I love my iPod. It’s 40 GBs of shiny black gadget love. It supports my entire 4 K collection of music, videos, all my episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, and a big chunk of my digital photos.
I must confess though, I have a bit of buyers regret after looking at the new SanDisk SansaConnect.
The flash based Connect is a collaborative effort between SanDisk and Yahoo. While weighing in at only 4 GB at a price comparable to what I paid for a 40 GB iPod, the Connect has Wi-Fi. No, you can’t check your email on it–although it can do nearly everything else including:
* Stream LAUNCHcast Internet Radio
* Download individual tracks or complete albums on the fly from Yahoo Music Unlimited
* View Yahoo Instant Messenger Contacts
* See what friends are listening to in real time
* Send recommendations and share tracks between Yahoo Music Unlimited subscribers
* Browse Flickr photo sets
LAUNCHcast, Flickr and Instant Messenger services are free. Yahoo Music Unlimited requires additional subscription fees.
With all the great features, the Connect is still not without it’s limitations. It currently offers no video support, cannot communicate wirelessly with your PC, and may have issues on a few private networks.
Yet, with it’s sleek design, easy one button navigation, and ability to expand the existing on board memory (approximately 1,000 songs) with an SD Memory card, SanDisk has a solid contender in the MP3 player war.
CNET’s editorial team rated the device an 8.0 out of 10, remarking, “The Sansa Connect is a nicely designed player with desirable features and advanced wireless technology, making it a great choice for early adopters and Yahoo Music Unlimited subscribers. With a bit of tweaking to the integrated Wi-Fi, this device could become a “must-have” music player for users who want fresh content all the time.”
The Connect is currently available to the tune of $250.