Sandisk Sansa E280 Multimedia MP3 Player

The Sandisk Sansa e280 is an 8-gigabyte multimedia MP3 player that used flash media technology and has recently found its way back to my pocket as a good and reliable friend. This recent purchase is actually the second Sansa I've bought, and I'm now happy; the first time I bought one I was so unhappy with my purchase that I returned it to the store. Let me explain.

In December 2006 I bought the Sandisk Sansa e280(R) - the Rhapsody version of the multimedia player. It was specially programmed to work with the music subscription service through www.rhapsody.com. Initially I was very impressed with my purchase and quickly became addicted to the whole MP3 world of music downloads, ripping my CD collection and loading everything into my tiny pocket-sized music machine. I used it around the clock for the first week I owned it. But soon a glitch in the Sansa e280(R) started to show its ugly face. My multimedia player would freeze up or mysteriously shut itself down and not respond to any of my manipulations until it was good and ready to respond. Normally within 30 to 60 minutes it would magically restart or allow me to turn it back on, then it would play just find for me for another day or two.

After doing some research online I discovered this was a common problem among Sandisk Sansa owners and there was no known fix for the problem. So after having my first Sandisk Sansa e280(R) for just about 2 weeks, I returned it to the store for a full refund. I was not a happy customer and I voiced my disapproval of the media player to everyone who asked for my opinion.

Over the next several months I continued to shop for a replacement multimedia player. I knew I did not want an iPod because I didn't like the iTunes interface - so that wasn't an option for me. But I simply couldn't find another multimedia player that I loved as much as the Sansa - if only it worked properly. I did buy a cheapy media player a few months later but was never happy with how it performed.

So last month I finally decided to give the Sansa another try. I found an outstanding deal on the 8GB version of the Sandisk Sansa at www.buy.com for only $112 ... just too good to pass up. And this time around the version was not the special Rhapsody programmed media player. As soon as I received my new Sansa, I loaded it up with songs, videos, podcasts and photos and have been using everyday. So far so good. No freezing up or mysterious shut downs. It is working perfectly and I love it like a best friend!

Here are some of the things I love about the Sandisk Sansa e280.

The 8GB capacity is expandable up to 10GB with the addition of a micro SD card slot.

Because the multimedia player has flash-based memory, transferring files is as simple as drag-and-drop within the My Computer screen.

Not only does the Sansa handle MP3 files, but I can also access MP4 and other movie file formats along with JPEG files that can be viewed as a slideshow on the large, high-resolution screen. There's also an FM radio and voice recorder built in to the player. I can also load text files and use it as an e-Reader for books, reports or other documents.

The ability to "star" individual songs while they are playing to mark your favorite is a slick feature. Once I create an extensive favorites list, I can program the player to play back just my favorites in a custom designed playlist.

The scroll wheel is so slick! That technology lets you scroll through lists of music and media files quickly and easily and it feels so smooth under your thumb.

The body of the Sansa is solid and build to withstand heavy use. The back plate is made of a metal alloy that seems to be scratch resistant. The screen is integrated within the entire faceplate so there are no ridges or frames to worry about chipping or cracking.

Battery life is outstanding. I've been averaging about 15 to 20 hours of playtime per charge although I haven't ever taken the battery all the way down to dead.... I normally charge it when I see the battery light down to ¼ strength.

One thing that I don't like about the Sandisk Sansa e280 are the earbuds. Even though I get great sound from them and they seem to be pretty good quality, I needed to replace them with headphones that would actually stay in my ears. Or maybe I just have oddly-shaped ears, who knows. But overall, this is a minor issue with an otherwise outstanding gem of a machine.

So after my second purchase of the Sandisk Sansa e280, I highly recommend this multimedia player to anyone who is looking for an alternative to Apple's iPod or the bulkier off-brand units that don't offer the array of features the Sansa has.