Why is this music player a better option than an iPod nano?
* The 12gb version consists of an 8GB internal memory Fuze, with a 4GB micro SD card included in the box. As micro SD gets cheaper and larger (as it no doubt will), the micro SD slot means that this player is future proof - not something an iPod is good for, as Apple seem to be more interested in getting you to buy the latest gear rather than making their products last.
* The price - this product is a lot cheaper than an equivalent iPod nano (iPod nano seem to be about 100-150 depending on which size you want)
* Format compatibility - this player features ogg and FLAC support, which is useful if you have lots of music encoded in these formats. FLAC is the gold standard as it is CD quality (lossless), and is open source. Ogg has no patent problems, such as those associated with the MP3 format (see wikipedia for more info), if that bothers you.
I had to update the firmware on my player to get Ogg support, but this is not too difficult: Its on the sansa fuze forum.
* Music transfer is drag and drop - i.e. you are not forced to use iTunes. You can transfer files to this player like a USB memory stick.
* Platform compatibility - Windows, OS X and Linux - including the ability to update the firmware on all these operating systems. Simply drag the firmware update file into the root directory of the player, and it then updates itself when you next switch it on.
From what I gather, SanDisc are good at bringing out new firmware.
"mattbu": I wouldn't be surprised if Sandisk fix the issue with track number limits with a firmware update, as soon as larger cards drop in price/become commonly available.
* FM radio.
Why you might want to consider another player?
* The user interface takes a bit of getting used to and you may be happier with the familiar iPod interface.
* If you have lots of DRMd tracks that you have paid for, you may be stuck with a particular brand of player.
* You absolutely must have gapless playback (although a future firmware release promises to fix this issue)
NB. The connector IS NOT THE SAME as an ipod connector - although this would be nice, don't risk it, as you may damage your Fuze - see Sansa fuze forums. It's a pity, I know, as there are so many iPod 3rd party devices out there.
If they can't use an iPod connector, I think they should have used a standard USB mini connector instead of this proprietary connector.
"joeeccles": Some earlier reviewers have asked whether it includes 12GB internal or 8GB internal+4GB micro SD-Play have now updated the description so it's clear, but before it wasn't obvious, so these people were not asking a stupid question.
Overall, I'm giving it 5 stars, as the disadvantages don't affect me at all.