Review: Sansa SanDisk E100 MP3 Player

The SanDisk Sansa e100 MP3 player comes with 1 GB of memory with the capacity to add 2 GB more. It offers a screen and several functions that make creating playlists and sorting songs convenient and efficient. The MP3 player also comes with a protective case and earbuds. This MP3 player retails from $90-$120.

I sent the Sears gift cards that I had accumulated to my brother several states away so that he could buy me an MP3 player. This was for two reasons: One, there were no Sears stores that carried MP3 players within a three hour drive of where I live, and two, my brother had an MP3 player and had already done some homework on which ones were the best. It seemed like the perfect solution, and a month later I had my new Sandisk e100 Sansa MP3 player.

I immediately fell in love with my player. What I liked best were the earbuds that came with it. They came with three different sizes of rubber padding that could be put on the earpiece for different sized ears. The sound quality was very good, and the earbuds blocked out the noise in the cabinet shop where I work. What I also liked about the player were the choices available to me in the menu. It was set up like Windows Media Player, and I could choose to listen to music by Artist, Genre, Album, Year, or Star Rating and that brought plenty of variety. One of the five buttons on the front made the repeat function readily available, and another button made it easy to add certain songs to my favorites list as I went along, without interfacing with my computer.

However, I do not have my MP3 player anymore. First, the earbuds shorted out within four months of use, which was unfortunate, since they were what I initially liked best about the product. Then, the player itself broke. I kept my MP3 player in my pocket and one day as I was leaning against a table, the screen broke. The music still worked, but I could not read the screen, so I contacted Customer Service, who sent me a FedEx label so I could send the product back for free. They sent me a brand new unit, complete with new earbuds, and I enjoyed it even more. But within four months of having my new Sandisk, the earbuds shorted out (again), which made me revert back to my old earphones. Then, six months after receiving my new player, as I was outside, I slipped on the ice against a car. My pocket hit the car, and broke not only the screen, but an internal part, rendering it useless. Again I contacted Customer Service, who looked at pictures of my MP3 player and said that they would not be replacing it.

In conclusion, it was nice while it lasted. However, they don't make them very sturdy and so do not last long. I bought a new one on Ebay for $15, and have had no problems yet.