SanDisk Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with MicroSD Expansion Slot (Black | 
 enlarge | Brand: SanDisk
Category: CE
List Price: $249.99
Buy New: $61.99
You Save: $188.00 (75%)
New (13) Used (8) Refurbished (5) from $37.99
Rating:  704 reviews
Sales Rank: 144
Format: Cd
Platform: Windows
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows
Hard Drive Size: 4
Clothing Size: 4 GB
Size: 4 GB
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 3.5 x 1.7 x 0.5
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: SDMX4-4096-A70
Model: SDMX4-4096-A70
UPC: 619659026363
EAN: 0619659026363
ASIN: B000ETVKHE
Release Date: April 15, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Sleek, ultra-thin digital audio/image/video player with 4 GB of flash memory | | • | Compatible with MP3, WMA, and WMA-DRM10 music files (PlaysForSure) | | • | FM tuner with record capability and voice recorder; bright 1.8-inch color TFT LCD | | • | Convert most popular video formats (MPEG-4, WMV, DivX) to play on device | | • | User-replaceable rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to 20 hours of life |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Sansa e260 MP3 players are the created by the leaders in flash memory and provides everything you need for music, photo, and video clip playback. The very attractive, sleek design includes a 1.8 TFT color screen with advanced navigational features and an easy to use interface. You can also avoid scratches and cracks with the durable Liquidmetal backing. The Sansa e260 provides superior sound playback and supports Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music. The SanDisk Media Converter supports most image formats to enjoy photos and small personal videos. The Sansa e260 provides a microSD card slot for content portability. Up to 20 hours of battery life (based on continuous, standard playback of 128Kb MP3 files) microSD Expansion Slot - for additional Storage space Digital FM Tuner - with on-the-fly FM recording Voice Recording Minimum System Requirements - Windows XP Windows Media Player 10+ Intel Pentium class PC or higher CD-ROM Drive USB 2.0 Port 1 Year Manufacturer's Warranty
Amazon.com Product Description
You can take it with you. Keep your media in your pocket with the SanDisk Sansa e260 flash memory digital audio/video player with 4 GB of storage. This sleek, light device enables you to enjoy music, video, and photo slideshows on-the-go. Features include MP3 and WMA playback, Microsoft PlaysForSure support, FM tuner (with recording ability), voice recorder, and a bright 1.8" TFT color screen.  | Sansa e200 series players mix great design and durability with an excellent user interface.
View the e200 Series Demo. |  | 
Choose a Sansa e200-series player with the capacity that's right for you. | Form is Function
The Sansa e260 has a sleek, thin design with a large 1.8" TFT color screen for easy viewing. The strong alloy metal casing means the device is durable and scratch resistant. On the front, easy to use, backlit controls let you access what you want quickly and intuitively. The player also includes a microSD slot for expanding your memory capacity, and supports SanDisk TrustedFlash and gruvi content cards, which can be shared with mobile phones. The user-replaceable lithium-ion battery provides up to 20 hours of enjoyment. MP3 Player
The Sansa e260 will play MP3, WMA, and secure WMA formats. Other formats can be converted using the Sansa Media Converter (included). The e260 also uses PlaysForSure technology. Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you want to make sure the digital music and video you purchase will play back on it every time. Match the PlaysForSure logo on a large selection of leading devices and online music stores. If you see the logo, you'll know your digital music will play for sure. Choose from a large number of digital music and video stores, including MTV's Urge, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, Napster, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, and many more. Video Player
View your favorite video clips anywhere, anytime. Use the included SanDisk Media Converter software to convert most popular video formats (such as MPEG-4, WMV, or DivX) into the MJPEG format playable on the e260. Photo Viewer
Share slideshows of your favorite photos with your friends. SanDisk Media Converter also supports most image formats, allowing you to convert and downsize your images for display on the e260. On-Board FM Radio
The e260 includes a digital FM tuner for listening to your favorite radio stations. Keep those favorites readily available by adding them to your presets. You can also record live radio on-the-fly for future listening. Voice Recording
Have a thought you need to get down before it evades you? Use the built-in microphone to record voice memos. Capture interviews, classes, short notes to yourself, or anything else you might feel inspired to record. Choose the Capacity for Your Needs
The Sansa e200 series is available in capacities of 2, 4, 6, or 8 GB. Each model contains a the microSD expansion slot, meaning you won't be limited to internal memory capacity. What's in the Box
Sansa e260 digital audio player, travel pouch and lanyard, stereo headphones, lithium ion rechargeable battery, USB cable, and quick start guide.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 A Solid alternative to Ipod Nano April 22, 2006
gadget lover (NY)
500 out of 511 found this review helpful
This player is really well thought out. I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about an Ipod nano. The included software is complete and works flawlessly. Best of all, it will play WMA music files, has an included FM radio, has an expansion slot, and plays home videos. Here's what I've learned so far:
1. MUSIC- You can drag and drop from windows explorer or you can use Windows Media Player 10. Your choice. Either way works great. Note: The installation CD does not include WMP 10 but no big deal.
