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SanDisk Sansa e260
Introduction
iPod killers, iPod killers!what will be the next iPod killer? Which one of the newcomers will finally drop the axe on the venerable iPod and take its place as the new sovereign of the portable music playing kingdom? I'm not sure that will ever happen. In the last few years many have stepped up to the plate, but few have come close to toppling the king. And in fact I doubt that any company, at this point, is realistically hoping to top the iPod sales and take control of the reins. Several companies have made dents and developed a loyal following of fans who haven't been tempted by the Apple. Instead it is this market that portable media companies should be aiming for. A vastly smaller crowd than the iPod market, but profitable nonetheless. These crowds of discerning, heavily tech savvy folks are those who appreciate extra features, compatibility and competitive pricing. So, basically!people like me. I've never been an iPod fan. Nothing against Apple, I just don't appreciate being told what music my player can and can't play. I'm no fan of converting my MP3s to some other compression format just to transfer them to one, single product. So, when I finally decided it was time to buy a larger format music player to use on long road trips, I wasn't even considering the Mighty White One. Sandisk has been testing the waters of the music player business for a few years now. I'd never really considered their portable music systems, although I've always been a fan of their flash storage. I own a couple of their flash media cards for my digital cameras and have continually been impressed by their product line-up as displayed at CES. For the most part, Sandisk has been focusing on small, flash-based players with minimal capacity. I was looking for something in the 4-6 GB capacity range with voice recording and FM radio options and hadn't given Sandisk a second thought. But when I laid eyes on the Sandisk Sansa e260, I knew that I had found an MP3 player that was close to fitting the bill (plus the glossy black matches my new car, another important feature to consider). But, like most portable music players, there is always that chance that it wouldn't live up to the Great White Hype. Let's see if that turns out to be the case, shall we? 
Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Looks Page 3: Testing & Features Page 4: Testing & Features, cont'd... Page 5: Conclusion 
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Add Comment
17 User Comments 1 - Posted by
andrea
on December 1, 2006 - 4:28 pm This is a really great review! Im getting this for Christmas. My mom and I were at Best Buy and it was either this or a 4 gig Ipod nano and the sales guy (there and at circuit city) suggested this one. Im worried though because Ive seen a number of reviews saying they're player froze up a lot. Have you had anymore problems with it? What is firmware? If you could email me (wishfulthinker37@aol.com) that'd be great! Thanks! Andrea 2 - Posted by
EmoMakesMeCry
on December 1, 2006 - 5:38 pm Personally, if you're not going to go the iPod route, I'd go with a Samsung YP-Z5AB. After playing around with various 2-4gb mp3 players, I much prefer what Samsung has to offer. Then if you want to go the smaller storage space route (512mb-2gb), iRiver's are awesome. But I'd still purchase an iPod over anything else. I heart Apple :) 3 - Posted by
Kurtis
on December 2, 2006 - 1:51 pm I believe all you need to do is go to SanDisk's website, under Downloads, then download the Firmware Updater: http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1... After installation of Sansa Firmware Updater * Please make sure your Sansa player is in MSC mode before plugging it in. * Plug in your Sansa player and it will automatically check for updates. Common questions about the Sansa Updater Q: What does the Sansa Firmware Updater do? A: The Sansa Updater is an application that checks for the latest firmware updates then downloads and installs the firmware to your Sansa device. The Sansa Updater is NOT a firmware. Q: Why do I need to install the Sansa Firmware Updater to download "firmwares"? A: Once you install the Sansa Updater, you don't have to worry about which firmware to download for your device. Sansa Updater downloads and installs the right firmware for your Sansa device. Q: Do I need to install the Sansa Firmware Updater everytime there's a new firmware? A: No, once the Sansa Firmware Updater is installed, future firmware updates are done by just plugging in your device. Q: What does a "firmware" do? A: Firmwares contain miscelleneous bug fixes and enhancements. Q: Which Sansa players is the Sansa Updater compatible with? A: The e200, c200 and m200 series Q: Should I "Open","Run" or "Save" when i click on "Download Sansa Firmware Updater"? A: "Open" and "Run" would automatically start installing the software,. "Save" would save it to your computer and you can run it in the future. We suggest you "Open" or "Run" the installer. Q: How to change to MSC mode: A: On your Sansa device, press "menu" and go to "Settings" then "USB" choose "MSC" Q: How to check for firmware version?: A: On the e200 and c200, press "menu" and go to "Settings" then "Info"/ "System Info". For m200, press "menu" then "Information". 4 - Posted by
handrail
