Newbie looks for very basic player with specific features...

[Packman (Dave)]

Trying to find a player that fits my needs, desires, and budget. Think I have decided on this one, but it seems to be not only off-brand but really off-off-off-brand. The manu is Topguide. Has anyone ever heard of that one? Am going to try posting the link to my (so-far) choice of players. Here goes...

http://www.************/ProductDetail...DA18%2DSlv%2D4

Hey! It looks like it came through. Cool. Hope that website is okay...

So anyway, it supposedly has 4GB, shuffle capability as well as playlists, and a clip to hold it on. And its really really cheap. Oh, and it works with Windows Media Player. Would anyone care to comment on this device, manufacturer or retailer? It honestly sounds too good to be true, at least to me. It's obviously an ipod shuffle clone, but seems to support a wider variety of file formats, which I *think* I am likely to need, as I want to put some of my CD's on it, and they are currently on the desktop system under Windows Media Player. (What format would that be, anyway?)

Enough for now. I could babble all day, but this is a good start.

Looking forward to feedback and input. I tried searching the forums but couldn't find anything like this out there, so... New Topic. Apologies if this is out of place.

Thanks,

Backpacker Dave

[jjrosaria]

Wow it looks exactly like the ipod shuffle, even the box.. IMO you will be better off with the sandisk sansa clip.. its pretty cheap.. and it has great SQ

[JK98]

Spend a bit more and get a Sandisk Sansa Clip. The Clip has a display, FM radio, a voice recorder, and great sound quality. The Clip is a favorite player here.That player you listed doesn't have a display, and might not have good sound quality. Some off brand clone players also break very easily. Why take chances and probably be disappointed when you can probably buy a 4 gig Clip for under $50.

[WalkGood]

3rd vote for the Clip

[Packman (Dave)]

But will it shuffle the songs as well as let you build playlists? I would imagine this would be a standard feature, but I don't hear much about it when reading descriptions.

And what kind of software would I need to load music onto it? Could I play the files I currently have in Windows Media Player format on it?

Many thanks. Appreciate the encouragement.

Dave

[jjrosaria]

I think you can build playlists and shuffle songs but Im not too sure

[FreeZ5]

The standard mode for my Clip (which, btw, I love) is Shuffle.

Yes, you can build playlists (and shuffle them). I use Winamp without problem, but others have had problems.

You can use WiMP to load the player, in fact it's what Sandisk recommends (cringe). Personally I use drag & drop. I think (hopefully somebody will confirm or deny) that .wmp files are fine.

If you do buy a Clip, change it to MSC USB mode, and upate the firmware. It will solve some potential issues.

Steve

[The DarkSide]

Go Sansa clip - FTW!!!

[Packman (Dave)]

and then saw the e602 for only about $10.00 or $20.00 more. Which led to the Fuze, that wasn't a lot more than the e602 but looked even more attractive. Finally decided I was willing to pay for an 8GB Fuze (black) since it was only about $80.00. Now I'm tying to decide what kind of case to put it in, and whether I want a belt clip or armband. Damn. This could get to be addictive.

From what I read in other threads the Fuze is apparently thought highly of. So what can you guys (and gals) tell me about the 8GB Fuze that Amazon doesn't? It sounds great, but there have to be negatives, right? Is there anything I need to know before taking the plunge? And can I really drag and drop WMP files onto the Fuze once it is hooked up to the USB port?

Thanks for any further help...

Dave

[JK98]

I have both the Clip and the Fuze. The Clip is great for the tiny size, light weight, and of course the built in clip. The Fuze is great for the micro SDHC card slot, and 50% longer run time than the clip. The Fuze weighs more than twice as much as the clip, and doesn't have a built in clip. While the Fuze does play video, it is at a low frame rate, and many have had issues using video on the Fuze. My advice is to just ignore the video on the Fuze. The Fuze has 6 titles displayed when searching lists, while the clip has just 3. The Fuze has a scroll wheel, while the clip has just buttons for navigation. Hunting for individual songs is much easier on the Fuze than the Clip. The Clip is better if you want a light player to clip to your shirt, and plan to let albums or playlists play through most of the time, rather than hunting for individual songs. I bought the Fuze first, then later bought the Clip. Many here own a Clip and a Fuze, or a Clip and a Cowon D2.

The major downside to both the Clip and the Fuze is that browsing is just by ID3 tags, and you might need to do plenty of tag editing on your mp3 files to get them to all sort properly on the player. There are some players such as the Cowon D2, and newer players by Sony(and some Samsung models) that allow navigation by a choice of folders or tags.

[Packman (Dave)]

Fantastic. I might use the video if it works well, but my main desire is for the capacity and functionality the Fuze seems to offer. Question: how do you carry your Fuze? Amazon has a silicon cover with belt clip and armband, but that's about all I can find for making it easily transportable. There is also a hard, clear plastic over that snaps over the case, which *might* enable me to put it in my hip pocket without repercusions. Don't know if that would be my first choice though.

Thanks again,

Dave

[JK98]

I put the Fuze in my shirt pocket. I don't have a case or skin for it. The problem with putting it in a pants pocket is that it may be subject to plenty of stress. Imo a jacket or shirt pocket would be better.

If you want more expandability, much better video, and much longer battery life than the Fuze, then buy the Cowon D2. The D2 has battery life listed as 52 hours for audio. It has a full sized SDHC card slot, a 2.5" display. It also navitagates by a choice of folders or tags. It is around the size of the Fuze in 2 dimensions, but twice as thick and 50% heavier than the Fuze. The D2 is also a favorite here. I almost bought a D2, but bought the Fuze instead. The thing that annoys me most about the Fuze and Clip is navigation by tags.