SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)

I've had this Mp3 player since April 2008 and it's great. I purchased it new for 99.99 from Amazon. I wouldn't pay $199 for it like it is now and I probably wouldn't buy it refurbished but, that's just me. The battery had to be replaced 1 time which can't be done with most MP3 players if any of them. I just check the price of a new lithium ion battery for this player on Amazon and it's only $5.00 + 2.98 shipping and handling. So compared to buying another 8GB player if the battery runs out, I'd say it is a pretty good deal.

I purchased this device after I maxed the memory of the SanDisk Sansa m250 2 GB MP3 Player (Black), which by the way is a great base line product. I love the e280, however there are some flaws that keep me from giving it a full 5 stars.

To begin with it uses a SanDisk specific cord to transfer and charge. Not too big of a deal since the cords are inexpensive on places like eBay, but it does make a difference when "on the go" or not near a computer. Hence the reason I gave it two stars on portability. It is was not for the cord it would have 5 stars.

Another major gripe, only recently, is that I found out this player is not compatible with SDHC mini cards. It's a "recent" gripe because I just bought a SDHC card to expand my memory, but I couldn't use it. This is the reason the easy of use is rated so low.

Another gripe is that you are more or less forced to use Sandisk's converter to add movies to the device.


A few of the good points would be the battery life, the ease of use (not related to the SDHC Mini card), the size, and the sound quality.

Overall, I would purchase this device again. It's a great little MP3 player. I have dumped the Sandisk programming and added Rockbox. If you have not heard of Rockbox and you are tired of your MP3 player try it.

I love this thing! The price was great, all the features are awesome, I think it looks great and the sound quality is outstanding! And if you aren't happy with the sound, it has a customizable eq so you can make it sound however you want!

Unfortunately, someone lost my e280 so I upgraded to the Fuze for less money! I loved the e280 but am happier with the Fuze. It has all the same features as this one but has a slightly bigger screen and a better control wheel, in my opinion.

Second unit owned after dropping one in Salt Water. Great capacity, solid feel and easy to use. Battery is easily replaced. Works easily with Windows, files can be loaded via file manager as a removable hard drive or via Windows Media player.

This was the second SanDisk I puchased - one for use for home/gym and the other for work. I really liked the first SanDisk I purchased, so I purchased a second. However, it appears that the second player did not have all of the features of the first player e.g. I cannot delete a song from the player, I have to use the computer. Also, using the play list on the second player is not as user friendly as the first player - just little quirks - I had expected the same features on both.

I wanted an mp3 player that was not beholden to proprietary sources of music, one that had a lot of space on it, and one that was not too expensive. In this Sandisk Sansa e280, I got all my wishes. With 8 gigs on board it can hold quite a lot of music, which is my main use for it. As I was shopping for this, I noticed it was one of the less expensive choices, yet the reviews are positive. This is a case where inexpensive does not mean cheap or poorly made. It is small, lightweight, with a long-lasting battery. It comes with earphones, but probably most people would want better ones than those that are bundled.

I bought my Sansa about a year ago now, and I have been more than happy with it. It's a lightweight, durable little player that has withstood quite a beating from me and is still running great.

Pros:
-Long battery life. I can go for a few weeks without charging it (though I don't use it continuously). Also, the removable battery is a nice feature.
-Lightweight. It is super lightweight, and fits in any pocket comfortably. It's easy to forget it's there!
-Filetypes. The player accepts pretty much any audio filetype you throw at it.
-FM radio/voice recorder. This is a feature that is really handy to have, and one that some companies have never incorporated into their players.
-Rugged. I've dropped this thing more times than I can remember, and there's still hardly a scratch on it.
-Memory. The 8GB of memory is plenty to keep a good representation of any music library on it. And if that's not enough, the microSD slot make expanding it up to 24 GB super easy.
-Windows. The player is super easy to use with Windows. Just plug it in, and it is automatically detected.

Cons:
-Interface. The interface isn't as intuitive as an iPod's. Scrolling through long lists of songs or artists can be tiring, as the scroll speed doesn't increase the longer or faster you spin the scroll wheel.
-Linux. Trying to sync with Linux is slow, and not immediately available.
-USB charging. The lack of an AC wall charger is annoying on long trips when no USB is available. However, the long battery life pretty much makes up for this.
-Headphones. The included Sansa headphones are terrible. Look into getting a new pair. I'd suggest the Sony Fontopia headphones.
-Proprietary plug. Much like the iPod, the Sansa has a proprietary cable that only works with the Sansa. If you lose this, you're SOL.

