SanDisk Sansa Clip 2 GB MP3 Player - Blue

I listen to BBC radio podcasts on my Clip while walking my dog. I needed an mp3 player I can carry in my pocket and that would not skip while unlocked (so that I can easily fast rewind to listen again to something I have not quite understood). The Clip doesn't skip even when I am crossing stiles.It has a feature specially designed for podcasts - you can set playback speed to fast, normal or slow.I stuck some bumpons on the control ring so I can operate it "blind" in my pocket.A charge lasts about eight hours.The only negative is the inadequate instruction manual which directs you through a cumbersome loading process involving Windows Media Player. But in fact the Clip's internal software is capable of making a podcast playlist from a batch of podcasts in a Windows folder without using Media Player. I did have to trawl Google to find out how to do that.

it is small in size but good to use. The sound quality is really good.

I've owned several iPod shuffles which I originally purchased primarily for listening to audio books from Audible due to favorable reviews and its small size. Despite being able to decode DRM content from Audible, the iPod shuffle is barely adequate for listening to audio books.The Sansa Clip is not only less expensive, but blows the iPod away in nearly every aspect except for size and weight. These are not a factor, since the clip is still extremely small and lightweight. I clip the device through a belt keeper where the controls are easy to get to and unlikely to be interfered with in my pocket. Not that it is really an issue since it is very easy to lock out the controls by sliding the power switch to lock position. The iPod can be similarly clipped but has no way of locking out its controls and occasionally a button press can cause my position to be reset to the beginning of an eight hour part.Losing your position on the iPod is also a well documented side effect of powering the unit off even if you posit first. Even after being aware of this problem for a couple of years, Apple has done nothing about it but continues to advertise their product as being able to retain its position. The clip never loses my position, and although I generally pause the device instead of powering it off, even powering it off while it is playing works fine since it's a soft power down. The iPod power switch literally kills the power to the device. Pausing the iPod can leave it on for a long time, draining your battery, but pausing the clip causes it to power down within less than a minute which would be annoying except for the fact that this is adjustable and it boots back up within a matter of seconds.Why is losing your position on an iPod such a problem? Well, often you have no idea how far you are into the part and even if you do fast forwarding requires holding a button down and occasionally listening for half an hour or more if you are several hours into a part. I estimate I've spent over 10 hours fast forwarding my iPod shuffles and in general I live in fear of turning the power off. Keeping track of your position in the clip is a snap since it has a display which shows both graphically and by time what your position is. Furthermore, it knows about chapter marks and also shows which chapter you're in within a part. Fast forwarding is far superior since it accelerates as you hold the button down. Unlike the iPod, you don't have to listen to snippets of sound as it fast forwards or rewinds. And also unlike the iPod, you can cause playback at slower or faster than normal speeds which can be very useful for getting back to your position or listening to poorly enunciated speech.Just like the iPod, it will keep track of your position in multiple parts or books, but since it has a display is much easier to figure out which book you're listening to and more importantly, which part of a book you are listening to. Try that on the iPod with a seven part book when all the parts start with the exact same introduction and you'll see what I mean.And that's not all! This device doesn't require any special software to copy content on. Just mounted as a mass storage device, like any other USB device, and manage your content with any operating system. No need to load the humongous iTunes application or deal with its bugs and poor integration with audible. There's no need to partition space between audio content and other content like there is with the iPod.Since the device has a separate port for headphones and for USB, you can listen to it while it's charging either near an outlet or cigarette lighter adapter while driving for example. No way to do that with an iPod shuffle. I listen to audio books on weeklong fishing trips with my father, but not while the shuffle is charging. No problems, with the Sansa clip. No need to buy a proprietary charging device or run an inverter since any DC to USB charger will work just fine.The new iPod shuffle requires special proprietary headphones and is even worse than the last one in this regard. Many people find the Apple headphones to be uncomfortable or unwearable, which is understandable, but who wants to pay for even more expensive proprietary headphones? And who wants to carry an extra set of headphones? I use the same headphones for my telephone for example and wouldn't want to carry yet another pair with me for listening to audio books.In addition to all of these capabilities, the clip also comes with a decent radio with extremely to use presets. Sometimes I like to take a break from listening to books and it's nice to have the option of just listening to the radio in the same device. It also has a great microphone and voice recorder for taking quick notes are dictating which you can't do with the iPod. I found that it works just fine even through the very inexpensive silicon cases that are available. No need to poke a hole for the microphone. Although the case is not necessary, the clip works just fine through it and it definitely ruggedizes the light weight plastic device.I should also mention that the volume range is great, and the graphic equalizer is also a nice plus for listening to music. You won't find such capabilities in the iPod shuffle. Just like the iPod, the battery is not serviceable and lasts for over a dozen hours on a charge. Both devices take an hour or two to recharge, seem to hold a charge for a long time, and will eventually have to be replaced if the battery wears out before you decide to upgrade.Buying multiple of these in case one of them fails on a trip, to loan to friends, or just upgrading is a real possibility since they are significantly less expensive than Apple's offerings.In short, I'm in love with this product and find that it excels against the iPod shuffle in nearly every way. The only thing you can't really do with it is watch video. This is actually also a benefit to the device since the screen was designed specifically for audio use which conserves power and makes it very legible due to the large font size and large viewing angle. Kudos to the engineers for building such a marvelous product and to SanDisk for making it possible at such a reasonable price. I'll be buying more of these as gifts.

