SanDisk Sansa e260

Like Samsung, it’s clear that SanDisk has taken more than a few aesthetic cues from the nano with the Sansa e260. However, this player matches Apple blow for blow, even though it’s more than a full ounce heavier (2.6 ounces). Coming in 2GB, 4GB, or 6GB sizes, SanDisk offers the largest capacity flash player on the market. The inclusion of a microSD Card slot pushes the storage potential even higher. With its full-color menus, durable shiny black front, and scratch-resistant Liquidmetal back, this is the most stylish nano competitor yet.

The e260 is a bit shorter than the nano, but about twice as thick, sporting a 1.8-inch color screen that is the same size as the Samsung YP-Z5’s LCD. The player improves on Apple’s features by including an FM tuner and a removable, user-replaceable battery. You also get 20 hours of playback, which is less than the YP-Z5 but more than the nano.

SanDisk bundles the Sansa e260 with the company’s Media Converter, which allows users to import unsupported video and images to a playable scale. The video was a bit oversaturated, and footage is limited to 15 fps.

The Frog Design-created menus (complete with little icons for Music, Voice, Video, etc.) are certainly a huge improvement over SanDisk’s past designs. The only thing we don’t like is that the menu key doesn’t take you back one screen; hitting it always returns you to the main menu. The rewind/previous key doubles as a back button most of the time, but not during playback. The glowing mechanical thumbwheel, while a little garish, gets the job done.

VERDICT: The SanDisk Sansa e260 is well designed, and is stacked with features. It’s not as svelte as Apple’s juggernaut, but for anyone looking for an iPod/iTunes alternative, SanDisk’s player is your best bet—and it’s less expensive, to boot.