I purchased my Sansa for $75 on clearance. It was easily one of the best $75 purchases I have ever made.

It started out my younger sister got one. It was a e280 v2, which if you don't already know IS A DOWN GRADE! Hers worked for a while but now files are all screwed up. (That is the only reason my review isn't five stars).
But then my dad got a refurbished e280 v1 which works great. Then I got one and I love it. PS: I never useed the converter so this does not rate it.

Pros:
-Small
-Easy to use
-Held ALL my songs (1300 of them plus a video and pictures)
-You can get a chip to add more room
-Worked great in WIndows Media
-The metal back protected it for my many drops
-A cover and screen protector were cheap
-Has lasted a year so far

Cons:
-In v1 you cannot delete songs on device (v2 you can)
-You cannot turn down wheel brightness so at night it blinds you
-I will admit FM radio is a little hard to change stations


If you are having trouble with yours here are some tips:
1. If the screen goes grey and you are stuck or it is frozen hold down power button until shuts off (Note: this could take 10-30 seconds)
2. If you cannot view your files in WIndows Media player and it won't delete on device follow this link to delete files or just tell us how you did it:

[..]

If that link did not work here is also how you delete unwanted files:
_________________________________________________________________________
I have a refurbished SanDisk/Sansa e280 player. I was trying to delete duplicates but my device would not let me. And in my Windows Media Player it would not show the files on the device. Here is what I did and it worked for me:
1. Plug device into USB
2. Went to my Computer
3. Under Other I clicked Sansa e280
4. When in the in, there was only one icon PPI NAND which I clicked
5. You now have acces to everything on device, I went in and deleted a video and by going through the Music folder I deleted my copies.

CONS:
I could not change file names once downloaded


Hope this helps you!!!
Kcblondy
_________________________________________________________________________
3. Do not delete presets just scan over them. Saves time.
4. Check blogs. Most likely somebody else had the same problem
5. Do NOT unlpug from computer then plug it back in real fast it WIIL cause it to freeze. Then follow hint 1.



Hoped this all helped!!!

Once I spent over 2 hours on the phone with my free Rhapsody customer service person who walked me through the bazillion steps it took to synch the player with the music (and after losing the initial 400 songs I had loaded) - it works great - sounds great.

I bought my sansa 3 years ago, and it still works. :) this is a great mp3 player to get if you don't have a lot of music or care to carry around a lot as it only holds 8 GBs. Unfortunately for me that amount is wayyyyyy too little (forget even putting videos on it!). The mp3 player is pretty outdated in this day and age though but a nice little buy for what its worth.

Pros:

-durable, i've dropped it badly dozens of times and still works
-chic design
-great sound/video quality
-long lasting battery (at least 7 hours depending on your volume/brightness settings)

Cons:

-TAKES FOREVER TO TURN ON (16 seconds) ... maybe i'm just impatient but i hate it
-way too little memory for me; i need at least 20 GB
-has frozen numerous times but just screw off the back casing and take the battery out/put it back in and it will restart
-i hate the ugly blue menu but thats just my personal preference
-syncing has been inconsistently successful (most commonly album art doesn't make it, rarely but surely some mp3 files just won't transfer over, some artists/albums are STILL listed in my menu although i deleted them ages ago... the files are corrupt) and takes an annoyingly long time to sync files/delete files
-Rhapsody is so slow and laggy and takes forever to fully recognize and prepare for syncing w/ the device (prob 5 minutes at least)
-is too outdated and cannot use micro memory cards over 4 gb i believe if that... i bought a 16 GB memory card and it wouldn't recognize it. i had to try and reconfigure and reprogram my device but couldn't figure it out

We own 2 of the Sansa 4GB MP3s and wanted a new SanDisk as well since we were so happy with the others. I thought these weren't available anymore because there are newer versions out there, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the 8GBs still available on Amazon. I quickly ordered another one and received it in 8 days. I have already downloaded 1100 songs on it in the past week using Rhapsody.

The sound is great, it's easy to use and downloading with Rhapsody is inexpensive and a breeze! The SanDisk also has a voice recorder, you can record off of the FM tuner, store videos and more. It is very sturdy as well and you can easily add memory to it with a micro SD card. My family absolutely loves this little MP3 player and will never switch back to iPod. This is one of the best purchases we have ever made!