My biggest complaint with the unit since I bought it a couple of months ago is that it seems to run through the battery pretty quickly and it takes just as long to charge it as it takes to drain it. From nearly dead, I have to charge the unit overnight to get it fully charged again. And if my computer lets the screen saver come on, the unit stops charging. And because it takes longer than four hours to charge the unit, I really didn't want to go through and mess with all of the settings to keep my computer on running and out of hibernation for so long so I finally got fed up and bought a USB wall adapter to charge it from an outlet.I will get about six hours of play time between chargings and it takes about five hours to charge it back up again. And that's with the unit brand new, I would hate to see how this performance lasts in six months to a year. And yes I followed the directions on the package to a T when it arrived.The other problem I have with the unit is its size. It is unnecessarily small. (It's only as tall as a sharpie cap) and because there are buttons on the sides as well as the front, it can be difficult to hold and press only the buttons you want to. I'm young too, someone with arthritis or even just large hands would have a difficult time with this. Several times when I try to turn the unit off, I have trouble sliding the knob up without hitting the volume up button on the other side. Naturally the volume control takes precedence over shutting it down so I get an uncontrollable blast of sound.The buttons are not the easiest to get the hang of either, the down button sometimes scrolls, sometimes takes you to a menu screen and navigation can be a bit frustrating but not horrific.I will give the unit good marks when it comes to ease of adding or removing music, organization or making playlists. The sound quality is great and the price is reasonable. I would not mind the six hour battery life one bit if it took a fraction of the time to charge it back up again but since it doesn't, I would think twice about buying this unit.

Good thing I didn't review this device earlier or it would have received one or no stars! Admittedly I know nothing about MP3 Players (don't even know what MP3 stands for) or any other "marvels" of new(soon to be old)technology. What I learn is thru trial and error thanks to lousy product instructions and undecipherable technical "support".My reasons for buying the Clip were:1)Sale price and 2)Local library no longer purchases audiocassettes. While it hasn't discontinued CD audiobooks, more and more are now available on gadgets like the Clip. Found out it was compatible so bought one. Took about a month to get started and ran in to all sorts of problems. Managed to download some songs from Amazon (hooray!) but took a miracle to download a book.Most of my problems were not the fault of the Clip; however, their presumption of prior device knowledge and simplistic instructions (diagrams as helpful as those for DIY projects)left me to fend for myself which I did not appreciate.On the plus side, the sound for both music and books is great and once you get the hang of it, quite convenient. I'm still all thumbs (the thing is TINY) and it's difficult to find what I want. Their idea of a "menu" and mine are two different things. Took FOREVER to locate my downloaded book. Instead of under e-book (sounded logical to me) it is under genres!?? I was so frustrated by then I would have throw it at the wall but it's too small to provide relief!So, if you know all about MP3 Players this is probably a good choice. If not, buyer beware!! (With more use, I might give it more stars!!)