Sansa Clip Zip

I don't feel the need to be in the cultural thick of it where my devices are concerned. I've got an LG smartphone, but wouldn't mind a Samsung. I just don't feel the need, just yet. Likewise, I still have an Ipod Nano, but never use it, mostly because it's difficult to "jailbreak" it from Apple's truly wretched Itunes software. Instead, for the past few years I've been using a SanDisk Sansa Clip +. I still think it's the apex of Mp3 player technology. It'll play any format- so I'm not really stuck with FLACC or Mp3, has a drag-and-drop loading system that's easier than typing this sentence, and has expandable memory- so I can load up to 32 gigs worth of audio onto it. On top of that, you've got radio, and a recording device built in. I would strongly suggest it over against using your phone, or Apple's dreadful software. So, after several years of continuous use ( generally about 3 hours a day) the headphone jack has gone a bit wonky, and it's mono. Fair enough,and I'll still use it to listen to books, radio and podcasts, but for music, I got a Clip Zip for 25 bucks. It's roughly the same deal, and the only real changes are: A. The sound is a bit more bass-heavy B. It's got a full colour screen C. it's got a "sport" setting that I can only guess is either a pedometer or stopwatch function and D. It feels a little more lightweight and flimsy. Because I'm just using it for music, I'm leaving it with the standard 4 Gigs of memory. That's more than enough for the 250 song playlist that I keep. More than 250, and the chances that I hear some album cut that I don't like goes up exponentially. At 250, I have enough variety and selection that I rarely feel "burned out" on a song.

So, while you're struggling to get the new U2 lp off your playlist, or cannot upload that groovy Polish death metal record in .OGG format to your playlist- I'll be out for a jog, listening happily. See? No need to join the personal tech rat race.