SanDisk ’s Sansa Connect Wi - Fi - enabled media player is the first meaning rethinking of portable media players — and how we acquire digital media — since theintroduction of Apple ’s iPodand the iTunes on-line media stock several years ago .
In many ways , the 4 GB $ 249Sansa Connectsurpasses iPod . For one thing , its bright , dewy-eyed interface is , arguably , more engaging than the iPod ’s . But its most notable capableness is progress - in Wi - Fi , which is missing , so far , inApple ’s oblation .
Like the iPod and the iTunes store , Sansa Connect is tied to a on-line media service and in this case it ’s the digital music and image service offered by Yahoo . Those services are tightly integrated into the Connect so that , combined with the built - in Wi - Fi , you may easily download music from the Internet , listen to Internet radio and view digital image stored online .
In other words , the Sansa Connect dramatically increases what you’re able to do with your media musician and , for the first time , highlight the potential of subscription medicine services .
This being a first version of a new mathematical product , there are a few missing pieces , but they ’re mostly the type of omissions you notice only in a gimmick so well design that it depart you begging for more . Overall , the Sansa Connect may well change what you expect from portable media players . It ’s that good .
SanDisk ’s Sansa Connect media player
The benefits of being connected
To particular date , the high visibleness Wi - Fi - enable media player isMicrosoft ’s Zune , but that twist ’s wireless capabilities are stunted compared to the Sansa Connect . For one thing , Zunes can only connect with other nearby Zunes , and user can utilise the wireless capableness only to temporarily share music .
By contrast , the Sansa Connect connects directly to Yahoo ’s Internet - based medicine and effigy military service . If you support toYahoo Music Unlimited , once you are connected , you could find and download individual tracks and albums . You also can view photos stored on Yahoo ’s Flickr service . And it ’s a rush listening to streaming Internet radio offered by Yahoo ’s LAUNCHcast radio , which offers about 150 streaming station , making SanDisk ’s skip of an FM radio seem like a logical choice .
Sansa Connect also does music share far better than Zune . With Zune , you connect only to other Zune users who are near enough to connect directly via Wi - Fi . By line , Sansa Connect uses Yahoo Messenger to look for friends who are connected anywhere using a laptop or desktop computer or another Sansa Connect . You then can see what music they are hear to and download — from Yahoo — songs they commend . Once downloaded , you may listen to the medicine all you require . Zune only set aside three plays before you must purchase the birdcall .
Getting connected is dim-witted . Once you are within range of a wireless meshing , you select an on-line task from the menu , such as search at your images . After that , connecting work , more or less , the same as connecting to a wireless mesh with a laptop computer or screen background computer . A listing of available networks appears and you take the electronic internet to which you want to connect .
If you need to enter a word to log on to the connection , an on - screen list of letter and identification number seem and you select figure and missive using the machine ’s thumbwheel and buttons . You utilise the same method acting to log on to Yahoo . The Sansa Connect economise parole both for specific networks and for the Yahoo services so you take not explicitly log on again . The twist sustain both WEP and WPA security .
While powerful and simple , there are a few add-on to the wireless capability we ’d care to see . The most glaring omission is that the Connect does n’t yet endorse the type of assay-mark needed to lumber on to public Wi - Fi networks , such as those operate by Boingo or T - Mobile . That think this equipment , which otherwise is nearly the perfect toy for lounging in Starbucks , wo n’t work there .
Also , you ca n’t transfer file between your computer and the Connect using the wireless connectedness , which would be ready to hand . A final gripe is that the only way to call on off the Wi - Fi radio is to dive several layers deep into the interface . Since the radio set is n’t always needed and drain the barrage fire , turning it off should be more easily accessible .
A beautiful interface
The most immediately detectable things about the port are the bright , animated 3 - D icon with verbal description below each one . These icons are bright and more engaging than those used on the iPod interface .
SanDisk intelligibly collar the Connect ’s navigation from the iPod . The primary navigation shaft is a troll , rubber thumbwheel with a large button in the middle . Pressing on the left over and right portions of the thumbwheel go you onward and back ; the bottom portion is for playing and pausing euphony and pressing the top dower exhibit the home screen .
On the home screen , you scroll among the icons by rotating the thumbwheel . The icons rotate on - screen with abbreviated descriptions beneath them . You select the social function you want by pressing the push button in the middle of the thumbwheel .
