originality really isn't that difficult.
And it has the added benefit of keeping the ilawyers at bay.
What exactly is it that you think this looks so much like? Look at an iPod Nano, then look at this. I'd say it's sufficiently different looking. I'm tired of this attitude that it's up to everyone else to make sure they make their devices look completely different than the iPod. Especially since there's also the attitude that anything that doesn't look enough like an iPod is somehow ugly.
Originality? I mean we only have so many shapes. :D
What we need is motion and twist-sensing dodecahedron device with the ability to fuse with the user for maximum portability.
Out-there shapes are the future. :3
Well, maybe you're right, gad get. I was willing to compare this and the nano, and opened a photo of both on my monitor.
But I looked away to answer a phone call, and when I looked back I forgot which was which.
When I sort this out, I'll get back to ya.
Ok, sure, they look different upclose. Different enough to know that it's not an iPod from 10 feet away? No...
The reason copycats are bad is because the Fuze could suck and bring down the name of the iPod. I'm not saying it does suck... just that it could... I just want to make it clear that this isn't a pro-Apple or anti-SanDisk post.
So, say I'm walking around with a Fuze. A friend says, "Oh, you got an iPod?" And I say, "Yeah, it sucks... it doesn't have enough battery life... yada yada yada..." (Again, hypothetical!) So that friend now thinks that iPods suck (which they might... I've never owned one...). See why this is bad, and why Apple could bring them to court over this?
@bondsbw
That happens because people who don't know any better refer to all mp3 players as "iPod." That's what happens when you dominate a market the way Apple does.
You speak as if there's something wrong with dominating a market. That's what most businesses wish they could do.
I wasn't taking a dig at Apple, I was just saying that's the nature of it.
I mean, come on guys, ok if I worked for the design department at Sansa and dished out a bean shaped or some whacko kinda looking player would you buy it ? Personally no one would design one like that. Not even the people that complain. Its quite good value for money. Maybe codec support for Xvid as earlier mentioned. And for a change better bundled headphones ?
I think the primary problem with SanDisk's lineup is the UI. It's not very easy to use, and it's not very visually appealing. When I see it's color scheme, Microsoft Office 2008 comes to mind. Ick.
...just without the "Blue page of death".
Well, I agree with your remark about its appearance. It's very bland. However, I find the UI easy enough to navigate. Apple could probably learn a thing or two from it, in fact. Though overall, I do prefer the iPod interface. Slightly.
o you mean the blue background of death thats on it now.
The UI is great, actually. Very quick to navigate, and on par with the iPod's, if not better.
Yeah, appearance isn't that good, but I like it better than the iPod. And I am a pretty staunch Mac fan. But I own a Sansa. FM Radio, better battery, SD expansion, voice recorder. I was sold at the expansion card. Is the interface difficult? A little bit, yeah. But I'd rather have all the other features. Listen, if you want bland, check out the interface of the iPod. Pretty darn bland, if you ask me.
A good, efficient WiFi radio, with the capability to play streaming internet audio... the likes of ShoutCast, LaunchCast, etc including the RealMedia streams of BBC and others.
How many MP3 players on the market actually do that though? I know the Connect did it, I believe, but it doesn't seem like there's much incentive to include it.
http://www.geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/ipod-classic-2.jpg
http://www.digitaltechnews.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/11/sansa_fuze_player_2.jpg
These two look very similar... Even marketing has decided to clone Apple's photography.
Don't start with the (you can only make an mp3 player in so many shapes" crap The proportions are nearly identical.
Wow, you're right; they look like twins! (sarcasm)
And the photography... a straight on view of the front, showing the different available colors by putting them together in one photo. Unbelievable! Apple should take them to court!
Did I mention there are only so many shapes you can use? Comfortable shapes, that is.
wow you've got a chip on your shoulder for some reason
A computer chip.
You need to get laid, Terc.
lol
Why is copying Apple a bad thing?
Well, I won't comment of who may have or have not copied who, but Apple has a design patent, and a trademark on the iPod design.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/12/apple-trademarks-ipods-design-applies-for-iphone-design-mark/
You can decide for yourself if you think SanDisk may or may not have a problem, but since Apple clearly has prior art and they have been granted this trademark, I think a some companies might, including SanDisk, have a problem. Note that Microsoft changed the circle on the Zune to a squircle. Perhaps why knew this trademark was coming?
Well, if you put two pictures of wallets side by side...
Play when charging from AC power. None of this "connected" BS because it thinks it's syncing with a PC.
The e280 plays while charging, why doesn't this?
I guess yours must have different firmware... I've dealt with several e200s, the View, and the Fuze and the View was the only one that would play while charging. [shrug] Maybe I'mdoinitwrong
Did the e200 you used have the latest firmware?
Probably not, it was a store display.
Ah.
not sure where the rest of that went, but to clarify: I sell MP3 players, but also set up the displays and maintain their functionality. I have experience with Sansas, iPods, Zunes, Samsung... etc.