2. PHOTOS- The included media app on the install CD is a wonder to behold. It couldn't be easier to use and is rock solid stable. Photos shot horizontally are cropped (like widescreen) but photos that are vertical are shown full screen. I am going to experiment on this but haven't had time just yet since I just bought the Sansa.
3. VIDEO- Probably the best feature. The same media app that you use for photos also doubles for videos. Again, unlike some other players that have problems with converting video, this is heaven sent. Just pick out a video and press convert. It converts and then transfers in one step. It works perfectly.
Unlike past Sansa's you have to spend extra for a decent carrying case. Still, if you like felt pouches and lanyards (I Don't), they come included. One minor drawback is that you can only charge using the USB attached to the computer. An AC adapter would have been nice.
One final note. I tried to convert 2 DVD movies that were already on my hard drive. They were in the 550-700mb range. Each time, the video utility started to convert them no problem. However, in each case the utility timed out after 13 minutes 39 seconds. It cancelled the whole thing so not to worry about having 1/2 a movie on your sansa. I am going to fool around with this and see if I can shrink the file size of those 2 movies to around 200-300mb and try again. If I can work around this and am sucessful I'll let you know. Even though trying to watch a feature length movie on a 1.8 inch screen might be a bit much, the screen itself is really crystal clear (better than nano) and TFT not STN. I would highly recommend this player to anyone. Finally, a company that got everything right and it all comes right out of the box.
Cheaper (and better) option to the Nano November 27, 2006
Shini (Los Angeles, CA)
104 out of 106 found this review helpful
I've owned a 3rd generation iPod for quite a few years now and decided it was time to upgrade to something newer. The iPod Nano was one of my top choices, but then I found this item and decided to give it a try. It offered much more features (FM radio, voice recording, video, photos) for a lower price. The negative reviews and stories of it breaking soon after purchase made me wary, but I hoped they were just rare occurrences and got one anyways.
1)Music
One of the great features of the Sansa is that it allows you to drag and drop music files right into the drive in MSC mode and it'll find and play it after a restart. No need for iTunes or any other complicated jukebox program. If you would rather use a music program, it can be set to sync with a Windows Media Player library in MTP mode. I did notice that the only way to put user made playlists on the Sansa is to use Media Player and select a pre-made playlist in the sync options.
When browsing through music, the typical options of searching through albums, artists, genre, or songs are available. One problem I found was that browsing through songs in a playlist slightly lags compared to browsing through other options. I like organizing my music in playlists so this bothered me.
While listening, the repeat, shuffle, and equalizer options are only a few clicks away. One problem, however, is that you can't scroll to any place in the song. The available options are pause, skip, fast forward, and rewind. Similarly to the iPod, the scroll wheel becomes the volume control. The difference is that the Sansa resets the volume to 50 every time you turn off the player. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be like that, but hopefully it'll be fixed in a future firmware update.
