Review of the SanDisk Sansa E270

Let's face it: we live in an iPod world. And while the iPod has deservedly become the number one digital audio player in the market, not everyone wants to march to the same beat.

The problem, however, is that the alternatives to the iPod have thus far been mostly lackluster. What's so great about the iPod is how well it works with iTunes, the music management software that not only stores your music but also is the frontend where you can purchase music. The iPod + iTunes experience is basically flawless, and that is tough to market against.

Pretenders to the throne have come out firing for years, including features that Apple was either slow to adopt or has yet to do so: color screen, FM tuner, expanded memory slot, wi-fi , and more. There have been some nice alternatives (Creative has released some nic e devices, such as the Zen Vision:M), but the experience with the desktop software has not been stellar. Until Microsoft released Windows Media Player 10 and the MTP protocol, iPod competitors had a mess of different options for music management and syncing. Microsoft actually did the right thing with MTP, and the devices that support them (sporting the "Plays For Sure" logo) were a step in the right direction.

One device that makes leap forward in terms of design and use is the SanDisk Sansa e200 series. For the purposes of this review, the e270 model (6GB) is used, but there is already an e280 (8GB) model released, and there is also a model series ending with the letter "R" for tight integration with Rhapsody, another music management package. The e200 series is a competitor to the iPod Nano.

The Sansa e200 series features a slick black design with an aluminum backing. After a few months of use, there are no scratches visible on the polished black front- a far-cry from the same heavy usage with an iPod Video. The Sansa is thin- not as thin as the Nano, but close. Considering that the Sansa contains a user-replaceable battery, FM tuner, and has a MicroSD slot, the barely noticeable tradeoff in size is worth it.

On the front is a scroll wheel, raised up from the surface of the place several millimeters. The scroll wheel has ridges on it, so the thumb never slides off of it, giving precise control. It also lights up a cool blue when navigating the Sansa. In the middle of the scroll wheel is a button for selecting items. Above, below, and on each side of the scroll wheel are buttons. To the left and right are the standard rewind/fast-forward buttons, and above is the Play/Pause button. Below is the menu button, which allows you to select several options, such as turning on Shuffle and the EQ, returning to the music list, and more. While in the menu mode, the Play and menu buttons can move you up and down the menu list (or you can use the scroll wheel for this). The rewind and fast-forward buttons will move you up and down through the hierarchal menus. Being next to the raised scroll wheel, coupled with the fact that they are rather narrow, makes pressing the buttons a little difficult at first. However, after a little practice, this becomes a non-issue. Rounding out the buttons are one for power in the lower left-hand corner of the player, one for recording voice notes on the left side of the Sansa, and a Hold switch on top.

In the audio department, the Sansa does well to above-average. The volume is quite loud on its highest setting. You'll want to throw away the bundled ear buds; they're not any good. The Sansa supports WMA, MP3, and WAV formats. You can record audio from the built-in FM tuner, and the quality is adequate.

One unique advantage of the Sansa is, aside from the 6GB of storage built-in, there is a slot to add additional memory. Currently, there are MicroSD cards up to 2GB in size, but the rapid pace of technology will double that in no time, as well as drop the price. This gives the Sansa the edge and is a feature more companies should copy.

Syncing with Windows Media Player 10 was flawless. Install the necessary drivers from the included CD-Rom, turn on the Sansa, and hook it up to your PC. Windows Media Player will detect the Sansa and walk you through what music you want synced. Something to keep in mind: the Sansa has an option to change the USB connectivity from MTP to MSC. As MSC, it will allow your PC to see your Sansa (and the MicroSD slot) as two extra drives, so songs can manually be dragged and dropped there. For Windows Media Player to sync with the Sansa, this setting needs to be set to MTP. By default out of the box, the Sansa is MSC.

Battery life is excellent on the Sansa. A week or more of moderate use could pass before I even notice the battery gauge has gone down. Also, the Sansa's battery can be replaced easily, unlike the iPod's.

The Sansa can display pictures and play video. There are utilities on the CD-Rom that will convert video files for use on the Sansa. On such a small screen, this capability is a nice bonus but not a selling point for the device. There were some issues with fast-forwarding through videos but these have been addressed in firmware upgrades from SanDisk.

Price is another area where the Sansa excels. For around $199, you get an 8GB player with expandable memory, FM tuner, and video capabilities. The iPod Nano (8GB) is $50 more and has less features. The Sansa could use a couple of improvements. There is no Audible support. The scroll wheel does not allow you to fast-forward or rewind through tracks- a curious oversight. If syncing with the new Windows Media Player 11, album art does not display on the Sansa. And while SanDisk deserves kudos for firmware updates, they deserve jeers for the perplexing decision not to include a change log with their firmware releases, leaving users only to guess what has been fixed and/or updated.

So, if you want a digital audio player, but don't want to follow the rest of the pack, the SanDisk Sansa e200 series is one of your best bets. Small and sleek, the Sansa's features and price outweigh the iPod Nano. With expandable memory, FM tuner, and video capabilities, this little beauty can do it all. Finally, a worthy competitor to the iPod.

Rating: A