SanDisk Vs. iPod Shuffle

A

abudhu

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
1,653
So I am deciding here.

SanDisk 256MB 89.99 at Best buy.

Official Site:
http://www.sandisk.com/retail/dap.asp
BestBuy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1091099666008&skuId=6800919&type=product

Pro: LCD Screen, 10 dollars less.
Con: 256MB Less. But, I don't have many songs anyways, only about 50 (Yeah, I'm not a song junkie). Requires a USB cable, (that does come with it) to transfer music.

Or

iPod Shuffle. 99.99 at Best Buy.

Official Site:
http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/specs.html
Best Buy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1099392727069&skuId=7011832&type=product

Pro: Small. Yes the SanDisk is shorter, but is .3 inches wider. Appleish...Is that really a pro? :p 512MB . I hear it plugs directly into the computer without the need of a USB cable.
Con: No LCD Screen.

I have a 25 dollar gift certificate to BB, so either one would be cool.
I'm not sure which to get.

Please give owners of either give me Pro/Cons.
And
If anyone else has any other small, CHEAP, music player please tell me so that I may look into it. Looking for something in Stock at BB, since I have that gift certificate.
 
go ipod

join us...

superior product and wont ass rape you with cost of a usb cable. its like $20. atleast from dell where i got mone

boy was that dum
 
Since you don't need the extra space, just get the Sandisk. Even with just 50 songs, it will be a lot easier to find songs with a screen. Plus you can adust many other settings. And it comes with an FM tuner and voice recorder. WMA support is also nice since you can encode new songs at high quality/lower bitrate with WMP9/10.

The Shuffle is just a really barebones player. If you had a big investment in iTMS songs, you have no choice but to buy a Shuffle or better to take the songs with you (yes, you can burn to a CD and re-rip, but that's lossy). But since you don't, you don't need it.

Too bad you have to buy it at best buy. The Sandisk 256MB is available for $66 shipped here: http://www.bananapc.com/products/pr...0&product_id=15088&searchString=44570705&Op=2 <-- still probably a better option than best buy because you likely have to pay sales tax locally

Or you could get the 512MB version for $96 shipped here: http://www.bananapc.com/products/pr...0&product_id=15089&searchString=44570706&Op=2
 
abudhu said:
Cool, I am actually looking at this one a lot now:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1090933272278&skuId=6793687&type=product
Click to expand...
That's a really nice player. I bought one of those as a gift to give for Christmas.

The reason I suggested the bananapc sandisk player is because you will be spending more than $66 at BB out of your pocket with the gift card ($89.99 + tax - $25 GC = $65 + tax on $90) than the $66 it costs shipped from bananapc. :p You could then use the $25 GC for something else or sell it.
 
i think if you had the space you'd fill it. get the shuffle, fill up 256 with music and use the other 256 as a personal storage. its only $10 more and you get double the space.
 
Seeing as the Shuffle is currently out of stock, anyone know where it IS in stock.

I don't mind buying it offline...

But continue, to offer advice etc. ^^ That question is more of a side thing. Not Sold yet. :)
 
why not just jump off a cliff while your at it, buying an ipod shuffle is the stupidest thing you can do, look at this comparo

Ipod Suxffle

Weight: 0.8Oz (pretty light!)
Size: 1.0GB
Formats: AAC, Protected AAC :rolleyes: , mp3, wav :p
Interface: USB 2.0
Batt life: 12hrs (rated time its usually lower, this really sucks for an mp3 player)
Batt Type: NONE replaceable internal (once again they did not learn from the mistake of the ipod and crappy nonreplaceable internal batts)
Recharge time: $@%# 4hrs
LCD: NONE
Radio: NONE
Voice Recording: NONE
EQ: NONE
ID3 Support: none because you have no LCD, just great
Shuffle feature:YES
Playspeed adj: NONE you can only play 1x
Audio Transfer: ONLY thru ITUNES (which really blows goats)
Colors: only spunky white
PRICE: ~$150 (you MAY be able to get it cheaper as this is bestbuy's price)