As for music quality, I was quite impressed with the sound. My music sounded as good if not better than my 3G iPod. For the record, all of my music is in mp3 format of 192 to 320kbps. The included earbuds are okay, I'm not a big fan of earbuds.
2)Radio
The FM radio is a nice feature to have when you're tired with your music and want to hear something fresh. Reception from the Sansa isn't the best, but some stations still sound good if they have a strong signal. The player allows you to create your own presets or it can browse and make some for you. The ability to record radio is a nice addition for those times you want to remember a song you don't know the name to.
3)Video
Watching video on a 1.8" screen might seem pointless, but I very surprised by the quality of video the Sansa produced. I first tried converting a seven minute, DivX encoded music video using the Sansa Media Converter, but the program crashed when loading the file. To remedy this, I first converted the file to MOV using a free encoder then used the Sansa program on the MOV file. The result was a 416x304 DivX file (131mb) to a 160x208 QuickTime movie (118mb). The final file is quite large considering it's about half in resolution and frames per second (29.97 to 15fps) as the original. Nonetheless, the video looked and sounded perfect compared to the original (just quite small). Being able to carry videos with you to watch whenever you want is certainly a cool factor. As with music, one grievance is the inability to scroll to any point in the video. The only controls available during playback are fast forward, rewind, pause, skip, and volume control.
4)Photos
The Media Converter can handle most picture formats and convert them to something friendly with the Sansa. I haven't tried adding photos of my own, but the sample photos look nice.
5)Voice Recording
I tested the voice recording feature during lecture in one of my classes. I sat in the 9th row and the professor was using a mic. However, her voice still sounded muffled in the recording. The recorder does seem to be able to record voices at a close distance fairly well. Another drawback is that the output file is in 16bit wave format. Voice recording is a nice feature, but you shouldn't expect too much from it.
6)Style
The Sansa looks great, even better than the black iPod Nano in my opinion. The mechanical scroll wheel does feel a bit cheap, but I guess I'm just used to using the electrostatic touchpad of an iPod. The buttons are small if you have large hands and they are somewhat hard to press. I have to sometimes use the tip of my nails to press down. It would have been nice if the buttons were raised slightly higher, but it might ruin the Sansa's sleek look. The included pouch looks nice with the player and is certainly better than getting nothing. There is also an included lanyard that can be attached to the player. Finally, the screen is very bright and its colors vivid, even on the lowest brightness settings. Videos and photos look quite good on it despite the screen size.
7)Other Notes
I was able to get about 15 hours of use from my initial charge. It's less than the advertised amount, but came fairly close. Charging the battery does seem to be a bit of a hassle since it must be connected to a computer via USB. It would have been nice if they just included an adapter to let you charge with a wall outlet. Finally, more memory can be added with microSD cards, which is a cheaper alternative to upgrading to a model with more capacity.
Overall, the Sansa is a great audio player with some nice features. There may be some bugs, but hopefully some of them can be fixed in future firmware updates. It may not have the fame of an iPod, but sells itself through its looks and functionality.
PRO:
Price (cheaper than iPod Nano for same amount of storage)
Extras (FM radio, video, photo, voice recording)
Drag and drop to add files
Looks great
More memory can be added
CONS:
Hard to press buttons
Lag when browsing playlist
No included wall charger
Volume resets to 50 every time it's turned off
DO NOT buy an Ipod, this is much better!! December 5, 2006
Damon Bryan (Denver, CO)
56 out of 56 found this review helpful
First let me get my Ipod bashing out of the way. The 4GB Ipod Nano that The Sansa e260 competes with costs $230. That should be enough of a reason to buy this amazing player for nearly half that amount (I paid $130).
My second biggest gripe with the Ipod is the batteries. They are not user-servicable, and in a couple of years when they die (as they all do) you will have to ship your Nano to Apple and pay them to replace it. The Sansa has a user replaceable battery kit for around $13.
