SanDisk's first PVP: The Sansa View
(Credit: SanDisk)This Editors' Take refers to a preproduction version of the SanDisk Sansa View that was never manufactured. The following link takes you to our review for the final production model of the SanDisk Sansa View.
With so many MP3 players supporting videos nowadays, it's tough to distinguish where they end and where portable video players (PVPs) begin. Still, I say any screen below about 2.5 inches doesn't cut it when it comes to video--it's not worth the eyestrain. SanDisk's Sansa View, however, offers a 4-inch widescreen, which qualifies the device as a PVP in my book. And that means that SanDisk has just released its very first PVP. It's even more of an oddity since it's flash-based, and very few "true" PVPs are (the only one that comes to mind is the now-defunct GoVideo PVP4040...128MB!).
SanDisk has plenty of experience creating portable A/V devices, so the View isn't much of a surprise--it was only a matter of time. This player doesn't really bring anything new to the table, though it is attractive and fairly compact for a PVP (78.5mmx123mmx16.9mm). The relatively low capacity is an immediate concern--8GB really isn't that much--but there is an SD-card expansion slot for adding more memory. (Or you can simply store specific content on different cards for popping in when needed.) The player also offers A/V out for viewing content on a TV, and it supports slide shows. A user-removable, rechargeable battery and support for subscription WMA tracks round out the features.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine.