Sandisk 1GB
Weight: 1.0Oz (OMG!!!!!! 0.2Oz heavier, its a bowling ball!!)
Formats MP3, WMA (suxflle does not play this),
Interface: USB 2.0
Batt life: 15hrs (will go up if batt is an 800-850Mah rechargeable AAA nimh)
Batt type: AAA
recharge time: you can recharge 2-4 AAA from totally dead to full in 30-35 mins with a charger so 30÷2 = 15mins, 15 mins to recharge or 30÷4 = 7.5mins (LOL)
LCD: Backlit multi line
Radio: FM Radio 20 station preset memory
Voice recording: Yes with built in mic
EQ: YES fully adj EQ,
ID3 Support: Yes
Shuffle feature: no but it has random, (i guess sandisk ripped off ipod's shuffle feature because OBVIOUSLY they created the shuffle option even though my mpio player from 2 years ago had it)
Playspeed adj: yes anywhere from 50%-150% fully adjustable
Audio Transfer: Drag and drop simplicity (the way it should be, you can also use music match and i think itunes can do it too) you can also drag your other files on like docs and xls files
colors: 3 diffrent colors
Price: ~$150 you can get it cheaper off newegg i think (EDIT: i found it! $139.00 on new egg)

now tell me again why the ipod shuffle is superior? IMO its the worst $!@% to ever hit the market. please, dont lower your standards even if you want to be loyal to a company, KNOW when someone is trying to rip you off because you earned your money, it should not be stolen from you.

BUT HEY, if you like it go right ahead, im not here to stop you or put you down for your choice, have a nice day :)
 
similar if not superior products

Tiger direct: Kanguru Micro MP3 Pro / 1GB / MP3 Player
this one is smaller than the sandisk, has ALL the same features including LCD, EQ, FM, Voice record, etc
$139.99


Tigerdirect:perception Digital FuXion Minutemen / 1.5GB / MP3 Player
same as above except its 1.5GB! and only $104.99
 
klowngoblin said:
why not just jump off a cliff while your at it, buying an ipod shuffle is the stupidest thing you can do

now tell me again why the ipod shuffle is superior? IMO its the worst $!@% to ever hit the market. please, dont lower your standards even if you want to be loyal to a company, KNOW when someone is trying to rip you off because you earned your money, it should not be stolen from you.

BUT HEY, if you like it go right ahead, im not here to stop you or put you down for your choice, have a nice day :)
Click to expand...

you're an assclown. stop thread crapping.
 
Newegg is selling the 256mb sandisk for $66 shipped

the 512 for $105 shipped

and the 1gb for $145 shipped

now
compared to the ipod shuffle
you get
-A LCD Display
-A FM tuner
-longer battery life (although using non rechargable batterys)

Either one is going to be a good choice for you
but i think the sandisk players offer a better value
 
klowngoblin said:
i gave a detailed description and facts supporting my opinion
Click to expand...

facts? what facts?

you stated that he should jump off a cliff, and that the shuffle was the worst thing to ever hit the market. uhm. that's an opinion, pal.

anyway, I'm going to stop here before the OP gets his thread locked.
 
pat said:
facts? what facts?
Click to expand...
You cut it out of your first reply. :p He showed the specs of the shuffle vs the 1GB sandisk player above. I don't know if that was helpful to the OP (who is looking at sub-$100 players at BB), but you can't claim he didn't provide facts. He did.
 
klowngoblin said:
Tigerdirect:perception Digital FuXion Minutemen / 1.5GB / MP3 Player
same as above except its 1.5GB! and only $104.99
Click to expand...
I bought that one on woot.com in January for $99 (it was available again in a woot off for $89... all gone in 10 minutes).

I really like it. The only missing feature is external playlist management (playlists have to be created on the player :barf:). Since genre goes unused in most my MP3s, i just use that as a playlist tag and now I can shuffle or play in order by artist, year, album, genre (playlist) and directories or shuffle all (plus single and repeat mode added to shuffle or in-order). The 6 line + border + title LCD is nice to use instead of a 2-4 line LCD like most smaller players have. REP SHUF ALL mode is kind of pointless unless plugged in since the battery lasts for 12 hours and the player holds 18 hours of 192Kbps music. Like VBR (up to 320kbps) MP3, 192Kbps WMAs sound very nice.

But the OP really was looking to buy a player at BB since he has a gift card. :p
 
Cool lots of good info, keep it coming :)
Opinions always help, so I am think I am really leaning away from Shuffle now. <-- Its just that the commercial is so damn cool ;) :p
 
klowngoblin said:
Batt life: 15hrs (will go up if batt is an 800-850Mah rechargeable AAA nimh)
Click to expand...
I disagree with this. You get 15 hours off a fresh 1000-1100mAH alkaline battery, so less from a 800-850mAH NiMH battery (i'd guess 10-12 hours tops). And if the player doesn't deal with the 1.25v battery well (alkalines hold up at 1.4v-1.5v under load for a long period of time, NiMH 1.2-1.25v), it could be considerably less than 10 hours with a NiMH battery.

