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AUGUST 6, 2008
THE SANSA FUZE MP3 PLAYER
Many functions in a medium sized package
 The Sansa Fuze is an MP3 Player that has it all in a small package. I just wish it had a clip like my Sansa Clip. I can just clip the Clip on my shirt and forget about it, I know that seems picky but after using the tiny Sansa Clip player I am spoiled. On second thought I guess I can trade the Clip’s “clip” for the Fuze. The Sansa Fuze is a player with many more functions, 4 gigs of storage instead of 1, and a larger screen. Need I add that the Sansa Fuze looks pretty slick? OK I am hooked.
Package Contents
• Sansa Fuze player
• USB 2.0 transfer cable
• Earphones
• Quick Start Guide
 The Sansa Fuze is available in 5 colors; Black, Blue, Pink, Red, and silver. Price is according to memory included; 2 Gig 79.99, 4 Gig 99.99, or 8 Gig 129.99.
Here is a look at the available features according to the manual and my results with each:
Vibrant 1.9” (220x176) color TFT Screen:
The screen is very clear in most lighting conditions. It shows photos and videos in perfect reproduction.
Supports MP3, WAV, WMA, secure WMA, and audiobooks formats
I tested most of the above music files and several audiobook types. and they worked as promised. I am a longtime member of Audible.com. Their Audible Manager software includes the Fuze and the Clip as players that are compatible with their download program so no problems with Audible.com. I am running tests for review of SimplyAudiobooks.com that includes a book download option. Their downloadable books do work with the Fuze and the Clip but the download experience is not as yet as easy as Audible.com. I expect they will continue to improve with time. Both Audible and SimplyAudiobooks were bookmarked for easy return to where you stopped.
Video compatible with MPEG4 (SP) QCIF+ 20fps. Additional video formats are supported via the Sansa Media Converter software. Supports photo files converted and transferred to the player through the Sansa Media Converter software. (available for download here)
Video and photo files look great on the Fuze Screen. The Sansa Media Converter software worked perfectly when I installed it on the Lenovo ThinkPad Loaner. It is best to convert Photos separate from Videos. The Sansa Media Converter offers features such as cropping, rotating, and resizing photos before transferring them to your player as well as the ability to transfer photo and video files to your installed Micro SD card. Since I also use my photos in other ways I prefer to do any rotating of photos in the storage folder before sending them to the Sansa Converting software. I usually select “Best Fit” rather than doing a resize on each photo. I loaded 70 photos and 10 Videos onto the Sansa Fuze in this manner and they all looked fine.
Includes an integrated FM radio for listening to live-broadcast FM radio programs.
I have poor FM reception in my home area so I just did an auto preset and picked up 6 good stations. When In Phoenix and South Carolina I was able to find many more. You can preset up to 30 stations. The radio worked very well.
Supports voice recording function with built-in microphone.
The ability to record voice on the Fuze has allowed me to leave my Olympic Voice Recorder at home.
MicroSD/SDHC card slot supports additional 4GB and higher capacities.
 I tested the card slot with a 1Gig Card as I did not have a 4 gig. I was able to add and play music as well as other files that I might need on the road. I used Windows Media player to sync the music. With your card inserted WMP shows the Fuse as two distinct Fuze players. The Fuze collects the files from each drive into the appropriate list for playing.
Allows users to store data on the internal memory.
I went to “My Computer” and located the SD Card as Drive F: I then loaded several Word documents and other files I might want on the road for this test. I prefer to carry a small flash drive or one of the larger External hard drives that I tested previously. The Sansa Fuze seemed to work fine as a quick storage device.
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 24 hours of audio playback or 5 hours of video playback. The battery is not replaceable. Remember to fully charge the battery prior to your first use. I charge it frequently as it is very disappointing to have the battery die at the gym when you have 30 minutes remaining on the bike.
The 4 Gigabyte Fuze will hold up to 12 hours of video, 1000 songs, or 2000 photos. Add a 4 Gig SD card and you can double those numbers.
Sansa continues to outdo itself with better and broader offerings in the MP3 player field. Their price points, design, and capabilities make for a hard to beat competitor.
For more information on the Fuze and other Sansa Products Click here
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