Also, the Nano doesn't play video. The Sansa e200 series will convert and play many different kinds of video files. I just loaded 2 full length features and a full season of my favorite TV show and still had enough room fo about 15 CDs. That should be enough to keep me distracted on a long road trip i have planned.
Lastly, if you have an Ipod, you have to use iTunes to load your music. Personally, i hate to be forced into using proprietary software in order to use a device. The Sansa lets you drag and drop files directly onto the device in Windows explorer. You have the option to use Windows Media Player if you want to set up Playlists, etc.
Other features that the Sansa has that the Ipod doesn't even offer are the radio tuner with 25 presets and autoscan (which works perfectly), a voice and radio recorder (great for important meetings or just a grocery list).
There are a couple of small cons with the Sansa e200 players. The wheel is mechanical and isn't sealed well, and I can see it eventually getting lint, dust, etc. in it if you don't buy a separate case. I have not had this problem, I just see this as a possible future problem.
Also, you can't use the device while it is plugged in to your computer. You can, however, use the device while it is plugged into an AC or car adaptor, so you can simply buy a cheap multi-adapter (with both a car and AC plug) and problem solved.
Even if you purchase the most expensive case and plug adapter on the market, you will still end up spending much less than you would have spent on a Nano.
In conclusion, if you like to throw money away on expensive players with virtually no features, by all means, get the Nano. If you are a conscientious shopper who would rather have a player loaded with features and $100 in your pocket, go with the Sansa.
Tried it, love it!!! August 18, 2006
Donovan (Sarasota, Florida)
56 out of 58 found this review helpful
Some of the reviews I read left me wondering if this was the right player for me. I found a consumer review on-line where they ran through the features and actually demonstrated how the thing works. That did it for me. After that, I knew that I had to have it.
I haven't had to be concerned with the technical issues, as it has done everything except convert video clips that I have taken with my camera. I found some other software that will convert it and allow me to load it onto the player.
Here's why I gave it a five:
1. Voice recording - I use the voice recording to record meetings at work. The sound is crystal clear, better than any tape recorder I have used in the past. Also, using the lanyard and dropping it down the front of my shirt, nobody else realizes that the meetings are being recorded. It's a great opportunity for black mail!
2. I was looking for something that would allow me to record radio broadcasts - I've tried it with music and it sounds every bit as good as the station did the first time. I mostly use it for talk radio and it works great. Radio reception is awesome. I record the radio at work in an office setting. Reception is even passable in the elevator!
3. MP3s - I am very pleased here. I was worried that play-lists would be a problem and that having the player randomly select music would also be a problem. That was based on other reviews that I saw here. I am sorry, but those people must be idiots. You can upload the music using Windows Media Player, dragging and dropping play-lists. The player keeps the play-list and automatically groups your music. You can select the play-list and it will shuffle just that play-list (if you activate the shuffle function). You can also play music by song, album, artist, and genre. Or you can play them all. It's all very simple and works well.
4. Pictures - I am a photo-nut. I love to take pictures of my kids, landscapes, and sunsets. The photos are pretty small, but the detail that the screen allows makes the images very sharp. You can definitely fit more pictures in here than you ever could in your wallet. The photos are all converted to *.bmp files using the software that came with the player, but it is very easy to add photos. You have to rotate all of your photos so they are taller rather than wider to maximize the size of the image on the screen, but it is not difficult at all.
5. Memory - I have uploaded 100s of songs, a handful of short video clips and commercials I found online, 147 photos, and a handful of recordings. I have used just over half of the memory on this thing.
Here are things that I wish you could do with it:
1. Switch out the battery - sure you can, but you need to buy another special battery and I have not seen an external charger. This is a relatively minor thing. It will last a full day (from sunrise past sunset) and recharges in about an hour. It has not been a big drawback for me.
2. Delete songs directly off the player without hooking up to your computer - I ended up with a number of albums of my daughter's intermingled with my music and had to keep fast-forwarding over those songs. They were mixed in with my work music, so I had to tolerate it for a full day. Again, not a huge issue.
