Links: SanDisk Sansa® Fuze™ Press Release / Sansa® Fuze™ Specs / Show Official Info /

If a sales associate tells you that the new SanDisk Sansa Fuze is the next-generation MP3 player, they've got a point. The sleek Fuze does far more than just play your MP3 collection; it lets you watch video on the bright 1.9 inch color screen, view photos, listen to one of 40 FM station presets, and even use the built-in microphone to record your thoughts while waiting for your bus, subway train, commuter train, or flight. Will it make you give up your iPod? That depends on where your inner cool is located.

My first impression of the black 4GB SanDisk® Sansa® Fuze™ MP3 player was that, while it was smaller than a credit card, it had a nice heft to it. Easily set up and easy to operate, the Sansa® Fuze™ comes with lightweight earbuds, proprietary USB 2.0 cable, and quick start guide.

While the slim lightweight earbuds don't look to be anything more than an inexpensive accessory, the quality of the sound they produced was very impressive, whether I listened to rock, classical, pop, country, or World music. They sounded great at low volumes right up to loud enough to listen to music while riding the subway, although I'll admit that I only played the music at the bare minimum needed in those circumstances.

I was impressed by the built-in FM receiver and the ease with which I could switch back and forth between playing music and listening to an FM station.

Another thing that impressed me was the resolution of the image displayed on the bright 1.9 inch color screen, although it was challenged by a sunny day. Reading song titles on the screen was easy, even for someone who didn't always have a pair of reading glasses handy.

The proprietary USB 2.0 cable is used to charge the built-in battery as well as download music from your computer. I've used other MP3 players and the Sansa® Fuze™ beat them all by miles when it came to ease of downloading when using Windows Media Player 11.

All in all, the SanDisk® Sansa® Fuze™ MP3 player is one I wouldn't hesitate to buy as a gift or recommend to anyone wanting an affordable and attractive flash-drive-based MP3 player loaded with lots of features.