SanDisk Sansa Shaker 512 MB MP3 Player (Blue)
by SanDisk
|
Our Price: $76.06 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $74.95 (click here) Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of SanDisk Sansa Shaker 512 MB MP3 Player (Blue)
Customer Review: Great player but beware the preloaded music!
Summary: 3 Stars
On the good side: it's a piece of cake to remove the player's standard-size SD memory card, plug it into a card reader, and pick and choose what songs go on it. And the player is easy for my 4-year-old to use. Very thoughtful of SanDisk to install two headphone jacks so the kids can share the output, and there's even a small speaker for listening without headphones at all. So aside from the preloaded music selection it's a really good product.
Update: a year later it's worn on the outside but still working great.
Here's the problem I had. The package says it's for "Ages 8 and up!" and on the back under "Features" it says "SD Card preloaded with children's music." Call me old fashioned, but I wonder whether "Magic City"--a song featuring a boy and girl discussing hooking up for the night--is children's music. Use this sample verse to judge for yourself:
"Shortys hard, I gotta make her mine for the night.
She got an apple bottom, my momma feed her right.
I'm like, My name is Royal City girl,
And I was wonderin' if you would take me to your world.
Heard that there's a place you got,
That both me and you could go.
I won't let my momma know,
We could keep it on the low.
So it's on bring me to your city girl,
I could be your volunteer, you'll be my magician girl.
Back to the room, she put me on the chair.
Just a touch of magic her jeans disappear."
Hmmmm. Maybe this unit was used, and the previous customer left that on the memory card and SanDisk didn't check. But I don't know.
Customer Review: A solid little player for kids if you get it for the right price
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, let me say I picked this up on a clearance sale for ten bucks. For that money, it's unimpeachable.
I gave this to my 6-year-old daughter as a Christmas gift (I pre-loaded it with her entire Kidz Bop collection... no problem with Mac compatibility, btw, but only plays MP3 files, FYI). The built-in speaker is surprisingly loud and clear. The controls are easy to use and the dual headphone jacks are brilliant (note that the unit only comes with one actual set of headphones). It even has a little clip to let you dangle it from a belt loop or neck lanyard. All in all, very well designed for young kids who like music but aren't too particular about sorting through it precisely, since the lack of a screen negates that.
As some reviews complained, the cover for the battery compartment can come off unintentionally -- but there's a little strap to keep it from getting lost, so not a huge deal. Also, the fact this uses a standard AAA battery rather than a rechargeable one can be both blessing and curse -- but rechargeables have their own limitations, as well. However, considering what this is, what it's being used for, and what I paid for it (and I was perfectly willing to pay twenty, before it fortuitously went on clearance), I couldn't be happier with the purchase.
TECH NOTE: Sometimes this won't play for no obvious reason. Just like any device with a microprocessor, you have to reboot it occasionally. Just take out the battery and put it back in. Seems to clear it up just fine.
[...]
[...]
Customer Review: PLEASE save your $ and get something else!
Summary: 1 Stars
Bought this item for my 5 year old, since both of his older brothers had an MP3 player and an ipod. Thought that the shaker/shuffle part would be fun for him, and liked that he could listen to it without headphones. I bought this from a local toy store at Christmas time. This thing sucks! Both my 13 year old son and I know how to use ipod, itunes, SanDisk mp3's, and windows media player, PLUS I know how to work a computer (files, windows explorer, etc.) very well. Neither one of us could figure out how to get the songs on properly. We thought we put the songs on, it showed that the songs were on this player, but it would not play the songs - only stupid little noises/sounds! We gave up. Package was long gone so $ down the toilet! Bought him a different brand, which worked fine, but then realized it's definitely worth the extra few dollars to get an inexpensive MP3 player that CHARGES (chargeable battery), not the kind that takes batteries, (my son was eating thru batteries so fast that I couldn't keep up!). Do your research online, make sure you get a decent brand (like SanDisk, or ipod). Obviously huge difference in price on the SanDisk vs. ipod, so decide how much you want to spend and how well your child will take care of it. Other option is going to ipod website and seeing what their refurbished models are selling for - bought one for my oldest and it was like brand new (plus came with a 1 year warrenty, and they really stand behind their product)!Customer Review: great idea, EATS BATTERIES
Summary: 4 Stars
I found the Sansa Shaker to be a great way for my child to enjoy his music on the fly. The only down fall of the Shaker is its battery consumption. A fresh battery lasts less than 1 hr. My son wishes it would last longer. In these times of global awareness I think there must be a more sesnible solution. My son (8 yrs. old) suggest copying the built in rechargeable battery technology found in Ipod, Zune and many others. I could not agree with him more. I don't feel the makers of this product were concidering the environmental or economic impact of batteries when this product was designed. Although this product costs conciderably less that the Ipod, it will cost you more in the end. Consider this: If your child uses this product for 2 hours a week (about 2 albums of music) you could have bought 4 gig Ipod for what you will spend in batteries and Ipods hold A LOT more music and have built in batteries. Furthermore, batteries are one of the most environmentally poisonious consumer waste products. In addition, batteries are potentially harmful, poisonious to humans. The warning clearly states to " KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN ". So, why design a product for use by children in 2007 that needs a battery every 40 minutes or so? ...I truly do feel that the idea and basic function of this product are brilliant but, not very well thought out.Customer Review: Best mp3 Player EVER!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This should not had been marketed to children, it is great for any age.
It is expandable with SD cards. I was able to put the entire Beatles recording collection on a 2GB card with room for most solo hits and a handful of Rolling Stones songs.
It has TWO earphone jacks. No need for adapters.
It uses one AAA battery. No need to be tied to the manyfacture's Li ion battery. Using a rechargeable battery the cost is nearly nothing.
The built in speaker is surprisingly good. Hanging from my neck, it fills my world with music without the disadvantages of earbuds (discomfort of having something in your ear, not being able to hear important outside sounds, the dangers of hearing loss).
It plays the songs in order that they are synced on the computer. You have the ability to skip songs. You must use mp3, but it is easy enough by right clicking on the songs and converting from WMA to mp3.
The only improvements I could suggest would to have a display screen. And I bought a Kingston SD card and the player wouldn't recognize it, guess you have to stick to SanDisk brand.
I have other more expensive mp3 players, but this is my favorite.