That's one of the advantages of the MPIO player above... it already has a lithium-polymer battery built in. And that's also a disadvantage since you can't swap it our quickly when drained (which also applies to the Shuffle)
 
strange since my mpio player is rated at 12hrs and with an nexcell 800mah battery it lasted ~13 playing strait 128kbps mp3s on loop

but lets say it doesn't you can only charge 2 AAA at a time and swap them onthe fly, 2 AAA will last longer than the shuffle,

and with the other post i had about the shuffle im stating that you lose SO MUCH functionality with your mp3 player and you have to pay more for it. how is that even appealing to a buying that has reasearched his choices? (even if the reasearch was only for 5 mins on the web) apple is totally trying to rip you guys off and some ppl just dont see it.
 
Overwhelming decision is to get the SanDisk or the MPIO!

With that, I am leaning to the MPIO for 3 reasons, smaller, sleaker looking, recharable built-in battery?

Thanks for all who commented, both pro and con. Its been a lot of help.

*[H] Forum shines with a happy user*
 
Well, I guess I'm an idiot then according to goblin. I bought a shuffle, and I love it. I bought it as an "active" player because I run everyday.

With my old players, I NEVER looked at the LCD when running. So the lack of a screen meant nothing to me. I have a Lyra and a Yeppe that I will never use again, since I got my shuffle. And they both have LCD screens.

Voice recording is the dumbest so called "option" I can think of. My PDA and cell phone both have it, and I've never used it.

WMA support? Doesn't bother me at all, since everything I have is MP3.

The shuffle intergrates seamlessly with iTunes, which is hands down the best software out there.

I used to carry around a 256mb Cruzer Mini. now, I just carry around my 1gig shuffle. I have more storage and an MP3 player the size of a stick of gum, for 150 bucks.

Internal battery. people bitch about not being able to cahnge the battery, but I'm the exact opposite. I don't want to have to buy new batteries for my MP3 player all the time. If you say "just buy rechargeables" then you better add that into the cost of the player also. Let's keep the comparison fair.

As far as the battery life is concerned, Apple claims 12 hours when shipped, but I've read online where people get up to 17. Every review I've read, said that the Shuffle has better battery life, than what's promised. With my personal test, I got 15 hours. Since i use the shuffle as a USB drive also, I've never run out of batteyr life because it finds it's way to a USB plug at least every few days.

I'm not saying that the shuffle is for everyone. In fact, I kind of consider it an accessory to my iPod. The perfect workout accessory. If it was my only player, the lack of a screen might bother me. Who knows. All I know is that it's perfect for my application, and I love it.

But to say that the product is crap, just because it doesn't fit your needs, is moronic. Especially following a statement like "you should jump off a cliff if you bought this". After that, I don't care how many facts you post, you already look like an idiot.
 
SHop around for the 512mb sandisk. I have one (they have them up to 1 gig) and I paid about $120 for mine, SHIPPED, with armband, and all those extra features apple lacks.
 
2_hotty said:
Voice recording is the dumbest so called "option" I can think of. My PDA and cell phone both have it, and I've never used it.
Click to expand...

Just because you don't use, want, or need the feature, doesn't mean other people don't.
I use the voice recording EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE since I've owned it.

WMA support? Doesn't bother me at all, since everything I have is MP3.
Click to expand...
Again, just cause *you* don't use it, doesn't mean anything.. Maybe some of us *DO* have wma.. maybe some of us are, I dunno, not on iTUNES.

The shuffle intergrates seamlessly with iTunes, which is hands down the best software out there.
Click to expand...
Highly opinion. - I think iTunes sucks a$$ . I installed it.. I deltree'd *.* my entire MP3 collection. - Good software in my opinion.

I used to carry around a 256mb Cruzer Mini. now, I just carry around my 1gig shuffle. I have more storage and an MP3 player the size of a stick of gum, for 150 bucks.
Click to expand...
Not relevant. - The SD-DMP-1GB costs less than the shuffle, The 1gb cruzer costs less than the shuffle, and there are about 10 other brands that cost less than the shuffle, have more features, longer battery life, user replaceable batteries [ya know, if you decide to go away for the weekend and your shuffle batteries die .. Your S.O.L. - Me, I just pop in some more rechargables. You..have to bring a computer or charger with you.

Internal battery. people bitch about not being able to cahnge the battery, but I'm the exact opposite. I don't want to have to buy new batteries for my MP3 player all the time. If you say "just buy rechargeables" then you better add that into the cost of the player also. Let's keep the comparison fair.
Click to expand...
Rechargable AAA batteries = $0.69 x 2 = $1.38

Replacement battery for shuffle : Unavailable : but, my guess is over $30.00


As far as the battery life is concerned, Apple claims 12 hours when shipped, but I've read online where people get up to 17. Every review I've read, said that the Shuffle has better battery life, than what's promised. With my personal test, I got 15 hours. Since i use the shuffle as a USB drive also, I've never run out of batteyr life because it finds it's way to a USB plug at least every few days.
Click to expand...

