GamePro Labs Gadget and Gear Roundup (5 of 8)

Sandisk Sansa Fuze

What is it: A slick flash based MP3 player that's lined up as a natural competitor to the Apple Nano. It comes a variety of capacity sizes, from 2GB all the way up to 8GB, and comes in a range of colors. The Fuze has all the features you'd expect including an FM radio tuner, video playback and recording capabilities. It also has a 1.9" screen, a USB 2.0 interface and an SD slot if you need more capacity. The tactile click wheel allows for easy navigation and music playback.

How does it perform: Sandisk's Fuze may not have the pop culture cachet of Apple's iPod line but it's still a very competent music player. It offers great audio performance, easy file syncing-just plug it in and drag and drop your music-and exceptional battery life. Its small size makes it ideal for listening to music on the run and navigating the menu system is a breeze, though it's not as intuitive as the iPod's menu system.

What did you like about it: It's small, compact and very functional. The metallic grey finish of our 8GB unit didn't have the sleek, sexy vibe of an Apple product but it's still attractive nonetheless. The Fuze's audio performance was also excellent. Uploading files is a breeze and navigating the menu system using the click wheel was relatively easy. The system also comes with a decent set of earbuds.

What didn't you like about it: Two words: proprietary cable. Instead of a standard USB cable, the Fuze has a proprietary connector, which we hate; it means we have to keep yet another cable on hand and if we lose it, then we have to replace it. The menu system has its quirks, requiring a few more button presses for things like navigating our files or changing radio stations than we would have liked. The screen's also a tad on the small side, especially for video playback.

Should I buy it: If you want a solid, functional music player and you don't care about being ultra-hip, then the Fuze is a great alternative to the iPod Nano. The 8GB unit offers enough capacity to fit most users' needs and best of all, it's very competitively priced.

www.sandisk.com
MSRP: $129.99 (8GB); $99.99 (4GB); $79.99 (2GB)
Fun Factor: 4.25

Comments [9]

post a comment

  • First
    • Jump To Page:
    • [ 1 ]
  • Last
war02orc

Good article GamePro, but I won't be using any of those devices lol. I have a surround sound audio system for my PC, an iPod, and no need of $100 earbuds. And who in their right mind would buy a set of 2.1 speakers for ~$500-600 instead of buying a surround sound system instead?

war02orc

I might use that 6 port charger though, but I'm worried about proper distribution of power to my devices. All it takes is one power spike or irregular power flow to destroy my iPod, PSP, or DS. For $45 it sounds too good to be true.

MegaGeek

This Keyboard would definately fit my lifestlyle except for the price. if anyone knows where to get an awsome keyboard like this cheap they are stupid not to buy one for at least backup.

Sire

okay, now the keyboard is just getting into a HUGE console controller looking keyboard, it's funny, I can't really tell how big it is but if you held it like a big controller and used your thumbs, it's like a Spinal Tap looking thing. And wasn't there just an article on how console controllers have too many buttons?......Or maybe you can hold it to your chest like an autoharp...........what you need is a keyboard or controller in where you pull, rather than push the buttons, you know, like an old cigarette machine, kinda like an operators switchboard.

colossus16

The Keyboard looks totally badass!!!! I see that there's multiples of some of the keys. The P button should be in a more convenient position, because in a lot of online games, P is pause, the all important function.

  • First
    • Jump To Page:
    • [ 1 ]
  • Last

Post a Comment