As long as Sansa was copy iPod ’s time - show navigation prick , it would have done well to enable adjust bulk by rotating the thumbwheel . alternatively , it has two button on the remaining side of the gadget for volume . This is n’t a huge problem , but it ’s easier to adjust volume with the thumbwheel , and that technique also simplifies one - handed operation .
On the correct side of the gimmick is a microSD slot for adding more store . That expansion slot could be useful because , inquisitively , the gimmick so far only occur with a capacity of 4 G , although Sansa is point it will offer other capacities before long .
In the midst of an activity , you select specific action by pressing two buttons just below the presentation . On the left field is the Options push , which enables you to do things like rate or delete a song or record album . On the right is the so - call Zing push ( Zing is the company that engineer the user port ) , which enables you , for instance , to download the entire record album if you ’re listening to a specific track or mechanically create a mix of song similar to the one you ’re mind to .
Big is beautiful
The gimmick itself is made of basic bleak plastic , which feel a bit flimsy and certainly is n’t as sexy as Apple ’s iPod . And at about 2 inch wide and 3.5 inches mellow , plus a small check stub aerial on top , the Connect is significantly declamatory than similarly - spec’d 4 GB gimmick . In special , it ’s about double as thick , about 10 percent pct wider and somewhat improbable than the iPod nano .
But , then , you may like the reasons for its sizing . For one thing , there ’s the built - in Wi - Fi potentiality . Second , it has a gratifyingly shiny 2.2 - inch TFT color display that is importantly larger than any other display we ’ve see on a 4 GB flash gimmick . That big screen , combined with wireless admission to Flickr , make this the most operational portable media player we ’ve seen for bear witness photo to your friend .
Our only significant gripe with the interface and the shape of the machine is that the plug - in for earpiece is on the bottom of the twist . Because it is properly next to the proprietary USB port , it is impossible to disconnect the USB cable when phone are also plug in . It also makes the gadget somewhat clumsy to use in some circumstances , such as resting the gimmick in a cup bearer in the car .
get online music
Many have jib euphony subscription services , preferring , instead , to own the music instead of renting it . The subscription services also are n’t particularly attractive to users who do n’t need or ask to acquire a lot of euphony . For such users , pay 99 cents a tune or 10 bucks an album often do more financial sense .
However , the compressed , seamless integration between the Sansa Connect and Yahoo ’s music and image services make both the equipment and service highly attractive . That ’s particularly true because of how simple it is to add music or view images . To bring music while connect to a wireless net , you fight the Home button , choose the Yahoo icon and browse for music . When you find something you need to download , you only choose that action from the Zing menu . To view epitome , you select that icon from the Home screen and select which image you want to regard . This simple mindedness means you may constantly be adding to your music library while you ’re on the road or showing off home or holiday photos to others .
The equipment works with other music services that habituate Microsoft ’s PlaysForSure digital rights management system system , such as Napster and Rhapsody , but you ca n’t link up to them wirelessly . Besides supporting the WMA and secure WMA music formats , it also brook MP3 so you’re able to re-create your own CDs to the player .
But one downside to this system of rules , however , is that it wo n’t be attractive if you ’re not quick to commit to Yahoo . Such user will probably balk at paying the extra cost for the Sansa Connect — SanDisk is charge , rough , a $ 50 agiotage for the twist compare to other 4 GB gadget .
Another downside is the lack of breadth of the music from the Yahoo service approachable on the machine . Specifically , you only have access to your playlists , the service ’s most popular songs and personalise recommendation from Yahoo base on how you ’ve range other song . If you require other euphony , you ’ll have to download it to your microcomputer using Yahoo ’s software package and transfer it to the gadget via USB . At the very least , Sansa and Zing should make more classes of medicine usable , such as recently released medicine or top - sellers by writing style .
iTunes userswill have to jump through some hoops to switch , such as cauterize their already - purchase music to cadmium and then import the medicine into the Yahoo Software and , from there , to the equipment . Also , Yahoo does n’t offer quite as many tracks as iTunes , and Connect does n’t take on back video . There is , however , a plug - in useable for the Yahoo ! software for downloading and transfer podcasts to the gadget .
finally , there likely will be similar devices that defend other services such as Rhapsody , Napster and even iTunes . Yet , Sansa Connect is a pregnant gradation forward in term of usability and admission to digital music and image , for now pass by even the vaunted iPod to become the most fun and pliant media instrumentalist we ’ve seen . It also provides a inviolable coup d’oeil into the future of digital medium and how we ’ll be capable to access it from virtually anywhere .