on December 4, 2006 - 12:34 pm i've been using the e260 about every day since the review was posted and it hasn't locked up on me since. i think it locked up 2 times when i first had it. i did use the firmware installer/updater and everything seems to be good so far. that said, iriver does make good stuff too. it depends on your personal preference. iriver tends to have more aftermarket stuff like car chargers, FM transmitters and the like. the sansas have a few cases and aftermarket chargers and FM transmitters on the way, but they aren't available just yet. i like the e260 just fine. i don't use windows media player to sync the player though...i found that to be too annoying. i just drag and drop my songs using the windows explorer file tree. 5 - Posted by
EmoMakesMeCry
on December 5, 2006 - 3:25 am I just bought an iPod Shuffle, and I must say...they're pretty friggin' sweet! For only $79, I love this little thing. It works great for when I just want to take a single playlist with me instead of my big ol' 60G iPod. The clip is a pretty cool idea as well. 6 - Posted by
Radiobob
on February 5, 2008 - 9:21 pm I have had my Sana e260 for about a week now and have not experienced any lockups yet. It works fine. I do disagree with one of your comments. You said it only works with Windows. WRONG. I and running Ubuntu Linux and it works and integrates perfectly. I have loaded 450 songs and a bunch of pictures on it. The only thing I cannot do from Linux is video but I don't care. I have one issue. I installed a 2GB micro SD card and cannot access it. In info it says it is there but no access. 7 - Posted by
Dilbeert
on March 22, 2008 - 7:33 pm To Radiobob: I was having the same issue. I read some fragment in an old CNet review that clued me in to something that may help you, too. The unit has to be in MSC mode to access the storage slot. Having said that, I can only say I have gotten far enough to add content to the microSD card, but am still playing around to see if there is anything special you have to do to use the content.
8 - Posted by
Evan Glueck
on June 18, 2008 - 12:06 am Pros: Well priced Long battery life Cons: Unit freezes Difficult to delete multiple songs Weak secondary market for add-ons Evan Glueck 9 - Posted by
SanDisk
on September 24, 2008 - 12:38 am Sansa players are quite good. Though there's always space for improvement. I've Sansa e260. I like it because I can store lots of music and my videos
10 - Posted by
klaus
on September 24, 2008 - 12:56 pm Thanks for the USB MSC mode hint to upload files to the microSD card ! I couldn't find my additional 2GB memory. 11 - Posted by
feathermonkey
on October 2, 2008 - 9:28 pm I have a Sansa e260. It is giving me a lot of trouble lately. I bought it refurbished, but I have not had any problems until now... A couple days ago it started not letting me delete certain songs even when I reformat the songs are still there, but they are not when I try to listen to them. I can only access them through my computer. Then, I decided to leave those there and I tried to readd the music that I wanted on my MP3. I spent 30 minutes. When I tried to listen to the music that took forever to sync, my MP3 said there was no music on it. But again I can see it when I look at the device using my computer. Then today I tried to reformat it and readd the songs. Again it seemed to have "ghost" files. Then when I tried to add my music again the screen went black with white vertical lines through it and stayed that way until the battery went dead. I got on to try maybe update the firmware to see if that would help. Apparently my MP3 is in MTP mode, but there is not a "USB" option under settings to change it. Please Help! 12 - Posted by
Tabo
on February 6, 2009 - 8:55 pm I've had my sansa e260 for 2 and a half years it was working fine till 4months ago now it's as usefull as a black fancy brick!
13 - Posted by
Kurtis
on February 6, 2009 - 10:16 pm These days that's honestly probably about as much life as you can expect to get out of most electronics. Things aren't built to last forever anymore. :(
14 - Posted by
Nugget
on March 23, 2009 - 8:15 am I have a Sansa e260 that I have problems with the audio book fast forward (doesn't work) and a few other small problems. When I connect to my computer the updater states that there is a firmware update available that fixes the exact problems I'm having. The problem is that when I download after it says 100% I get a message that says problem download not complete try again later. I have tried again MANY times with the same results! Help! These bugs are driving me nuts and there is a fix but I can't get it!!
15 - Posted by
Eclipse_Kid
on April 5, 2009 - 5:49 pm This unit is awsome. Ive loved it since I got it. But it decided to die the other week, and now it wont turn on unless its plugged into the computer. I tried replacing the battery with a new one but that didnt work. any ideas? help would be nice. cloud_cobra666@hotmail.com please e-amil that address. thank you! i miss listenin to my music at work! 16 - Posted by
Gabe
on August 2, 2009 - 4:48 pm Ever since I've bought the sansa e260 I've had nothing but problem with it. It's stuck in rocovery mode and I've tried everything at the fixya.com and nothing has worked. I think this product is straight garbage, seriously go to fixya.com and see how many people are having problems with it.
17 - Posted by
gautam
on December 6, 2009 - 9:10 am hey bro thanx , i've seeking 4 d same information 4 so long, it really helped me out, Add Comment To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields. |
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