View Full Version : SanDisk Sansa e200
Chris Gohlke
05-30-2006, 02:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archives/2006/03/sandisk-sansa-e200-series-review.php' target='_blank'>http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archives/2006/03/sandisk-sansa-e200-series-review.php</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The SanDisk Sansa e200 series includes the e250, e260, and e270. The 2GB, 4GB, and 6GB are a new breed of high capacity flash based MP3 player set to compete in features, as well as price, with the Samsung Z5 and iPod Nano. The Sansa e200 has a few advantages over the two, such as a brilliant 1.8” screen, video playback, expandable memory, and a user replaceable battery. SanDisk, seemingly out of nowhere, has come up with something to shake up the portable audio market. They will be an interesting competitor to watch. "</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/sandisk-sansa-e200-main.jpg" /><br /><br />Here is another great looking challenger to the iPod Nano. Here is the problem, the iPod has become the total Juggernaut of the field. These newest players are really taking on the iPod from the feature perspective and beating it on the pricing perspective. Still you are left with the x-factor for the iPod, which is the mind share the entire product line holds. I'm not sure how you beat that. Sure you could throw tons of money at marketing, but then you might lose your price advantage and Apple could then simply cut their prices a bit. Overall, I am glad to see these challengers because as long as they stay in the market, they help keep Apple honest.
By choosing substandard microSD slots & cards, Sandisk is LOOSING BIG BUCKS, 10s/100s OF THOUSANDS, POSSIBLY MILLIONS!!
These guys are shooting themselves in the foot. They are crazy :evil:
Jason Dunn
05-30-2006, 07:04 AM
By choosing substandard microSD slots & cards
How is microSD "substandard"?
microSD is sub-standard because:
it's a smaller version of standard SD card
it's much slower
it's only one way compatible and therefore ALL the millions of existing SD cards won't fit. For example most digicams or moviecams these days come with an SD card and you couldn't view your shots on this Sensa
its ONLY advantage is ludicrous: save less than 1 tiny minuscule percent in an electronic device volume
has much lower capacities as SD comes in up to 800% the substandard microSD cards capacity
has a much lower technology limit
is a lot harder to find
costs a lot more per MB, especially given the fact you can't find higher capacity cards in same figures as standard SD
etc.
Of course miniSD is a sub-standard too; same arguments against it are true.
Jason Eaton
05-30-2006, 01:35 PM
Interesting points about miniSD...
Though I think it is a glass half empty look at the feature, I mean it provides a way to upgrade the capacity *later* if someone wanted to add a few more songs. I mean if you buy the 2 gig and the miniSD right away, why don't you just get the 4 gig? But say down the road the price drops on miniSD (and it will as do all storage mediums these days except for Sony Duo and Memory Sticks it would seem :) ) and you find one for 50 bucks it gives you an *option* instead of buying a new player.
As for viewing pictures from the digital camera... you can't. According to the article you have to transfer photos by way of their media converter. So no swap from camera to player to view. Besides most digital cameras have a larger viewing screen then the player :D .
And lastly, they are SanDisk. They want to push their latest format. Rather then try to sell you a product that has already been commoditized and open to price battles from their competitors they want their newest product in the line up.
I think of this as an option and a feature that may not get used. But if they can offer another feature to the player AND keep the same price point as its rivals, why not... value added. Worse case it becomes an unused feature, best case is that it makes another sale. Not a bad position to be in for SanDisk.
ale_ers
05-30-2006, 03:48 PM
I think of this as an option and a feature that may not get used. But if they can offer another feature to the player AND keep the same price point as its rivals, why not... value added. Worse case it becomes an unused feature, best case is that it makes another sale. Not a bad position to be in for SanDisk.
I completely agree. I just bought a e270 (being delivered today) because it was the largest flash player available. I run and trail run, and my MP3 player takes a beating. This is a large, light player which should hold up due to the fact it has no moving parts. The fact that it has a microSD slot had no impact on my decision. I don't think I'll use it at all.
I think SanDisk included it so that they can sell these albums on micorSD. I have seen a few of these meant to work in cell phones and such. I don't think it will catch on, but it is a novelty non-the-less.
Jason Dunn
05-30-2006, 04:19 PM
microSD is sub-standard because...