I just got this a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. I know the e200 series is by no means new, but retired rather, but it's a great music player for the price. The interface is easy to navigate even though the buttons around the scroll wheel are sometimes difficult to push. The overall design of the device is very attractive, with perfect compact size but enough mass to it that it's easy to hold onto, unlike the ipod nano. This is really like cheating, since you can get up to 16 gigabytes of memory through expansion without the bulky design of the mp3 players that have hard drives in them, like the ipod or the zune, which are just too big. Who needs 120gb anyway?

Pros:
-Great battery life. I've barely had to charge it three times since I got it two weeks ago.
-Simple, elegant, attractive design.
-Expansion slot for up to 16gigs of space w/out bulky size.
-Easy to hold onto, yet still compact.

Cons:
-Buttons around the scroll wheel can be difficult to push.
-You can't skip to a certain letter while going through the song list, you have to scroll all the way through down to 'f' or whatever it is you're looking for.

Overall, this product is a very good deal for what you pay, is reliable and sturdy, and even though it's a retired product line, Sandisk was ahead of the game when they made these. I recommend this product. A+

Poor quality. I have 2 and they both malfunction.

Nice while it lasts,,,,

I've owned mine for about a year now. It's traveled with me through Europe and the Middle East. I've dropped it several times without any damage. I use mine to listen to lectures, audio podcasts, old time radio shows. I have it on throughout the night, every night. It's worked great for me.

When I received the mp3 the radio function would not work so I returned it and was sent a replacement and it too did not operate right the volume control would not work. I asked for a replacement to be tested before being sent to me and was told they were out of stock. However I did receive a refund less return shipping of the first mp3 player.

OK, well I got this a while ago and for some reason never wrote a review, better late than never I guess.
I like mine, it works fine, the battery life is great.
The only thing I don't care for is the way you load new tunes, and it isn't the easiest to change the song genres. But I'm getting "old" so maybe it's just me!?
I use mine mostly in my truck. The sound quality is pretty good. It gets used frequently and not charged often. It sits in there all day and over night. I have a hard case for it because if you read any of my other reveiws I'm not the most carefull guy. So yes I droped it a couple of times, in the case. I think I've had this almost 8 months or so, it still works well. It's a good value. So I would recomend a sansa product to soemone that didn't want to spen the big bucks on Ipod. You get way more memerory for the money with this

I have loaded numerous CD's on the MP3 Player and have used very little memory. I love having something so small and yet so functional.

I bought my son and grandmother the 4GB version for Xmas. My husband was so impressed with it, he went and bought the 8GB version. I have an IPOD that was only 4GB for the same price as this SanDisk 8GB. My Ipod can only use Itunes, and does not have FM radio built in. The SanDisk MP3 player is still shiny and sleek looking even through the abuse my 9 year old gives it. The player also uses the same scroll wheel the IPOD uses, the Sandisk also uses additional directional buttons for navigation.

its a nice mp3 player, but the description fails to mention that it has to "refresh" data each time you unplug it. and even though it can hold 2000 songs i could never get above 500. now it doesnt want to have ANY songs playing on it.

The player had a defective screen, e.g. a significant nearly inch-long crack on the left of the screen. Very disappointing.

Bought 2 of them. Both refurbished. Both had same defect - Volume stuck in
low and would not shift to high. Could not be heard worth a flip if any outside noise. Not a scratch on them so this is probably why returned in 1st place. Such defects too expensive to fix. Know because wife worked at computer company. Should have benn tossed but they just put new back on em n' trying2pawn off. Was a GREAT mp3 player otherwise but if refurbished BEWARE!!!!!!!

I bought this player a little over a year ago and enjoyed it for the most part. I agree with the other reviewers saying it's slow to boot up, load playlists, navigate around, and the interface could use some work, but overall it wasn't that bad. Then last week all of a sudden, the headphone jack wasn't working properly. When I pushed the headphone plug in halfway, the left plays but not the right, and when I pushed the headphone plug in all the way, the right plays but not the left. So, I guess depending on whichever ear is your favorite, you plug in the cord accordingly. How annoying.

It's really irritating because I bought a Sansa thinking that it would for sure outlast an iPod, and it didn't. 'Tis a sad day...

