After that experience I was doing research before buying the Sansa Clip I had trouble finding the information that is specific to audio book listening audience. I was grateful to the reviewers who answered my comment questions regarding remembering the previous location while listening to audio books.
I LIKED:
1) Sansa clip has the most important feature for audio book listening audience. It remembers where you left when you last listened to the MP3 player. But there is more! Sansa clip a mode specifically designed for audio books. In this mode the display shows the chapter and specific tracks you are on, so it is easy to navigate or repeat portions as needed. It also has a special mode "Chapter on" which allows you to skip from chapter to chapter (rather than track to track) when you press the forward/back navigation control. Chapter mode is off by default.
2) Sansa is sized 1 1/4"W x 2"H x 5/8"D. The screen is 1"W x 1/4"H. Despite the small screen the font is bold
and crisp (see attached photo of the screen display) and I can read it even with my presbyopic eyes without the glasses. This was a nice surprise since I could not do it with the previous two MP3 players I owned.
3) The navigation controls are extremely well designed, they are intuitive and easy to use. In combination with the easy to read screen this MP3 player is a pleasure to use. Much better than the iIriver and Visual Land, the two previous MP3 players I have had.
4) The volume control is on the side, and it is very easy to control the volume without looking at the MP3 while you walk. I like the control on the side better than the control integrated into the joystick as was the case with my other units.
5) Quick start Guide that comes in the package is of very limited use, however the full manual available on the Sandisk web site very good. I recommend saving a copy of the manual on your local hard disk. This is based on experience with my first MP3 player, which I had for years and when I needed a manual years down the road to sole a problem I could no longer find it on the manufacturer's web site.
I DID NOT LIKE:
1) USB cable that came with the unit is 7 inches long (including plugs on both ends). It did not work conveniently on my work space, and I had to use a regular length USB cable purchased separately.
2) Sansa stops after each chapter. I have to manually jump to the next chapter to continue. This happens both with chapter mode on and off. Screen navigation is easy, but I would have preferred no stops. Not a show stopper... but if someone knows how to change this options, please post a comment with a solution. I would appreciate it!
3) The blister pack was very hard to open, I had to make 4 cuts to get all the pieces out. I don't recall anything that has been that hard to open in several years. Be careful, it is easy to cut yourself!
4) This MP3 player has built-in rechargeable battery and it is not replaceable. To battery is recharged by plugging in MP3 player into the USB port. This means you have to plan ahead and recharge the player when not in use. I prefer the players that have removable batteries for convenience and longevity.
I also want to share one, somewhat embarrassing, tip based on my experience. When I got the player, I could not figure out how to get past the first screen - an animation showing the earphones and the word Music. Turns out it has a very tightly affixed plastic cover over the screen, and the animation was really the changing screen lightening portions of the sticker from below.
Newer Model
In September of 2011, when I was considering buying this Clip+ MP3 player, the next version of this MP3 player (called Sansa Clip Zip) just became available. After reading its manual on-line I was concerned about the lack of references to audio books and decided to purchase the older version of the product. At the time I made the purchase Clip Zip had no reviews, and now there are reviews that mentions a problem with audio book support. As of December 1, 2011 these issues with support of audio books on Sansa Clip Zip has been resolved. If you get an older version, you might need to get a firm ware update from Sansa web site.
Technical Issues
I ran into several technical issues. Forums are full of users experiencing similar issues so I wanted to post my solutions here.
1) There are a number of known issues with the firmware shipping with Clip, most notably freezing of the unit on one of the screens. I was able to unfreeze it by doing a reset (holding down the down button for 20 seconds).
The recommended solution to the freezing problem is to upgrade firmware. However, the firmware upgrade application reported that it could not detect a Clip device attached to my system (it was). Turned out what it was missing is Windows Media Player version 10 or higher.
2) I lost 1.6 gigs out of 4 gig Clip in the fist month of use. I was able to reclaim lost space by reformatting the Clip. This can be accomplished by doing format from the device MENU / SETTINGS / FORMAT. I read the forums and noted that some people tried formatting using Windows and ran into issues.
Finding all the solutions to all problems took many hours. I have never received any response from support. Some people in forums reported waiting for many weeks. Forums, FAQs and perseverance were helpful in finding the solutions. I originally rated this product on Amazon as 5 star but I down graded the rating to 4 stars after technical issues and lack of response from support.
Since firmware upgrade I had no issues with the MP3 player and I would recommend it.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
Ali Julia review ★★★★☆
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