Every single thing you listed off is true of ANY new memory format. Exactly the same things were said about SD cards when CF cards were the standard. All of your complaints will be "fixed" over time, just as they were with SD cards. The real truth is that you simply don't like having to buy new memory cards - hey, that's ok, I don't like it either, but attacking the format is silly. Be honest with yourself. ;-)
I think you're ignoring two important points as well:
1) MicroSD is incredibly small, with a very small reader apparatus, so it's quite possible that SD or even MiniSD was too big for them to implement in the player - I'm willing to bet it was MicroSD or nothing
2) The fact that a large Flash-based player even HAS secondary storage for expansion is AMAZINGLY impressive. That gives it potentially years of extra life as Flash gets cheaper and bigger.
Interesting points about miniSD....
See the confusion it creates... This Sensa does not use a miniSD sub-standard slot but a microSD sub-standard one.
They are different sub-standards.
I mentionned miniSD on my followup post to say that arguments against miniSD are ths same as with microSD.
Though I think it is a glass half empty....
With all the feature against it, it's a glass that's totally empty... but a few drops maybe 8) . Again standard SD cards are up to 800% the capacity, much faster, cheaper, etc.
look at the feature, I mean it provides a way to upgrade the capacity *later* if someone wanted to add a few more songs....
I know what expansion cards are for and their advantages, thanks... :P
As for viewing pictures from the digital camera... you can't. According to the article you have to transfer photos by way of their media converter. So no swap from camera to player to view. Besides most digital cameras have a larger viewing screen then the player :D .
It's not always question about screen size but also battery life, etc.
And lastly, they are SanDisk. They want to push their latest format. Rather then try to sell you a product that has already been commoditized and open to price battles from their competitors they want their newest product in the line up.
...and in doing so THEY LOOSE MILLIONS as I said...
microSD is sub-standard because...
Every single thing you listed off is true of ANY new memory format. Exactly the same things were said about SD cards when CF cards were the standard. All of your complaints will be "fixed" over time, ...
Nope, some MIGHT, but obviously NOT ALL WILL.
One that will NEVER catch up with standard SD and by FAR is capacity!! Smaller internal volume means much less chip counts that fit inside... for ANY generation of cards.
Look at CF vs SD capacities...
Same price-wise...
Lastly, while you save a HUGE 10 ccm (10-15% of a device volume; e.g. PDA, digicams...) when choosing an SD slot vs CF (2.5 ccm vs 12.5) you just gain a ludicrous 1 ccm; i.e. 1 to 0.5 tiny minuscule percent of the device volume when going smaller than standard SD.
As I said the gain is virtually nill while disadvantages are MANY and MOST will remain.
just as they were with SD cards. The real truth is that you simply don't like having to buy new memory cards - hey, that's ok, I don't like it either, but attacking the format is silly. Be honest with yourself. ;-)...
No it's sensible...
I think you're ignoring two important points as well:
1) MicroSD is incredibly small, with a very small reader apparatus, so it's quite possible that SD or even MiniSD was too big for them to implement in the player - I'm willing to bet it was MicroSD or nothing
YOU JUST LOST :P.
It's NOT volume-wise as I said above, as the difference is ludicrous; stupidly thought out company policies, maybe :twisted: as I said Sandisk is loosing millions 8O by pushing the microSD sub-sub-standard instead of the standard SD.
2) The fact that a large Flash-based player even HAS secondary storage for expansion is AMAZINGLY impressive. That gives it potentially years of extra life as Flash gets cheaper and bigger.
That's NO argument in favor of microSD sub-sub-standard, just a general advantage for memory expansion :P.
I wonder why people asked the wrong question: about microSD being a sub-standard (thought it was obvious to you tech-savvy and intelligent people :P) and not why I think Sandisk is loosing millions in pushing their microSD sub-sub-standard.
Jason Dunn
05-31-2006, 02:34 AM
Lastly, while you save a HUGE 10 ccm (10-15% of a device volume; e.g. PDA, digicams...) when choosing an SD slot vs CF (2.5 ccm vs 12.5) you just gain a ludicrous 1 ccm; i.e. 1 to 0.5 tiny minuscule percent of the device volume when going smaller than standard SD.