And I read that my batteries on my sandisk last 30 hrs.. Don't beleive every thing that you read.

I'm not saying that the shuffle is for everyone. In fact, I kind of consider it an accessory to my iPod. The perfect workout accessory. If it was my only player, the lack of a screen might bother me. Who knows. All I know is that it's perfect for my application, and I love it.
Click to expand...
Right.. the shuffle is great for people who apple already has their claws in. - Since the iPOD is so great, why do you have a shuffle, in the first place

But to say that the product is crap, just because it doesn't fit your needs, is moronic. Especially following a statement like "you should jump off a cliff if you bought this". After that, I don't care how many facts you post, you already look like an idiot.
Click to expand...

Is that as moronic, as for example, saying that
Voice recording is the dumbest so called "option" I can think of.
Click to expand...
just because it doesn't suit YOUR needs?


Facts:
Shuffles cost more money, have fewer features, have less actual support, and have an apple warranty (a negative in my book - you'd understand if you've ever had to deal with apple support)
sandisks cost less, include a screen, better battery life, more features, and have both sandisk's support [which is almost as good as newegg's] and / or the original stores support. Lastly, I don't *need* to be 'tied' to my iTUNES, or my PC to load up.
Additionally, FM tuner is actually nice, seeing as how sometimes I want to actually listen to the RADIO, because of the fact that we have local "entertaining" DJ's..
 
As far as opinions go you have plenty. I would go back to the threads with the information about the items and base your decision on that. Nobody has mentioned sound quality which is #1 on my list. And there is no really way to test that other than listening to them, I am guessing they all have minimal performance in sound compared to something larger...at least at this point.

My suggestion is to base your decision on what you like, not other people. You read threads like this all over the place which turn into Apple vs. Other for no reason really.

I don't have an MP3 player anymore but I have enjoyed the Dell DJ, Rio players, Creative players and the Apple Ipod. So goes to show they are all decent really, so if its that close just get the cheaper one:)
Hope you end up with something you like:)

-Ed
 
wow, lol

First off LaForge, you can't list your opinion of Sandisks support vs Apple support as fact.

I even ended my post saying that I knew the shuffle wasn't for everyone. I was stating that I knew that, and those were the reasons that I bought one. Was it necessary for you to quote everything I said, right it all off as mere "opinion", then post your own opinion right after mine?

The saying is that opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I just wasn't aware that you were the only person who was allowed to post theirs. My bad.

Hey Torment, which cliff are you jumping off of, I'll meet you there. :D
 
CopyCat said:
As far as opinions go you have plenty. I would go back to the threads with the information about the items and base your decision on that. Nobody has mentioned sound quality which is #1 on my list. And there is no really way to test that other than listening to them, I am guessing they all have minimal performance in sound compared to something larger...at least at this point.

My suggestion is to base your decision on what you like, not other people. You read threads like this all over the place which turn into Apple vs. Other for no reason really.

I don't have an MP3 player anymore but I have enjoyed the Dell DJ, Rio players, Creative players and the Apple Ipod. So goes to show they are all decent really, so if its that close just get the cheaper one:)
Hope you end up with something you like:)

-Ed
Click to expand...

See, hehe, thats what I am thinking. But I always like to see opinions. Because sometimes you find out something terribly bad about the item you were looking into and it saves you a bundle :)

As for
The shuffle intergrates seamlessly with iTunes, which is hands down the best software out there.
Click to expand...
I have to say I HATE iTunes as well. Especially when installed on a PC. It installs a freaking ipod service. What the hell do I need with an iPod service when I don't have an iPod?! It wouldn't even let me End it, just stuck there. Think I had to do "End Tree" to get the damn thing of the proccess list. That and it was actually sucking up a good deal about 10mb for doing absolutley nothing..

:D
 
abudhu said:
I have to say I HATE iTunes as well.
Click to expand...
true.dat

It's only a necessity if you use iTMS. Otherwise, there are plenty of better programs available.
 
