The Fuze Or The Fuze+: Which One?

[JK98]

"Coke or Pepsi?"

No, it is more like Coke or new Coke. New Coke was a horrible flop. Making something new and different just to be new and different without putting enough planning into it often results in a flop.

My major criticism of the Fuze+ is that it is too easy to have undesired navigation when trying to control it. There is also no easy way to pause or restart the player while it is in a pocket with the touch controls locked.

[CrowdAds]

[nodirectionhome]

i had a good look at both the fuze and the fuze+ but ended up getting a Clip+ because it seemed like the best for me.

i really didn't like the look of the fuze+ much.

[solomonella]

fuze and coke for me

[writedoc]

Originally Posted by CDMP3PlayerFan

I'm looking to purchase a new DAP for increased storage, and I'm considering both the Fuze or Fuze+. In my area both the Fuze and Fuze+ are currently available, with the Fuze being sold at a discounted price.

I plan on using the player only as a music player, and my understanding is that the Fuze is a very good audio player. Due to the small screen size on most DAPs, the ability to view videos and pictures is a non-issue for me.

Despite the Fuze+ being successor to the Fuze, are there strong reasons to choose it over the Fuze? For me, one of the advantages of the Fuze are the tactile controls, although I like the separate volume control on the Fuze+.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

See my comparison at http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...367#post515367

[Grez]

Originally Posted by lestatar

lol...it's all good man...Glad u enjoy!

Still, I bet you can't navigate the Fuze+ blindly like I can

muahahahahaha

Can't see your pictures as well as I can

:P

[mikee]

Eventually the fuze+ will be rockboxed and be awesome. I have a fuze since I got it before the plus came out.

off topic: Does sandisk actually want their players to be rockboxed or are they working against the RB community?

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by mikee

Eventually the fuze+ will be rockboxed and be awesome.

Not with those touch controls, I don't think.

Originally Posted by mikee

I have a fuze since I got it before the plus came out.

off topic: Does sandisk actually want their players to be rockboxed or are they working against the RB community?

I'm not sure....but since RB is perfectly stable on my three Sansas, it is irrelevant what SanDisk thinks about it.

[lestatar]

Originally Posted by mikee

...SNIPPED...off topic: Does sandisk actually want their players to be rockboxed or are they working against the RB community?

My understanding from observing the Sandisk forums is this:
- Sandisk knows about Rockbox as it is heavily discussed on their internal forums;
- Sandisk does not actively support Rockbox;
- Sandisk does not actively program their devices to impede Rockbox;
- Sandisk benefits from their devices being Rockbox-able.

All of the above, IMO, adds up to a tacit endorsement of Rockbox on the Sandisk products.

my 2 cents...
-les

[JK98]

"- Sandisk benefits from their devices being Rockbox-able."

I'm not sure about that. While Rockbox might add a bit to sales, it also adds to their support costs by those who muck up a player using Rockbox. Some executives at Sandisk probably hate Rockbox.

[nodirectionhome]

How do you muck up a player by using Rockbox?

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by nodirectionhome

How do you muck up a player by using Rockbox?

Take a read through the various forums.....you'd be amazed. I see requests for help and I'll have no idea how what they are describing could have happened to them.

[Adub]

Though that really isn't any of Sandisk's concern as their answer to any rockbox related issues should be to say Rockbox is not supported by them and to search for information on the correct forum. Any RMA issues to do with Rockbox is simply the cost of doing business.

Though if JK98 implies the possibility or previous issues with Sandisk player being bricked then his post should not be taken seriously of course.

[CDMP3PlayerFan]

Originally Posted by JK98

"- Sandisk benefits from their devices being Rockbox-able."

I'm not sure about that. While Rockbox might add a bit to sales, it also adds to their support costs by those who muck up a player using Rockbox. Some executives at Sandisk probably hate Rockbox.

I looked over the Rockbox (RB) manual for the Sansa Fuze. Based on what I read, it seems that if there is a massive problem with the player, such as it being bricked, the user can just remove RB from the player to fix the problem. Is this the case?

On the subject of RB, I looked it over and didn't see anything that made it a must have for me on my player. So far, the only thing that I wish the Fuze had, which the Fuze+ does have, is the ability to hide unused items on the main screen.

[Enigmatic]

Originally Posted by CDMP3PlayerFan

Based on what I read, it seems that if there is a massive problem with the player, such as it being bricked, the user can just remove RB from the player to fix the problem. Is this the case?

I do not think so. If we use the definition of bricked as given by Wikipedia--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_%28electronics%29--the user is going to first have to unbrick his Fuze. And unbricking a Fuze is definitely a non-trivial operation: http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaAMSUnbrick.

But how many individuals have actually bricked their Fuzes compared to those that have got Rockbox running perfectly on their Fuzes? Bricked Fuzes appears to be rare. Or maybe those users are just too embarrassed to write about it in the forums.

[Confuseling]

Originally Posted by mikee

Eventually the fuze+ will be rockboxed and be awesome. I have a fuze since I got it before the plus came out.

off topic: Does sandisk actually want their players to be rockboxed or are they working against the RB community?

That was discussed here in the abstract;

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=25491.0

Conclusion: who knows, but it likely wouldn't matter if they didn't...

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by JK98

"- Sandisk benefits from their devices being Rockbox-able."

I'm not sure about that. While Rockbox might add a bit to sales, it also adds to their support costs by those who muck up a player using Rockbox. Some executives at Sandisk probably hate Rockbox.

Adding Rockbox voids the warranty, so how does that add to SanDisk's costs? In order to file an RMA, you'd have to be able to remove all traces of Rockbox, and if the device operates enough to allow you to do that, then it's most likely recoverable to either factory normal, or to Rockboxed state.

From what I am seeing, the most serious problems that happen with SanDisk players and Rockbox are PEBKAC or ID10T errors.

[CDMP3PlayerFan]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

I do not think so. If we use the definition of bricked as given by Wikipedia--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_%28electronics%29--the user is going to first have to unbrick his Fuze. And unbricking a Fuze is definitely a non-trivial operation: http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SansaAMSUnbrick.

But how many individuals have actually bricked their Fuzes compared to those that have got Rockbox running perfectly on their Fuzes? Bricked Fuzes appears to be rare. Or maybe those users are just too embarrassed to write about it in the forums.

I took a glance at the unbricking instructions and one thought came to mind: scary!

[lestatar]

CDMP3PlayerFan: I personally would not get too hung up on the whole bricking/unbricking RB Fuze thing.

Seriously, I am no expert or historian on this stuff, but this does not appear to be a common phenomenon at all - certainly nothing pandemic. Does it happen? Sure, it seems that way. But how many people get run over by buses or get struck by lightning every year?

I got 2 v2 Fuzes, RB'd them both. Nothing but smooth sailing all the way.

[rohit3192]

Quote:
"Originally Posted by mikee
...........

off topic: Does sandisk actually want their players to be rockboxed or are they working against the RB community?"
I don't think so as Sansa products are sold world over and most people buy things "as it is" ,further many people here (in India and may be in other countries) are not aware of Rockbox.

[JK98]

Couldn't Rockbox cause a permanent loss of being able to play protected files, even after Rockbox is completely removed?