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There aren’t many in the mp3 player market that can take on Apple at its own game and win hands down, but this is exactly what Sandisk is attempting with the e280.
Not only is it about the same size (although nearly twice as thick) as the nano, it even sports a glowing blue scroll wheel that navigates in exactly the same way.
Unlike Apple’s touchpad, this is a raised mechanical wheel that accompanies a centre select button and four additional playback controls. It’s very responsive and, although it makes the surrounding buttons a little difficult to press, doesn’t drop too many points to Apple’s more stylish alternative.
In addition to an mp3 player and photo viewer you’ll also find video playback and a voice recorder built in. The latter is instantly accessible with a dedicated record control, making the e280 a passable alternative to a Dictaphone.
Video and photo content is transferred using the conversion software supplied, although disappointingly we noticed file sizes nearly double when converting compressed video files to the .mov format the player supports.
You can transfer music either by drag and drop or by syncing with Windows Media Player, and you’ll find everything sorted into typical categories for easy browsing.
Sound quality is excellent, much improved over some of Sandisk’s previous models in this series, and although the viewing angle isn’t great the screen is bright and clear, doing a decent job of showing off videos or photos.
You’ll get over 20 hours of audio playback from the device, and you can replace the battery supplied thanks to the removable back panel. You’ll also find a micro SD card reader to top up the 8GB capacity if you need it and, together with a decent array of options for managing your music, video and pictures, it seems like Sandisk has most bases covered with their new player.
Being the world’s largest supplier of flash based memory storage they’ve kept the price down too; you’ll save around 20 per cent on the equivalent sized nano. Considering the Sansa has a few extra features over the Nano, it’s a serious contender for the title of best pocket audio player.
There’s nothing jaw dropping here though, and iPod owners will still argue that they score more points for style and usability. Those who consider value for money and the additional features more important, or those looking for a suitable alternative to Apple’s baby, should find the e280 has more than enough to offer.
Also consider:
Samsung K5
A stylish music player with a built in slide-out speaker
Apple iPod nano
A modest cosmetic upgrade, but the competitive pricing should guarantee success
for the new iPod nano
Sony A1200 portable audio player
The Sony A1200 is a good value, great-looking player for those serious about
their music
All Multimedia Players Tags: Mp3 Player
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