On a Windows 7 PC, all of these options are available via the standard Windows device management page that appears when you connect the Zip Clip the page also has links for installing a firmware updater, purchasing accessories, and a number of other tasks that don’t apply to the Zip Clip. You can drag and drop music files onto the device, use Windows Media Player, or use a supported music service (Rhapsody, Napster, or eMusic). Getting content from a PC or music service onto the Sansa Clip Zip wasn’t exactly difficult using an included USB cable (which also charges the battery), but it lacked the simplicity of using iTunes-mainly because you have several options for content acquisition. While this approach isn’t as intuitive as the iPod Nano’s multitouch-enabled display, it works quite well once you get used to it. These controls move you through menus and options that appear on the display. Underneath it, a small strip of the plastic case displays the Sansa brand, and the rest of the surface is covered by a silvery metal navigation pad with four arrow controls surrounding a select button, and a return button inset into the top left of the pad. But it’s not a touchscreen, and it occupies only the top half of the Clip Zip. Like the Nano, the Sansa Clip Zip has a small (about 1 inch square) color display. The bright colors of the Zip Clip’s cases also recall the Nano and Shuffle, but the Zip Clip’s case is plastic and doesn’t look nearly as classy as the metallic iPods.Īnd while it’s not a huge device by any standard, the Zip Clip is a lot larger than its Apple competition: It’s roughly the height of two Nanos or Shuffles stacked on top of each other, and it’s over half an inch thick, clip included, versus about a third of an inch for the iPods. Like the Shuffle and Nano, the Sansa Clip Zip has a hinged clip on the back that you can open to attach to a sleeve, waistband, handbag strap, or any other garment or accessory. By comparison, the iPod Shuffle has 2GB of memory and costs $50, while the Nano goes for either $130 (with 8GB of memory) or $150 (16GB). I tested the 4GB model, which is available in seven colors (red, orange, purple, blue, black, white or gray) at $50 (as of January 4, 2012) the 8GB model costs $70 and comes only in black or gray. Sandisk offers the Sansa Clip Zip in two configurations.

The SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip is neither as petite nor as stylish, but it has features in spades: an FM radio, a voice recorder, a workout timer, and a microSD card slot for adding more storage-and all for a very modest price, making it well worth considering if you’re on a tight budget.

When it comes to small MP3 players, the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano are tough acts to follow.

Sansa zip clip mp3 player