SanDisk Launches the Sansa slotMusic MP3 Player
Today, SanDisk launched the no-frills Sansa slotMusic MP3 Player. Instead of holding your music collection on internal flash memory like other players, the new Sansa device uses a removable 1-gigabyte slotMusic card that comes preloaded with a single album. Tunes are encoded as DRM-free MP3s at up to 320Kbps, and each slotMusic card comes with a USB adapter to transfer music to your computer. These 1GB cards are virtually identical to microSD cards, and can be loaded with MP3s and unprotected WMAs from your own collection too. The slotMusic Player can also accept standard microSD cards up to 16GB in size, but I would imagine that navigating through that much music without any sort of screen would be a nightmare. SanDisk states that the unit will run for a respectable 15 hours on a single AAA battery.
Marketing MP3s on a physical format seems like a big step backwards, but the slotMusic player could find success with people who are less technically savvy, or with those who want an ultra-streamlined listening experience. The price is certainly right too, at only $19.99 for the bare-bones player. A $34.99 package is also available, and it comes with an artist-branded case and one album on a slotMusic card. SanDisk already has a few dozen high-profile artists on-board with the new format, and albums are slated to retail at $14.99 each. A bit on the high side, but at least you'll get a new microSD card out of the deal.
--Jon D.
Torley on October 16, 2008 at 05:57 AM
Hard to believe in hindsight, but 1 GB is awkwardly small. I'm glad to see Flash memory prices keep descending.
I'm doubtful about the mass-market acceptance of slotMusic. The price is about the same as a CD and more than that of an MP3-only album at Amazon Even considering convenience, having it included on a card isn't very advantageous because if you grow a music collection, you'll want to consolidate many albums on a much bigger (e.g., 16 GB for US$35) card which doesn't cost that much more by itself.
The means of distribution matters less now, since as long as you've got memory of one kind or another, you can store it. Still, this may find a niche.