The first Sansa I purchased lasted for 24 hours. Then it went dead all of the sudden. Will not turn on, will not charge, nothing. I returned it in store and exchanged it for a new Sansa. The second one lasted one week, then also died.
There are dozens and dozens of reviews like this online.
It's simply a defective product.

This player was so worth it, it is so easy to use to load and to erase to listen to for hours. Its great I love it. I lost my 4 GB and ordered the 8GB then found the 4GB and I was still glad to have them both. Well worth the money.

What a deal! 8 gigs,bright clear screen & has worked flawlessly.
Had a 4 gig that I payed almost twice as much for. Was a little concerned
about a "refurb" but it sinc'ed right up & has been working perfect!
Also, recieved within a week without special shipping.

This is a great little player. Didn't take me long to figure out the controls, and I've had it for a while, and the battery still hasn't needed re-charging. (I don't use it all the time, but every few days) Worth the money.

I absolutely love this player. I only use it for mp3s, so I can't comment on the FM tuner. This is really a 5 star item, except for one thing. The Sandisk Media Converter program is TERRIBLE! I tried to load some video, but got an error msg about it needing to be converted. There was a link to download the SMC, so I did. I made sure to get the latest version that was compatible for my unit. Great. I then tried to convert an .avi file. It started, and made it all the way to 50%, then it hung. I tried a .wmv file. Same thing. Tried a .mov file. Same thing. In fact, every file I tried did the same thing. When I contacted Sandisk, they recommended that I should re-download/reinstall the SMC. I did, and you guessed it. Same thing. grrrr. So, if you want to use it for mp3s only, it can't be beat. If you wanna do any video, you'd better try another brand.

This is truly a great product. It was so cheap and it is equal to my ipod. I got 2, one for each of my kids (4yrs and 5yrs). My 4 year old watches his cartoons and makes his own recordings on it. It's been a lifesaver.

Although most of the MP3's I've used are good, I prefer SanDisk because of its manual operation. Touch screen players have proven to be problematical for me whereas the SanDisk has not. Since I don't use it for watching videos I have found the 8gb capacity to be more than sufficient to me my needs.

SanDisk Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)

I bought this recently, and I love it! It's my first mp3 player, and I could not be more satisfied with it other than the earbuds are very cheap and hard, (lost the foam cushions within 12 hours) and hurt my ears. So I have ordered something better to replace the earbuds. But really, that's minor. The sounds is FABULOUS, and my family & friends as well as myself, were all shocked out how GOOD the video playback is of music videos...crisp, clear, excellent resolution, good color depth. I cannot imagine buying a different mp3 player now....so glad I didn't spend far more for an iPod!! Very easy to transfer files, excellent video conversion program you can download from the SanDisk site for free. A little bit harder to find the manual, as the link they give youu in the box is outdated, but I did get it finally as part of the software download. Intuitive, and very easy to use, quality is first-rate too.

Great product, HIGHLY recommended!

This little MP3 player offers good sound, but after a year or two, the software gets corrupted and it becomes difficult to navigate the menus. I'd recommend finding a different, more recent player. Despite the price and storage capacity, avoid this unit. Even if it offers superior sound, what good is it if you can't access your music/content?

This is a very good product. I had purchased the Sansa E280 8GB MP3 player because I once owned the Sansa E260 4GB MP3 player, but wanted more room. I gave my 4GB model to my husband, and purchased the 8GB player for myself. The reason why I wanted more room is because I use the voice recorder a lot for various meetings I'm involved with. That feature alone is great to have on this MP3 player. To maximize the space, I formated the player which deletes all of the pre-loaded items. Right now, I have close to 2GB of music alone on my 8GB MP3 player.
Both of these models has an extended memory card which you could make use of too. That is a nice feature to have on these MP3 players as well. I have not felt there is a need yet to use the micro memory card. On these MP3 players you can also play the FM radio stations and record off of it. There is no other MP3 players out there, including Apple's I-Pods, that has these features.
I will tell you that you should get an AC plug adapter to fully charge the Sansa MP3 players. It works alot better that having to charge it up by your computer.
When I received my Sansa E280 8GB MP3 player, the CD program was missing. I did go online to Sansa and informed them the CD was missing. I didn't really get anywhere. Luckily for me, I already had the software on my computer from the Sansa E260 4GB MP3 player.
That is why I gave 4 stars instead of 5 stars. It is a really good product overall.

