MP3 Player Compatibility
I recently purchased a Sandisk Sansa e280 MP3 player and I am amazed at how hard it is to do certain tasks. For basic music capability it is works fine. Set it to Mass-Storage mode (I run Linux on my home computers) and just drag and drop music onto the player, couldn't be simpler. Beyond this, it is nearly impossible to do anything. Just try to add a playlist in MSC mode. For unknown reasons, the Sansa requires playlists to be in a format that no other software on earth uses. I have done a lot of research and found people who went as far as writing their own software and scripts just to convert a typical m3u or pls playlist into a plp/pla playlist for the Sansa. When will companies realize that the easier to use they make their product, the more successful it will be?
The same thing goes for video. I realize that video encoding/decoding is much more complicated than a playlist and that the Sansa is built primarily for music; but why include the feature when it is virtually unusable unless you use their special software on a Windows machine. Getting video manually encoded and playing correctly when loaded onto the Sansa via MSC mode appears to be the elusive white whale for this device.
I don't understand these restrictions especially given that Sandisk and the many other MP3 player manufacturers are not selling a complete "package" the way that Apple and Microsoft are with the iPod and Zune. Why doesn't one of these companies make a completely open player and actually tell the user what specs and requirements the player needs to play audio, video, playlists, etc.? I know that in theory the market for such a device may seem small, but people love to tinker (especially tech savvy people) and would actually welcome the freedom to use a device how they want to. If the internet has proven anything it's that convenience outweighs quality (just look at Youtube, MP3 downloads, bootleg movies on bittorrent, etc).
Comments
Posted by: mike
Posted on: November 21, 2007 07:32 PM
I think you should buy an Ipod. I've one and I am really satisfied with it.
Posted by: Gerald
Posted on: December 18, 2007 01:11 PM
Ipods are ok, but are a bit overpriced if you're looking for something with general funtionality.
Posted by: Anthony Coleman
Posted on: December 3, 2008 01:02 PM
I purchased The SanDisk Sansa e200 series for what I thought was a pretty good deal. However, I must admit without the proper research of this product, there can be a few annoying problems that you may have overlooked. For instance, recordings can only be made in WAV. Format, also when using the expansion slot, you are limited to music only, no data, media, or photos. Please do not expect an AC adapter in your package, you will be sorely disappointed. Stick with Apple iPod, they are the leaders in mp3 market.
Posted by: Zune
Posted on: December 12, 2008 12:48 PM
bro. dump the junk and get a zune 120. its a sweet mp3 player with the added bonus of being a much nicer video player as well. i have a zune pass and with the 10 free mp3 downloads each month its the best deal in music
Posted by: Media Player Mp3
Posted on: April 12, 2009 11:50 AM
Very nice blog! This guide helped me tons :) really appreciate it. thank you.