Clip Zip vs Clip+ screen readability?

[JK98]

Which is easier to read? Is the difference significant?

[Marvin the Martian]

Have you looked through this thread? http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...ad.php?t=64913
There are pictures in several posts in the thread.

[JK98]

Thanks for the response. The lack of an elapsed time display and lack of an indication of track number and number of tracks is so annoying. What does the display look like when playing podcasts?

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by JK98

Thanks for the response. The lack of an elapsed time display and lack of an indication of track number and number of tracks is so annoying. What does the display look like when playing podcasts?

There is an elapsed time/time remaining bar here, unlike in the music playback screen. The podcast I currently have on there, the album art does not display (the art's filesize must be too large, I mention that in the other thread).

Any file where the album art does not display, the player has some default patterned backgrounds it will display in their place, unlike having a big question mark, or musical note, etc. Being half asleep, I can't manage a picture of it right now.....the scrolling podcast title is making it difficult to try and focus, especially with the flash being disabled.

[JK98]

Originally Posted by Marvin the Martian

There is an elapsed time/time remaining bar here, unlike in the music playback screen.

A bar, or a numerical display for each?

I hate these progress bars. I want to see numbers! I have a very old digital AM/FM portable radio that has an lcd display which looks like an analog display. This is so silly! I want a numerical display!

It seems like with mp3 players when they add something good, they also usually take away something that is desirable.

[Mikerman]

You'll be happy: a progress bar plus, below it at the left, the elapsed time and below it at the right, the remaining time.

Apart from the aesthetics (the space is small), there is no reason why a similar (informative) setup could not be done on the what's playing screen for music (along with the current track no./total tracks no. info.), in a firmware upgrade. If of interest, why not let SanDisk know at its Clip Zip forum--it listens.

http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Clip-Zip/bd-p/ClipZip

[WalkGood]

Mikerman did you get yours already?

[Mikerman]

Originally Posted by WalkGood

Mikerman did you get yours already?

Yep.

I think it's yet another cute, sweet Clip player. I'm not really a mandatory album art kinda guy--it's fine, but I don't have to have it. But I must say, it kind of grows on you and is sweet, as an extra.

In the end, I really see the Clip Zip as a further evolution of the line. Apart from the aethetics of the player, it's the Clip+, including its sound, with a small color screen with album art, and DRM-free aac format compatibility. As such, its greatest new audience (and where SanDisk could make a bundle) may be the iTunes people, who want more than what the Apple players offer.

Oh, and I can't overlook the time-of-day indication on the Clip Zip (which I like having); a timer (with lap timer); an even sturdier clip; a somewhat (to my ears) improved EQ (although it still can be a bit harsh in some of the presets--I still prefer "Normal" mode); fast alphabet scrolling in lists; (minimal) menu customizability; and an improved (flush) microSD card fit.

A review: http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Clip-Zi...ew/td-p/242280

And a whole catalog of them, from professionals and users: http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Clip-Zi...ws/td-p/242614

[Mikerman]

Originally Posted by JK98

Which is easier to read? Is the difference significant?

I did comparisons indoors and out-of-doors and for me, I find that the Clip Zip has a slight edge. Basically, the Clip+ has that neon blue type that makes is easy to read (relatively speaking), as versus the white type that the Clip Zip uses. Ah, but then, the Clip Zip's font size often is larger than that of the Clip+, enhancing the readability on the Clip Zip and, in my mind, giving it a slight edge.

Some others may feel differently--at least one person has found the Clip+'s screen to be a bit easier to read outside, than the Clip Zip's (my opinion is otherwise--the Clip Zip with the edge or, at least, in the same neighborhood).

[JK98]

thanks. Did you make the comparison with both having the backlight at minimum?

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by JK98

thanks. Did you make the comparison with both having the backlight at minimum?

I always leave mine set to minimum when I plan to use it mostly indoors, but if you wanted to read it outdoors, I think you'd have to turn the brightness up some.

[Mikerman]

Originally Posted by JK98

thanks. Did you make the comparison with both having the backlight at minimum?

Very good question--I hadn't thought of that; my bad and apologies--of course you're right. I just checked and my Clip+'s brightness had been set at about 40%, the Clip Zip at what I think is its default brightness, 70%.

I just experimented correctly with each of the Clips set at minimal brightness and then at around 70%, and found pretty much what I had found before: the Clip+'s blue type is a bit easier to see, seemingly due to its intense, neon-like brightness, as opposed to the Clip Zip's white type, which also can seem a bit fuzzy. But the Clip Zip uses a larger typeface than the Clip+ for the song playing info. (as opposed to the up-top status line). And so, in the end, I find the Clip Zip a bit easier to read, as a general matter, taking both factors--brightness and type size--into account. Note that the particular underlying album art on the Clip Zip will affect this. Also, your own eyesight may as well, depending on whether you benefit more from brightness (which, of course, can be adjusted on the players--at the expense of power consumption) or type size.

I found this to be the case indoors as well as outdoors in the shade. In the full sun and in the full sun with my hand cupped over the players, I found them both more difficult to read (in the full sun, forget it or close to it), as you might imagine, with the Clip Zip being more washed out than the Clip+--it's that bright blue neon of the Clip+'s screen that helps the Clip+ there, again.

Hope this helps, and sorry for my original settings inconsistency.

[Carson Dyle]

Personally, I won't seriously consider a Clip Zip until Rockbox has been ported to it. The larger screen of the Zip is going to give Rockbox skins a lot more to work with, and enable the use of larger fonts, for instance. If we're talking about text readability, that alone has to give an edge to the Zip. Or smaller fonts, which would allow more lines to be displayed and increase usability.

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by Carson Dyle

Personally, I won't seriously consider a Clip Zip until Rockbox has been ported to it.

Same here, though I'm not convinced the low-quality 96x96 pixel display is going to give the Clip Zip that much more to work with...Its screen may have more horizontal lines than the Clip/Clip+'s, but it also has less vertical ones.

[rEUD0yNGneUGi9n]

clip/clip+ screen size is 128px × 66px, so screen real estate is pretty much the same but different shape.

[dgb52]

Just got my Zip today and i have to say i prefer the clip/clip+ style screen so far


I guess there is no way of changing the wall paper at all

[Carson Dyle]

Originally Posted by dgb52

Just got my Zip today and i have to say i prefer the clip/clip+ style screen so far

Please elaborate. Why?

[dgb52]

Originally Posted by Carson Dyle

Please elaborate. Why?

One thing is noticed is that the clip+ lettering seems to be sharper than the zip

[ralph8]

I believe the Clip+ has an OLED screen, and the Clip Zip has an LCD.

I had a Clip+ for a while and it was great even in direct sun, the contrast was great, and the viewing angle didn't matter. I'm worried that an LCD screen would be inferior for all of that.