SOLAR HAWT!!! Sansa E280 8gig MP3 player $139

[bigi]

Got mine $139 after instant $40 rebate. (Bridgeview, IL)
I am about to unpack and check it out...

Thanks OP!!!

 

[gibster]

$139 in Denver, CO. On the shelf it says $219 - $40, but it scans at $179 - $40. Not bad at all. Just wish it had more storage, I ran out of space on my old 20GB Archos FM Recorder. Man, display technology has sure changed in the last year or so.

I would not touch any crapPod with a 10ft pole, this seems like a good alternative. At least I can hook it up to my PC and copy files onto it like a drive, hate any kind of "management software". Love the Album Art picture, FM radio, voice recording. I just wish they could have kept with regular SD - these cards are getting so ridiculously cheap, doesn't seem like the microSD comes in large capacities yet. To make it worthwhile, the microSDs should be comparable to the space on the device - so maybe around 8-16GB, it will be a while, if at all.
Playing with it now - I wonder what the real battery capacity will be with the color screen and the lit ring.

 

[amicold]

These are great players, I had the four gig. Don't pass this up.

 

[bigi]

bigi Senior Member Posts: 260 Joined: 08/08/2001 Got mine $139 after instant $40 rebate. (Bridgeview, IL)

After unpacking this unit, I noticed that the back cover is dirty/scratched and has nasty fingerprints. Looks like this might be a refurbished unit.
It is going back to the sotore.
It ain't worth $150

 

[PolarBearing]

Originally posted by: bigi

bigi Senior Member Posts: 260 Joined: 08/08/2001 Got mine $139 after instant $40 rebate. (Bridgeview, IL)

After unpacking this unit, I noticed that the back cover is dirty/scratched and has nasty fingerprints. Looks like this might be a refurbished unit.
It is going back to the sotore.
It ain't worth $150

I just got back from Costco - paid $140 after $40 instant rebate - and found the same thing. Looks kind of oily in spots, the wheel is very rough to turn. The box wasn't opened previously as far as I can tell.

I also have the 4G and it feels & looks like a much nicer unit.

8Gig:
Back cover: Rough mat finish, seems to soak up finger prints that stain the metal.
Wheel: has lots of high bumps/ridges, hard to turn, kind of dim when lit
Buttons: Hard to press to get them working.

4Gig:
Back cover: Smooth polished/anodized aluminum (looks classy, almost "antique" color)
Wheel: Not ridged, easy to turn after the first couple of revolutions. More bright than the 8Gig
Buttons: The buttons stick out higher and are easier to push, with a more positive click.

These both came in what looks like a new packaging (white/Green/black) versus the old red/black Sandisk-colored box.

I think I'm going to return it. It's just going to bug the heck out of me if I keep it...

 

[Synomenon]

I've read on the anythingbutipod forums that the newer production Sansas have a ridged wheel. The older version supposedly had only two raised bumps (side-by-side) on four sides of the wheel (8 bumps total).

 

[PolarBearing]

Yeah, that describes the 8Gig I bought. It's going back ASAP. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Thanks for the info, IsLNdbOi.

 

[abaez]

To quote a review I read: "The volume/navigation wheel feels about as cheap as a Scottsman's roll of toilet paper"

That's my only gripe, everything else about this is fantastic. I love the drag and drop.

Also, at the Norwalk Costco in SoCal it said the instant rebate expires 5/31, so I'm not sure if the deal goes on until then.

 

[tigersty1e]

Is this deal still going on?

I went on their website and they only show the 4 gig version...

http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.a...&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&ec=&topnav=

 

[Zeeeter]

Yep - I picked one up from the Irvine CA store on Saturday - $179 - $40 instant rebate, plus tax. Stock check said 14 in store, but there were at least 50 of the cards that you take to the registers. It is a "delete" item - i.e. once the stock is gone it will not be replaced.

Comes with connector, ear buds, CD with music convertor s/w, case, strap. No arm strap.

Decent bit of kit - the spinner is really cheesy, rough plastic and light weight, but it works OK. Screen is good.

I recommend you flash the firmware after buying - mine was a bit unreliable before, but no crashes since.

Z