Laforge said:
have less actual support, and have an apple warranty (a negative in my book - you'd understand if you've ever had to deal with apple support)
Click to expand...
Fact: these are opinions. My opinion is that Apple support is fantastic. You can't go to the mall, go to the "Sandisk store," and ask for a replacement on the spot. With Apple, you can. I've done it, and love the speed and no-hassle service. Again, it's an opinion, unlike the above opinions you tried to pass of as fact.
Lastly, I don't *need* to be 'tied' to my iTUNES, or my PC to load up.
Click to expand...
Fact: you don't need to use iTunes for full functionality. Perhaps you shouldn't speak on the iPod Shuffle if you don't realize that there are several third-party programs which give full functionalit--and better functionality, for that matter. Two of my favorite alternatives are EphPod and Anapod.
because of the fact that we have local "entertaining" DJ's..
Click to expand...
Technically, this an opinion, not a fact ;)
 
my bottom line is... for the price of the shuffle you can get a MUCH better mp3 player for cheaper, and for the price diff you can buy 2500mah750mah sanyo cell nimh batteries in a bundle for like 10 bux and power your remote controls and other things in your house and still have it cheaper.

IMO the shuffle is just another rip off from apple. it doesn't matter if you dont use the features, that doesn't mean they dont cost money. what apple did was cut out all the things and charge you more, wow thats a great deal!. i would use the EQ to improve sound quality but you need an lcd to know what your doing. recording conversations and using them to prove that people said things or to prove other points is invaluble, i use my pda for that all the time. also if you had a sandisk mini cruizer you can get the 1GB version (like what i have) and get the mp3 companion, also cheaper than the shuffle but the sandisk is drag and drop.
 
interesting bit i found on batteries

What does the mAh rating of my batteries mean?
######################
The mAh rating refers to the storage capacity available for a particular battery. A battery with a capacity rating of 2400 mAh could deliver a current of 2400mA for one hour. Higher mAh ratings for the same battery type will generally mean longer run times. This does not apply when comparing different types of batteries. This means that you may not be able to predict how long your electronic device will run just by looking at the capacity rating. When powering high drain electronic devices like digital camera, an alkaline battery will only deliver a small fraction of its rated capacity. For example AA alkaline batteries typically have a capacity rating of over 2500 mAh and AA NiMH batteries have similar ratings of 1800 to 2400 mAh. But when it comes to actually powering an electronic device like a digital camera, the NiMH batteries will often run the device for three or four times as long. A NiMH or NiCd battery is likely to deliver much closer to its rated capacity when it is powering high drain devices. Alkaline batteries have a high rated capacity but they can only deliver their full capacity when the power is used slowly. This means that a NiMH battery with a rated capacity of only 1600 mAh can tale many more photos than an alkaline battery with a rated capacity of 2800.
######################
 
^^ Dang. Thats good random knowledge to know. Hehe. No wonder my Camera Batteries always die really fast. I just thought the damn 100 dollar thing was crappy...Hm...
 
klowngoblin said:
my bottom line is... for the price of the shuffle you can get a MUCH better mp3 player for cheaper, and for the price diff you can buy 2500mah750mah sanyo cell nimh batteries in a bundle for like 10 bux and power your remote controls and other things in your house and still have it cheaper.

IMO the shuffle is just another rip off from apple. it doesn't matter if you dont use the features, that doesn't mean they dont cost money. what apple did was cut out all the things and charge you more, wow thats a great deal!. i would use the EQ to improve sound quality but you need an lcd to know what your doing. recording conversations and using them to prove that people said things or to prove other points is invaluble, i use my pda for that all the time. also if you had a sandisk mini cruizer you can get the 1GB version (like what i have) and get the mp3 companion, also cheaper than the shuffle but the sandisk is drag and drop.
Click to expand...
The reason why the two players seem radically different from one another is because of different usage profiles.

You seem like the kind of person who would navigate from one song to another manually, with the next song already in mind. I'm the same way. Apple's intent, however, was to have the next track be randomly selected. Many people listen to music in this fashion--after all, if it wasn't popularly practiced, we would have no radio stations. For someone who works out at the gym, he or she might not feel compelled to interfere with their routine by constantly navigating to the next song. Thus, an LCD and a complex navigation system would be unused and unnecessary. Also, an EQ is pretty useless because the listener just wants a hands-off experience--besides, EQ doesn't improve sound quality!

And the drag-and-drop thing is not really a big deal for the average Shuffle owner. They can of course drag and drop data onto the drive without any software, but iTunes would usually handle the rest. The average user would just have iTunes select a random playlist from their collection so the user can be on his way and not have to worry about selecting certain songs.

Still, the Shuffle has some things the Sandisk player doesn't--it's smaller and doesn't need a USB cable. Also, it's priced within about $10 of the Sandisk 1 GB player, so it's not that big of a deal.

The average Shuffle owner has an active lifestyle with minimal direct interaction with the player. Since your comments suggest that you're not part of that market, it makes sense for you to dislike Apple's design decisions. It's perfectly understandable.
 
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