3. Despite the fact that I have been very careful with the player, it does have some small scratches on its front, one of them on the display. I can't imagine that this isn't a problem with other players too. Again, it's not the end of the world.
Things that I was surprised by:
1. There's a record button on the side. That makes it easy to record radio programs when you are taken away from listening unexpectedly.
2. Play-lists are easy to create.
3. It is easy to set the player to shuffle and/or repeat
4. The size is really much smaller than it appears in photos
5. The sound quality when recording (voice and radio)
6. You can reset the player by merely holding down the power button for about a minute. I did have it lock up on me when I was getting ready to record a meeting, but figured that out just in time.
All and all, I would say this is a wonderful player and would (and have) highly recommended it to my friends. I hope this helps sway you to make the purchase. I was having second thoughts when I read some of these reviews, but those must have been posted by idiots. Sorry, but it's true.
Great player especially with a subscription service September 3, 2006
Capt'n Bob (Lincoln, CA USA)
30 out of 30 found this review helpful
I purchased the 4G device, and was so pleased that a week later I purchased a second 6G player for my wife. I read of lot of the reviews here on Amazon, which helped me make the decision to go with the Sansa. I think most features have been covered, I just thought I would add a few tips for people considering this mp3 player.
When I got the player it came with a flyer offering a 1 month free trial for Rhapsody To Go. I had been thinking I would go with Yahoo subscription service, because for years I have not been a fan of Real whose marketing tactics I have deplored. In any event the offer got me to do some reasearch about the various subscription services, and the consensus seemed to be that Rhapsody offered the most features, although it was a bit higher priced.
So I did sign up with Rhapsody for the To Go service, using the one month free trial offer. I can report that I could not be more pleased with the service. The subscription model puts another nail in the iPod coffin as far as I'm concerned, and given Sandisk's aggressive pricing for this player I agree with the Engadget guys that there isn't any reason to go with the Nano.
Now the caveats, and tips. I've not used an iPod and iTunes, but from what I read it is pretty bulletproof. The subscription model and combination of the Sansa e200 series with Rhapsody works great for me...I've got 3 computers authorized and two Sansa players. I've had zero problems with DRM...but if you read the forums there are folks who have definitely had DRM renewal issues.
It's my feeling that the latest versions of Rhapsody and Sansa firmware have got most issues under control. So when you get your Sansa player, immediately go to the Sandisk website and download the firmware updater program and update the firmware on the player...I received my player a week ago, and at that time it did do a firmware update.
Remember to set the USB connection (under settings on the player) to MSC instead of MTP for the update. There are two ways to connect to the player and normally you will use MTP mode, but not for the firmware update. Another point, when I tried to move a playlist created in Rhapsody to the Sansa in MTP mode it wouldn't transfer over as advertised...although the songs in the playlist were moved over. When I connected later in MSC mode the playlist automatically moved to the player. I will assume a further firmware or program update will take care of this issue down the road.
Also Rhapsody recently updated their software, so if you are not just now installing the Rhapsody software I would update their software before plugging in the Sansa. Another important point is that if you uninstall and then reinstall the Rhapsody software, make sure to 'deauthorize' the computer before you uninstall the software. The reason is that you are only allowed to authorize 3 computers (you can only be logged on to the service on one at a time though) and you will use up one of those if you don't deauthorize it before the uninstall. (You can get Real to re-set your list if you make this mistake, but it sounds like a bit of a hassle.)
And if you are going to uninstall the software go to their site and search the forums for instructions on how to do a complete uninstall.
Of the three installations of Rhapsody I performed, one didn't go right and I had to re-do it, but after the second install it worked fine.
Sorry if you think I spent too much time talking about Rhapsody, but my point is that when I purchased the player I assumed I would only use it to play music I already owned that was on my computer. After experiencing the subscription music model (whatever service you go with), I am blown away by how much it adds to the entire experience of the Sansa. I've been waiting for a long time to find an mp3 player that would give Apple some competition and finally, this is the one!
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