Consumer Reports gives the Fuze their Best Buy recommendation. That was what first got me looking at the Fuze.
Unlike PC world which takes advertising dollars - Consumer reports has no conflict of interest in reporting their data.
CR’s Take
A smart, no-nonsense player that can grow with your library.
Highs
Rotating the Fuze’s contol wheel provides a quick and amusing way to access the players menu icons. They literally parade across the screen. A microSD memory-card slot allows you to expand the player’s storage capacity by up to 8GB or more. Reasonable 29-hour playback time for music. Good-quality video and 6-hour playback time for video. Good quality sound and recording from FM radio. Good quality recording from built-in microphone. Easier to handle than other players while walking or jogging. Has slideshow with simultaneous music, video playback, volume limiter, lock control, multilingual menus, and voice recording. Can edit playlist on player. Can delete music files on player.
Lows
Fair quality picture. No Mac support. Non-removable battery, AC adapter not included.
Consumer Reports gives the Fuze their Best Buy recommendation. That was what first got me looking at the Fuze.
Unlike PC world which takes advertising dollars - Consumer reports has no conflict of interest in reporting their data.
CR’s Take
A smart, no-nonsense player that can grow with your library.
Highs
Rotating the Fuze’s contol wheel provides a quick and amusing way to access the players menu icons. They literally parade across the screen. A microSD memory-card slot allows you to expand the player’s storage capacity by up to 8GB or more. Reasonable 29-hour playback time for music. Good-quality video and 6-hour playback time for video. Good quality sound and recording from FM radio. Good quality recording from built-in microphone. Easier to handle than other players while walking or jogging. Has slideshow with simultaneous music, video playback, volume limiter, lock control, multilingual menus, and voice recording. Can edit playlist on player. Can delete music files on player.
Lows
Fair quality picture. No Mac support. Non-removable battery, AC adapter not included.
Message Edited by fireball on 01-21-2009 09:02 AM
Message Edited by fireball on 01-21-2009 09:03 AM
I don’t know one company out there that makes a flash mp3 player with removable battery, or offer an ac adapter. As everyone else, I’d definitely like a removeable battery. However, for the low price of mp3 these days, I think most companies find designing a built in battery more cost effective than designing one that will open up and have a replaceable battery. It’s really a shame because if they can design a common battery type then one can interchange it with new generations of mp3 players. So consumers don’t have to buy a proprietary battery for a specific device. However, that takes them too much time and energy to do so they don’t do it.
I don’t know one company out there that makes a flash mp3 player with removable battery, or offer an ac adapter. As everyone else, I’d definitely like a removeable battery. However, for the low price of mp3 these days, I think most companies find designing a built in battery more cost effective than designing one that will open up and have a replaceable battery. It’s really a shame because if they can design a common battery type then one can interchange it with new generations of mp3 players. So consumers don’t have to buy a proprietary battery for a specific device. However, that takes them too much time and energy to do so they don’t do it.
Consumer Reports covered all mp3 players and compared features and benefits in their review. It wasn’t just flash players. They had 120GB hard drive players in the list too.
I thikn the reason the companies don’t put in removable batteies - is when the battery dies - most people will go out and purchase another player. Sansa needs customers both today and in the future - in order to support products for the long term. Those who are inclined - can pop open their mp3 player with special screwdrivers and try to replace the internal battery. More challenging than a removable battery - but it’s devinitely doable.
I got a new battery in my Palm Pilot when it died for about 10 bucks. New Palm Pilot would have set me back 150-200 bucks.
Yeah, I also have the issue that has the review of the Sansa Fuze from PC World. Sometimes, I can agree with those guys, but sometimes, I just can’t.
Btw, that review score was a 79. I’d say it deserves a 90, better than the stupid pile of junk Ipod. They gave the newer Ipod nano a 79 also, so it just goes to show you that Apple is also not the best. So if you have many complants about the Fuze, don’t return it, because ipods have the same problem too.