After much internet searching, I finally chose the Sansa to be my mp3 player, and I am very glad that I did. Out of box it is a fine player, but after loading the Rockbox firmware and adding a microsd card, it is easily the best player in its class. Supports .flac, .ogg, mpeg playback, and much more after rockboxing.

This refurbished sansa e280 8 gb player look like new, It worked good once I got it to connect to my computer.I was surprize it came without installation cd, but it works fine without it.You can go online and get user manual.

I have owned this unit for a little over a year now and I am still glad I went with the purchase. The unit itself is very user friendly and has a lot of features you don't get standard with an iPod like, fm tuner and voice recorder.

Again, this unit is very easy to use and is small enough to not be a hassle, but still seems to be very sturdy. I would recommend using a case to keep from scratching the screen. And being able to add more memory with a MicroSD is great. SanDisk knows what they are doing when it comes to flash memory and they have applied their know-how in this product!

Now, I would suggest that you take a look at the 8GB View as well. This wasn't available when I got mine and my brother just got one for Christmas. Very similar to the e280, but it has a noticeably larger screen. They also seemed to have improved the video and pic interface as well, so take a look at this unit before making a decision. Either way I think you will be very happy.

This mp3 player is amazing, more then I expected it to be. I got it for $60 (that includes tax and shipping), used (like new) and it's in great condition. I am very satisfied. It beats my old ipod nano by a long shot. it has more space, (4 GB more) and was still much, much cheaper. it plays radio, records, you can control the brightness of the screen to save battery, and delete songs right off the mp3 instead of hooking it up to a computer to delete it. you can't do any of these things with any ipods I've seen.
the controls are a little harder to do then an ipod, but you get used to it fast. the scroller does speed up like on an ipod, but that doesn't bother me. it doesn't have any games, or a calendar like an ipod does.
the first day i got it, i had some trouble with it, but after downloading an update, all the problems went away, so you should probably download the update if you get this.
over all, i love it!! i definitely prefer it over my ipod.
i still can't believe i got this wonderful product for $60!!

I purchased a refurb for $25. It's more than I can ask for for $25. But there are many issues that needs to be addressed.

1) When player is plugged to the computer to be syncup, and I am all done syncing, even after turning off my computer the player will not return to the main operation screen. I had to power down than back up to use the player.

2) The buttons are hard to use for the exception of the center enter button. The others buttons are nearly impossible to use. I am NOT a huge guy, I can't image a person that has larger fingers than i do try to work this thing.

Besides the above 2 issues, its a pretty decent player for $25. For the full value, I don't know if it can compete with the ZUNE or Ipod.

Had this for years, only problem is it will not stop, stay overnight and next day pick a movie up right from where it left off at, you have to fast forward from one of 4 spots on the movie that are chapters. I've just got a 120 Zune a few weeks ago; it is awesome, but expensive, so go with this for kids, or someone who just wants to listen to music. Oh and the Drag and Drop feature is awesome, you can add music really fast.

but I'll try;

I got a refurb for 50 bucks. Great condition. no problems. Like most normal people, I keep the player in either my hoodie pocket or my pants pocket. My headphone cords are occasionally loose hanging, and several times now, the cord has caught and pulled the player out of my pocket, but I was able to -catch it- mid air by the headphone cord without it slipping out. It's very very snug and good to your headphone cord. I HAVE dropped this player TONS of times. In fact- the 4 screws on the back have all fallen out (not because of bad construction... I lost them), but the player doesn't even NEED them. It is designed so well, the back snaps and stays on quite well without any fasteners (if it comes to that). Also, after some REALLY bad drops, the only damage this little guy has incurred is a bit of fractured plastic on the top left corner! The screen isn't scratched at all, no broken buttons or anything! If you buy the refurb for 50 bucks, you will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!

As a few others have posted, the volume on these ear buds is a little weak. That is ok for me though because I like to hear what is going on around me when I'm walking anyway. I still give it 5 stars because I was aware of this fact when I ordered it.

Other than that, this thing is great. I got the player about 2 weeks ago. I charged it the first time and put it in my coat pocket. I've listened to it now probably for about 7 hours and the battery is still pegged on full.

I think the menu system is just okay. I don't really use it much though. I just turn the player on and put it back in my pocket. I only have music on it I want to hear.

