iLounge

1

Considering that SanDisk pretty much came out of nowhere to become #2, albeit a distant #2, says loads about the state of the non-iPod portion of the market. Whether they grab any business away from #1…well, that remains to be seen but I do know a few iPod people that have become tired and bored of all the iPod hype. And there ARE those fashion-trendy types (my niece is a perfect example) who see iPods as passe, simply because Apple sells jillions of ‘em. Hard to be considered individualistic when all you do is join the crowd. Kinda like buying a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord…the iPod has become the safe and sensible purchase. Certainly sounds boring, even in function it really isn’t.

Everyone having one has its detractors, too. SanDisk is probably banking on that, as well.

Posted by flatline response on July 7, 2006 at 1:27 PM (PDT)

2

I don’t know…it seems like ScanDisk is trying too hard to be hip. Their “Lil’ Monsta” website is cute but a little nauseating. To me it looks like they are saying “Hey! Look at us! We are just as hip as the iPod! Look! Look!” The thing is, it’s not so much abouut the iPod being hip. It’s about function and ease of use and to me, there is no other player out there that is as easy to use.

Posted by Tenchi211 in California on July 7, 2006 at 2:14 PM (PDT)

3

SanDisk’s player looks pretty good - all but those cheap looking screws in the back.  They should have used different fasteners.

And for “Lil’ Monsta”.  How cute, will cookies be served with it?  They should have targeted a wider audience other than 8 to 14 year olds.

Posted by Mr. Anderson on July 7, 2006 at 3:32 PM (PDT)

4

I’m sorry, but L’il Monsta has got to be the worst-looking thing I’ve ever seen.  The Sansa, on the other hand…

Posted by Galley on July 7, 2006 at 6:04 PM (PDT)

5

Here’s how I see it: the ipod started small and worked its way up, gaining more features and popularity all along the way. SanDisk, however, is trying to be #1 right off the bat. People are just going to get annoyed by all the corny advertising and ploys to take down the ipod. If they really want to be #1, trying to make the ipod look bad is not the way to do it. People will buy their product when its worth it for them.

Posted by qwer on July 7, 2006 at 8:23 PM (PDT)

6

The SanDisk player looks OK, but I hate websites that play sound. It’s unprofessional.

(Yeah, it sucked whem Apple’s main page had video embedded in it.)

Posted by LukeA on July 7, 2006 at 9:36 PM (PDT)

7

There’s a lot of discounting of Sansa at Best Buy and Circuit City.  While their list prices were about the same as iPods, they’ve been offering rebates or “instant rebates” to undercut the iPod prices.

Either they really want marketshare at all costs or they’re not moving as much.

Could also be that they’re aggressively passing on cost drops in NAND prices.

Posted by wco81 in West Coast on July 8, 2006 at 2:37 PM (PDT)

8

OK the SANSA looks really cool… but honestly if I only have to pay 20 bucks for an extra 24 gigs well then the decision is clear for me. The website says you can quickly “bloat” from 6 gigs too 7 gigs… there is nothing bloated about 6 or 7 gigs if you ask me… That “lil monsta” wouldn’t be able to swallow even half of my music library.

Posted by Jeremy Pittman on July 8, 2006 at 8:28 PM (PDT)

9

but… in all fairness I feel the same way about the Nano and if forced to pick between the Nano and the Sansa I could most likley go with Samsungs product.

good ol’ hypotheticals

Posted by Jeremy Pittman on July 8, 2006 at 8:46 PM (PDT)

10

if you had to choose between the nano and the sansa, you would choose the z5?  you’re a little confusing.

Posted by zip22 on July 9, 2006 at 8:14 PM (PDT)

11

The Sansa looks like a pretty good device. All things being equal, it’s might be better than the Nano (that said without having had the benefit of a hands-on test of the Sansa). The problem is that SanDisk (or any other company) does not have the vertical integration that Apple does with the device, software, and store. That’s ultimately where the success of the Nano lies, not in its “hip” factor.

Frankly, I intentionally stay away from the new fad products for a while until I have a chance to see their practicality and staying power. That’s why it took me so long to get a cell phone, a PDA, an iPod, etc. The fact is that top to bottom, nothing comes close to the iPod.

Oh yeah, and SanDisk’s marketing strategies are annoying me (this “lil monster” being absolutely terrible). Who are they kidding?

Posted by Jason on July 10, 2006 at 6:27 AM (PDT)

12

Those screws on the back are so users can replace the batteries.  SanDisk sells batteries for $20.  The screws are a welcome sight for me because it means I can change the battery myself without voiding the warranty.

Posted by Stephanie on July 27, 2006 at 12:48 AM (PDT)