That's an interesting statement. Can you show me some proof? Photos/specs/etc.?
Jason Dunn
05-31-2006, 02:40 AM
...why I think Sandisk is loosing millions in pushing their microSD sub-sub-standard.
How do you know they're "losing millions"? Do you have financial statements to show this? You seem to be a big believer in conspiracy theories, but I need some proof.
(and quit it with the bolding please, this isn't a forum filled with font-happy 10 year olds)
Lee Yuan Sheng
05-31-2006, 08:55 AM
*yawn* Big deal. I assume most will buy the 4gb or 6gb version, and by the time they want to expand MicroSD shouldn't cost too much.
I whined about MiniSD then, but you know what? I just bought a 1gb MiniSD for my girlfriend's HP 6515 and it was the same price I paid for my 1gb SD a year back.
Fact is, prices will drop, and capacities will grow. Granted, the bigger formats will retain an advantage, but at some point it'll be attractive enough to shrug off the differences and say, hey, at least I can do that (that in this case, being able to expand on the e200's memory)!
My main problem with this standard is its size. It's so small it's really likely to get lost. While SD to MiniSD wasn't much in terms of size reduction, MicroSD is much much smaller! I think it'll fly if I sneeze at it...
Jason Eaton
05-31-2006, 12:37 PM
look at the feature, I mean it provides a way to upgrade the capacity *later* if someone wanted to add a few more songs....
I know what expansion cards are for and their advantages, thanks... :P
No, thank you for restating your opinion on why *YOU* don't like this player and microSD. I was obviously a fool for not thinking like you. :lol:
Godsongz
05-31-2006, 08:25 PM
Man, this thread just got totally de-railed. Anyway, back to the Sansa... I saw one of you had ordered the e270? The 6gb version? I thought only the e250 and e260 were available right now, with the e270 "coming soon"... is it out there?
...why I think Sandisk is loosing millions in pushing their microSD sub-sub-standard.
How do you know they're "losing millions"? Do you have financial statements to show this? You seem to be a big believer in conspiracy theories, but I need some proof.
(and quit it with the bolding please, this isn't a forum filled with font-happy 10 year olds)
Lastly, while you save a HUGE 10 ccm (10-15% of a device volume; e.g. PDA, digicams...) when choosing an SD slot vs CF (2.5 ccm vs 12.5) you just gain a ludicrous 1 ccm; i.e. 1 to 0.5 tiny minuscule percent of the device volume when going smaller than standard SD.
That's an interesting statement. Can you show me some proof? Photos/specs/etc.?
Since it's derailing as someone said I'll start a new thread answering both your comments.
Find the new link here... (http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=63207#63207)
Roosterman
06-01-2006, 02:01 AM
YOU JUST LOST :P.
What, are you 13 years old! :roll: This isn't a contest, just expression of opinions.
YOU JUST LOST :P.
What, are you 13 years old! :roll: This isn't a contest, just expression of opinions.
I'm many times this age... however I haven't lost my sense of humor :P.
Jason Dunn
06-01-2006, 03:42 AM
I'm many times this age... however I haven't lost my sense of humor :P.
Are you sure about that? Because you're taking this topic way too seriously, being a bit rude, and alienating everyone else in this thread (in case you hadn't noticed). I know you feel strongly about this subject, but I'm sure there's a way you can express your opinion without acting this way.
ale_ers
06-06-2006, 07:06 PM
Man, this thread just got totally de-railed. Anyway, back to the Sansa... I saw one of you had ordered the e270? The 6gb version? I thought only the e250 and e260 were available right now, with the e270 "coming soon"... is it out there?
It is available through Circuit City. I don't think it is in store, but I ordered it on line and got it next day. Do a google search for coupons too...I saved 30%
The player is great, works just as advertised. I've only charged it once while I used it constantly on vacation. With 6 Gig of flash memory, I can run without worrying about a hard drive getting damaged over time. My only minor complaint is it does have a slow boot up time.
(One other point, Best Buy has a DLO armband for it.)
Godsongz
06-15-2006, 07:55 PM
Yesterday I ordered the e270 from Buy.com, great deal. My daughter's birthday is the 4th of July, I think she'll like this 8)
vBulletin® v3.8.9, Copyright ©2000-2019, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.