I don't really know what to say about this player other than it is what it is. It is almost half the price of a comparable ipod. When the battery finally dies, I can change it much unlike an ipod. I have yet to spend the $20 on an 8GB microsd card, but knowing I can double my space whenever I want is quite nice.

I highly suggest that if you decide on any mp3 player, you get a case for it to protect it. Especially the display.

I love my Sansa E280. I purchased a refurbished unit from "Retail Killers" on Amzon. It was a bargain at $53.00. It's easy to transfer music to it using Windows File Folders, I just copy & paste. I recommend buying a screen protector for it, this will ensure the screen isn't scratched. I use it on long bike rides & the internal battery has lasted 5+ hours on one charge. I also recommend storing it in a protective case or membrane, this will prolonge the device's life. Sandisk's customer support is excellent & you'll be able to speak to a live person, the number is on the Sandisk web site. The site is also usefull for instructions & software updates for your device. WARNING!!! Not all Sansa Micro SD cards work in all Sansa products. Find the model & generation number of your device, contact Sansa support & ask them what card is right for your device. I highly recommend.

While I love this thing and use it freely at the gym, at home, on long road trips and such, there are a few things that are annoying but not enoying enough for me to dislike it. For some reason whenever I connect it to my CPU to recharge, it erases my golists, however I believe if u create your own playlists in your computer it will copy them and keep them in your playlists menu. Sometimes it freezes up for a couple seconds, but again, not a bid deal whatsoever. I would appreciate a quicker way to add songs to a golist, or multiple playlists without use of my computer. Has it is u have to play a song, hold down the circle and wait for it to be added one by one to the golist, which gets erased anyway. Pherhaps charging by the AC adapter would get rid of this problem, but really, you shouldn't have to do that.
But thats it, everything works fine. I have not used the video option yet or used it to store images, even though it likes to copy all my images on my camera through windows media player when I hook it up to charge, until I stop it. My main goal was music and a cheaper altenrative to a Ipod.

This is my first MP3 player, it is better than I tought it would be. Bought it refurbished and what a great deal! 5 Stars!

Great book for the basics, Great Service!! Bought for my boy and he love's it, easy to use!!

The E280 does what I purchased it for, music only. File system is difficult to use. Mine was a refrubished unit. Beware of battery corrosion at the terminals. And be prepared to deal with Sandisk customer service. Unless it is cheaper to pay the return shipping and try for a good unit several times!

While I'm sure this is a decent product if you buy it new and from a reliable source. My experience with it was not the greatest. In fact...new or not, don't buy this if you have Vista. Do what I did, buy the updated one, the Fuze. It works so much better. Overall a decent product I guess. But the Fuze works better. "Let the buyer beware"

I bought this as a gift to myself.

The sellers were great! The package arrived on time with all the components they listed, as promised.

I use the SanDisk Sansa e280 to listen to music, and watch small video clips.

Points that it lacks for me...
1. No ability to listen to AM talk radio stations.
2. Cannot fast forward or rewind videos.
Only allows to pause and play videos from the beginning.

Other than that, I like the product.

After some research, I chose this unit as my first MP3 - chiefly because the price was right, the consumer reviews were favorable, and because the size of the screen was the biggest I could find. This unit is very easy to operate and the sound quality and function are terrific. I intend to use it only for music, but it has video and recording capability as well. It also records sound files, but beware of this function - the "record" button is entirely too easy to turn on, so you may find yourself recording accidentally and then having to delete this useless file. I have a fairly big music collection and went for the 8GB memory rather than the 4GB, and I'm glad because I used 4GB of the space in no time. Be aware that the unit comes with some material already on it, which takes up some space - you can delete it. The e-series players also have a user-replaceable battery, which was another selling point for me.

My one gripe is that for those of us of the analog generation, there is no "stop" feature, which I'm told the iPod does have. I get it; there are no moving parts and therefore nothing to "stop", but when one has a playlist five albums long and you want to quit 1/3 of the way into it, it is frustrating to have to either zoom all the way to the end or select another album and then cancel out of that one. I contacted Sansa Tech Support and they confirmed that these are basically the only options, which is ridiculous. (Turning the unit off for a spell doesn't help either; the player simply starts up again where you left off, the next time you turn it on.)

I strongly recommend that you also order the Sansa e-Series AC Charger, so you can just charge your unit from a wall outlet rather than your PC. The postage will cost more than the charger but it is completely worth having for the convenience. I also have (and highly recommend) the Altec Lansing speaker/docking/charging unit that is compatible with the Sansa e-Series players, as I use the unit almost exclusively with speakers rather than with the ear buds.

