SanDisk Fuze (8 GB) Digital Media Player

When I finally decided to upgrade my MP3 player to something a bit more recent (I had an old 128MB Stick player),  I decided I wanted something that did not have the word IPOD on it.  Nothing against  IPODs,  but I figured why spend more when you can find a quality MP3 player at a lower price.   So after some research,  I decided to go with the SanDisk Fuze 8GB (Black) Media player.

The first thing that impressed me besides the Fuze having 8GB in storage, was the ability to expand the memory of the Fuze by adding an 8GB microSD card for a whopping 16GB of storage space.   Even though the screen is tiny for viewing on the 1.9 inch screen,  I wanted to have space enough for my library of songs (over 500), plus the ability to watch videos that I would like to add in the future.  Another great feature of being able to add another 8GB of storage is for additional features the player has.

The Fuze also has a built in microphone, so if I am in a meeting, I can record notes that I need,  thus saving me the expense of having to go out and purchase a digital recorder.  The sound on the playback of recording live is not bad at all.

The Fuze also comes with an FM radio tuner and the ability to preset 20 different channels.  The instructions said you could record the radio as well,  but that is a feature I have not tried yet.  Though I wish the radio came with AM as well,  because when I listen to the radio I prefer to listen to talk radio instead of music.

Instead of adding a separate storage card,  you also have the ability to purchase a pre-made music card called "SlotRadio", which gives you the ability to add an instant collection of music (between 500-1000 songs) to your player if you don't already have your own personal library to add.  There are different genres to choose from and would make a great gift idea.  I have not purchased any of these 'SlotRadio" cards as my library already provides me with a great enough selection.

The Fuze gets great run time from its battery, which can be recharged from either a docking station or hooking the Fuze up to your PC with the USB cable that comes included.  For the amount of time I listen to it during the day (1-2 hours), I easy go 2-3 weeks before I need to recharge.

Navigation of the menu on the Fuze screen is easy, the dial below turns by simply placing your finger on the dial and spinning it with the softest of motions.  While you are listening to your music,  you operate the volume in the same manner, though you have to be careful about adjusting the volume before you put your earphones on or you might blast your eardrums!

When uploading your songs, you can set up your music into different folders so if you only want to listen to a particular set of music,  you just select that one folder to play your music from.  If you have no preference, you could just select "Play All" from the menu.  The Fuze has a great shuffle feature that randomly plays songs from your collection, without having to hear the same songs in the order you uploaded them.

Of course no good system comes complete without a few cons to write about.  The enclosed ear-buds are not comfortable, so I had to purchase a separate pair of ear-buds.  The playback of music is very good,  but not on the level of say "Bose", so don't expect state of the art sound.

When you have attached the Fuze to your PC (via USB cable included), you can set up your music folders and name them as you please.  However,  what you name your music folders on the PC and what shows on the Fuze display menu are two different things.  For example,  when i first downloaded my music,  I set up folders based on the decades they were produced.  (1960, 1970, etc etc).  When I went to select a folder on the Fuze menu,  the folders did not say 1960, 1970, but rather a mix of letters and numbers like  4jf2ur320.  So in order to find the music I want to listen to,  I have to search through these renamed folders to see what is in them.   The names of the songs aren't changed, just the names of the folders I created for them are.   A minor irritant.

Also, the Fuze comes with a soft cloth pouch to put your player in to protect it while not in use, but not really recommended in case you bang your player into something hard.  I also purchased a hard plastic MP3 protection case to put the Fuze into.  This not only protects the Fuze, but the screen as well.  Last thing you want is a scratched screen if you plan on using the Fuze to watch videos.

All in all,  I really couldn't ask for more at the price I purchased it at and certainly rivals the standard IPOD in my opinion.