Fuze Durability and visibility outdoors?

[d2co]

Hey guys, just a quick question...

How's the durability of the fuze re: the screen scratching and just general sturdiness? Also, is the Fuze visible in the sunglight? I was about to get the 4gb clip, but I heard about the reflection in the sunlight and that killed it for me.

[CrowdAds]

[V3ndetta]

Uhhh...*checks my Fuze*uhh i'm a 3 week new Fuze owner and I'm very satisfied with my player. Better then my last ipod 30GB video. My brightness setting isn't even at the max or half way and I believe I can see it fine in the Sunlight. It may not be the BEST but you can still see it and don't have to struggle too.
About the screen... in my opinion its scratchable and not scratchable. I was at a store(Futureshop) trying out the screen on the display model and I was scratching the screen hard a couple of times to see if it would leave a mark and it didn't. But to be on the safe side I bought a casehttp://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....ci_sku=8728932(The case is cushioned so if your player drops it'll absorb the fall and reduces the damage) . You can buy silicone cases on the net also.

My Fuze is a 4GB Black. I would have bought blue but earphones wouldn't match with it. I would have bought the Silver one...but i didn't want an 8GB. the Black ones leave finger prints which the silver doens't. But with the case it doesnt matter.

[Riolist]

I've had mine since they first became available (2 months?). I'd say the screen visibility in sunlight is good. I never keep mine on the brightest setting and I can usually find a shaded area on sunny days to see the screen when I have to.

As far as the scratch resistance, i'd rate that a little lower. I think I assumed it would be more scratch proof than it's turned out to be, so I have some visible scratches on mine (not counting the one from the other day on the bus when it flew out of my hand, flew into a steel hand grip, and hit the guy sitting below it in the head). I would say get some sort of screen protector for it, there's very little else wrong with it. It's easily one of the best players i've owned, and i've owned most of them...well actually, it's not good for video - the SMC, and the need for it, is an abomination.

[Skinjob]

• Sturdiness: very good. Has a nice weight and feels very solid.
• Scratch resistance: above average. Anything plastic can be scratched, but the Fuze seems a little better than most. I carry mine in my pocket with my cell phone all the time and don't have any noticeable scratches. If you plan on abusing it, there are cheap silicone and hard cases for it on Amazon and eBay.
• Visibility in sunlight: very good. I use mine primarily in the car and have no problems seeing it at all. And I only use about 60% brightness.

[Enigmatic]

Originally Posted by V3ndetta

I was at a store(Futureshop) trying out the screen on the display model and I was scratching the screen hard a couple of times to see if it would leave a mark and it didn't.

Please do not do this. It is not your MP3 player, so do not try to scratch it. I have a few scratches on my Fuze. It does appear to scratch fairly easily. I have heard that a bit of toothpaste might get out light scratches; this works for my watches, so I might try it one day.

[V3ndetta]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

Please do not do this. It is not your MP3 player, so do not try to scratch it. I have a few scratches on my Fuze. It does appear to scratch fairly easily. I have heard that a bit of toothpaste might get out light scratches; this works for my watches, so I might try it one day.

Yeah that's what some other dude told me. I wont' do it again :P and sorry if that offended anyone. But like yeah I didn't go crazy on scratching it just to see if it did. But for some reason I didn't see scratches... :/ Anyways yeah I won't do it again

[Chensington]

Now, this is from the fitness geek and ultra-outdoorsman who treats his personal electronics like dirt - literally:

Considering how MP3 players tend to wear, this player isn't holding up too badly after two and a half months. Structurally, it's rock-solid; however, after over a month mostly spent in a silicone case, there is some wear to the paint, and my serial number came clear off!

Now, if I wanted to disassemble this thing and void my warranty, then I could certainly get rid of the dust and dirt that has accumulated under the screen. However, the screen does shine right through it; my brightness is set to 100%, since I am outside quite a bit with this thing either clipped on my pants or strapped on my arm.

The screen has been scratched up a fair bit, and it does cause some minor distortion at times when viewing the screen at certain angles. However, after I get some Applesauce Polish on this thing, it should be fine. The rest of the front of the player still looks very nice, except for more chipped paint off of the wheel.

About the wheel...I like how it's tactile and real, unlike control wheels on players by certain other companies... But, there are two drawbacks:

1) The wheel can sometimes feel a little flimsy, especially when scrolling at warp speed with it.

2) Dirt can get wedged inside there, which is an unpleasant experience; it's incredibly annoying, since it can nearly lock up certain controls.

So, considering the way I treat my personal electronics, the SanDisk Sansa Fuze is, overall, reasonably rugged. Since you'll probably treat yours far more nicely than I treat mine, I'm sure you'll be satisfied with its durability.