A quick note for first-time and techno-impaired users: I will spare you the pile of research and feeling foolish that I went through, with some basic tips, as none of this is mentioned in the downloadable User's manual. This manual erroneously assumes that everyone already knows the basic theory behind how MP3 players work.
First, you MUST have Windows Media Player 11 on your PC, and not an earlier version. Countless forums online have mentioned this as the solution to problems of getting their players to interface with their PCs. I made sure I had MP11 up front and have not had any problems.
Second, the basic concept of using an MP3 is as follows. Your computer is going to serve as the master storage library for all of your MP3 music - your music will have to stay on there for as long as you want it on your MP3. You put your music cd into your cdr drive and bring up Windows Media Player; you must tell Media Player to "rip" the music to your library (which means it makes a sort of low-res version of the music file - it sounds fine, don't worry). You can opt to uncheck the one song that you don't like on a CD, and it will be left out. When you have done this to all of the cd's you want to add for the time being, you then plug your MP3 into the USB port of your PC (the Sansa MP3 player comes with a plug thingy for this) and you must tell Media Player to "Synch" (i.e. synchronize) the library's contents to your MP3 player. It will copy everything over as it is on the library. NOTE: If you remove something from the library, the next time you synch, it will be removed from your MP3 player as well. You can add to the library and re-synch over time. You should also map out in advance what, if any, Playlists you want to make up. These are very handy things - you can select and string albums or songs together in any order and give it a name, and the player will store and follow it; however, you have to create the playlist in Media Player before you Synch your MP3. It will synch over with the rest of the material.

I recommend downloading the full Users manual from the Sansa site. Their Tech Support folk are also very helpful. Enjoy your unit!

Needed more space because my 4gb clip was full and found this online only problems i've had is skipping while listening to some songs at full volume but installing rockbox fixed this other than that this is a good mp3 player I highly recommend it

Since there are so many fine reviews here, I'll just add my two cents' worth.

For $59.99 I purchased a refurbished model of the e280 and couldn't be happier. This model beats the iPod Nano 8GB on features and the sound is about equal with perhaps a slight nod to the Nano. The unit looks exactly like a brand new one with the exception of the word 'REFURB' embossed on the back.

Features:

SanDisk doesn't require you to use any particular music source or program, so iTunes isn't an issue.

The Sansa includes an FM receiver -- the Nano doesn't.

The Sansa includes Video playback -- the Nano doesn't.

The Sansa's screen is a bit larger and the picture quality is excellent.

The Sansa includes a record feature allowing recording of the FM signal or your voice (with its own microphone).

Sansa players include a microSD slot allowing for memory expansion. An extra $25 or so gives you an extra 8GB as of this writing.

Operation between main memory and the expansion slot is seamless (without alot of menus, dialogs, etc.).

The Sansa includes a built-in equalizer with presets (Classical, Jazz, Funk, Rock, etc.) and a custom feature allowing you to build your own sound, something the Nano doesn't offer.

Dowloading music is as easy as drag-and-drop. I use Windows Media Player version 10 (with XP) and have had no problems. Make sure your files are .wma lossless or you will get a 'Bad Track' error message. This is found in the Options menu of the Media Player.

I'm told the Sansa has a greater flexibility with play lists, especially coupled with Windows. Sub-menus are easily handled as is artist information as is cover art. I've heard (but have no first-hand experience) that managing play lists with the Nano is more involved.

The included earbuds are actually decent, although I've upgraded to the Sennheiser PX100 headphones. I recommend the Sennheisers, but it's great that a refurbished product comes with a good pair of stock earbuds.

The owner's manual is short, sweet, and very clear. But if you get stuck as I did with reformatting the refurbished unit's memory, the toll free customer support is very good, polite, and solved the issue.

I've purchased some accessories for the e280 such as a car/wall charging kit, a clear crystal case, a leather carrying case for the player and the 'phones, and an FM transmitter that allows me to play the contents of the Sansa over my car stereo.

I also purchased a 2-year warranty for about $11. Refurbs come with a 90-day warranty, so 2-years plus 90 days is a bargain. The new units come with a 1-year warranty.

All in all, I've got a great digital audio player with accessories for only a bit more than the cost of a new e280.

Highly recommended.