Clip Zip incompatibility with some microSD card makes: why?

[Mikerman]

In the release notes to the Clip Zip version 17 firmware, SanDisk notes that "Some brands and types of microSD cards are not recognized by device." Not good for consumers, potentially having to return/exchange cards that don't work with the player, on a case-by-case basis (unless you only buy SanDisk cards, presumably?).

Perhaps some of you tech gurus out there would know: why would this be the case? I thought that the SD/microSD standard was, well, a standard. And even more curious, the incompatibility does not seem to be card "quality"-based--one user reports issues with a PNY card in the Clip Zip. (My thought is/was that PNY is a good, standard brand.) Adding to the curiosity, the user reports that the same card works fine in his Fuze and Clip+.

Is this a hardware or firmware issue, and can it be fixed?

Just color me curious.

[CrowdAds]

[FreeZ5]

Originally Posted by Mikerman

Is this a hardware or firmware issue, and can it be fixed?

Given that it is listed as a bug in a firmware release, Sandisk seems to think that it is a firmware problem not a hardware problem.

Steve

[Andy Stanton]

Hopefully SanDisk is working on the compatibility problem. Meanwhile the obvious safe thing to do is to buy a SanDisk micro SD card.

[skip252]

Originally Posted by Andy Stanton

Hopefully SanDisk is working on the compatibility problem. Meanwhile the obvious safe thing to do is to buy a SanDisk micro SD card.

The safe thing to do is let the thing sit on the shelf until they remember how to create a firmware that allows any standard card to work properly. Too many took it as a given that as obviously broken as the Fuze+ was it be fixed in firmware. They're still waiting.

Sandisk has been able to make their devices compatible with everything from the E2xx series until now. Difficult to believe they can't do it anymore. They can keep it until they do.

[musichound]

The irony here is Sandisk manufactirers microSD cards. How in the world could they miss this?

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by musichound

... How in the world could they miss this?

This is because they probably don’t code the firmware themselves but rather farm it out to (subcontract) companies that specialize in coding firmware. On the other hand, one would like to think it wasn’t on purpose

*before anyone comments, that second sentence is mere sarcasm*

[FreeZ5]

Originally Posted by musichound

The irony here is Sandisk manufactirers microSD cards. How in the world could they miss this?

Maybe the player works just fine with the cards that they manufacture. Perhaps other manufacturers take short cuts that Sandisk doesn't, and those are the ones that are havin trouble.

EDIT: Isn't it nice that Sandisk appears to want to fix this problem. They could just say, "the only cards that we have tested are Sandisk cards. We don't care if other brands work." Imagine Apple's response. "We only allow Apple manufactured cards to be used in our players." Of course, that is probably why there are no card slots in iPods. Apple doesn't make cards.

Steve

[skip252]

Then why would those cards work in other devices, including other Sansas? I use cards from just about every maker on the market and they work reliably everywhere else. If they have a problem in a particular device the issue would seem to be that device, not the card.

[FreeZ5]

Originally Posted by skip252

If they have a problem in a particular device the issue would seem to be that device, not the card.

And Sandisk appears to have accepted that it is a problem, and is presumably working on fixing it. What else can a company do? Presumably they tested samples of the Zip with a variety of cards. Hopefully their next player will be tested with a larger variety.

Steve

[Marvin the Martian]

The only microsd I have is a SanDisk one, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over this issue....lol.

[musichound]

It could also be Sansa rushed the Zip out without thoroughly testing compatibility. In my opinion, this is not acceptable, especially when some stores charge a restocking fee for returned products. Being they are compatible in other Sansa players they should be compatible with this one.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by musichound

It could also be Sansa rushed the Zip out without thoroughly testing compatibility. In my opinion, this is not acceptable, especially when some stores charge a restocking fee for returned products. Being they are compatible in other Sansa players they should be compatible with this one.

This could very well be the case. For the last several years there was always the Apple "event" in the first week of September where the newest iPods would be announced, and perhaps they were rushing to get the new player into the stores before that.

Of course, they had no way of knowing that Apple's event would be coming out a month later than in the past.