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"Decent mp3 player but the unlimited to go option may be vanishing"
3.0 starson by Food docPros: Good MP3 player with WiFi for listening to LaunchCast radio
Cons: Yahoo unlimited to go may be vanishing making the WiFi relatively useless
Summary: Unfortunately yahoo has removed the "Unlimited to go" option from their website unless you've bought a Sansa Connect. Based on that and reports in reputable sources such as the WSJ and other business based reporting it may be that the "To Go" option is being phased out.
Actually, IMHO, I think that Yahoo is coming to the realization that the Unlimited to go pricing model just doesn't work. It's based on the assumption that a person will only download about 8 - 9 new songs per month to their MP3 Players (figured as $.79 per song and the price differential between monthly Unlimited and Unlimited to go subscriptions). Most people, when they learn the potential for 'all you can eat music' download much more than that. From a financial point of view the $6.00/month "sample all the music you want on your PC" and then get a $.20 discount for buying the music makes much more sense. Unfortunately this will cause major problems with the Connect unless they can set up an option for an "Unlimited" account to be accessed on the unit and then you hit a "Click here to buy" function. This will also required them to allow for a wider access to their on-line store through the Connect something which may not be possible. Presently the Connect only has limited access to the 'most popular' songs in the Yahoo music store via WiFi, apparently a bandwidth/software issue. If you have to connect the unit to your PC to download songs that way the WiFi is relatively useless.
Oh well, I'm just glad that I'd found this out before I bought a Connect for my son for his birthday, I'll now consider a satellite radio/mp3 player (such as the Inno (we're XM fans)) or just get a something like a view or the E series unit. BTW, if you weren't aware the newer XM portable devices allow for the saving of individual songs that you hear on the unit (instead of only saving them by time blocks you can actually find the song you've saved by title/artist) and the monthly price for the XM subscription ($7.00 for a second unit or $14.00 for a first subscription)makes those almost equivalent to the Connect, probably the Sirius Stiletto works in a similar fashion but having never used one I'm not sure about that. My daughter has the Inno so I know that that works the way I've described. The only advantage the Connect had was the ability to wirelessly transfer playlists which the XM units currently cannot although they do support playlists created on a pc/mac and transferred by USB similar to most MP3 Players. The only advantage I ever saw in the Connect was the ability to wireless transfer music and playlists and since that may be going away I'm going to stay clear of the device. Without the wireless download capabilities the device offers no advantage over the other Sandisk players and I'm not going to pay the premium for a functionality which may become useless in the near future.
- 1 reply to this review
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Sandisk is still very actively working on the Connect as of November 2007. They just released a firmware update--automatically installed over WiFi--that addresses virtually all complaints about the unit (e.g., the inability to search Yahoo's online catalog from the Connect) and even adds video support. So while you are right that Yahoo's move doesn't inspire confidence, the game is definitely not over. This significant update of the Connect could be an indicator of even better things to come in the future as far as their partnership with Yahoo! Music goes.<br><br>Also, even assuming that Yahoo! completely kills the "to go" portion of their Music Unlimited, the Connect will still be an "iPod with Internet (Launch) radio." Frankly, that is enough for me. I enjoy the Music Unlimited features, but would be quite content without them, as long as Launch radio continues. It's the radio that learns from your ratings that is really the "killer app" for me. I've wished for an iPod that supported it for a long time, and I finally have it.<br><br>Lastly, the lifespan of any of these devices is quite limited. Continuing the service for "the present," as you say, will probably last the useful lifespan of the Connect. If the service does go, you will probably be ready for the next thing anyway.
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