Tablets, eReaders, Media Players - 2016

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Some people won't buy refurbs though. I've gotten some great deals with them, but I understand people being leery of them.

I understand.

I just wanted to make sure everyone knew about the option.

[silverraven]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

SanDisk has been dumbing down the line. The Sport lost features that the Zip had and the Jam lost even more features. The pinnacle, feature-wise, was the Zip.

And I loved the Clip +. It also had folder browsing. Wish SanDisk had kept making their line better and better instead of worse. I just don't like hauling around my cell phone to listen to audiobooks all the time.
Maybe they should come here and ask how to design their next player.
S

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by silverraven

And I loved the Clip +. It also had folder browsing. Wish SanDisk had kept making their line better and better instead of worse. I just don't like hauling around my cell phone to listen to audiobooks all the time.
Maybe they should come here and ask how to design their next player.
S

My favorite is the Clip Zip; I love the color display. I still have several Clip Zips for music. The Sport has issues--most annoying of which is that it sometimes repeats a chapter it's just come to the end of, especially if I've rewound it at some point while listening. But I forgive all for the battery life. I don't have to worry about recharging even if I've listened all day long.

The feature they should add is Bluetooth.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

SanDisk has been dumbing down the line. The Sport lost features that the Zip had and the Jam lost even more features. The pinnacle, feature-wise, was the Zip.

Ugg, so many companies do that now. Not just with physical products, it seems more and more are making web-based user interfaces stupid as can be on the assumption everyone will use a tablet or a phone with them.

[Josieb1]

In the UK Amazon have the 8GB Fire reduced to £39.99 and the 16GB to £49.99. Plus reductions on the HD6 and th HD10.

I picked up the 16GB Fire and I Must admit for a £50 tablet I am impressed.

[sufue]

I still have several original Clip and Clip+ that I use for the gym (one in each of a couple of gym bags and one in a locker, depending on where I go), for travel (so I don't burn the battery in my phone playing music) and at work (just for background music). I don't do ebooks, so file structure doesn't matter much to me, but I do really like that, tiny as they are, you still get a little screen that helps you navigate the options and playlists.

I love both the Clip and Clip+, and have only had two die so far - two of the gym ones that eventually got "sweated to death" - no matter how well I try to wipe the unit dry, the sweat does finally get into them. (And I've lost two to my husband and one to my son...sigh!)

Back when Woot was independent, and really truly a "daily deal" site, and used to have Sansa refurbs as their daily deal on a pretty regular basis, I picked up a bunch of Clip and Clip+ at ridiculously good prices. I am really glad I did, because I agree with others - they do seem to be getting worse, not better, as the product iterations go forward.

And yes, bluetooth would be nice, but I'm dealing without it okay...

Originally Posted by silverraven

And I loved the Clip +. It also had folder browsing. Wish SanDisk had kept making their line better and better instead of worse. I just don't like hauling around my cell phone to listen to audiobooks all the time.
Maybe they should come here and ask how to design their next player.
S

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by sufue

Back when Woot was independent, and really truly a "daily deal" site, and used to have Sansa refurbs as their daily deal on a pretty regular basis, I picked up a bunch of Clip and Clip+ at ridiculously good prices. I am really glad I did, because I agree with others - they do seem to be getting worse, not better, as the product iterations go forward.

Just an FYI in case you didn't know, the people behind Woot started a new daily deal site: Meh. I haven't seen any of the Sansa players on there so far, but maybe someday!

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Just an FYI in case you didn't know, the people behind Woot started a new daily deal site: Meh. I haven't seen any of the Sansa players on there so far, but maybe someday!

And if you want to get rid of Clip Zips or other old Sansa players, you might consider an Amazon trade-in. The Clip Zips fetch about $35 or so (prices fluctuate) in good condition--about what they cost new when they first came out. I traded in one of mine a few months back.

[sufue]

Cool, I didn't know that. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Manabi

Just an FYI in case you didn't know, the people behind Woot started a new daily deal site: Meh. I haven't seen any of the Sansa players on there so far, but maybe someday!

[crane3]

Originally Posted by Catlady

And if you want to get rid of Clip Zips or other old Sansa players, you might consider an Amazon trade-in. The Clip Zips fetch about $35 or so (prices fluctuate) in good condition--about what they cost new when they first came out. I traded in one of mine a few months back.

Will have to look into that!! Wonder if I have to remove the Rockbox OS; but then I could "reboot" into the original before sending it in..

Thanks.

[gabby98]

Per the CNET Cheapskate blog

Get a Microsoft Lumia 640 smartphone for $26.99

Remember when owning a smartphone -- any smartphone -- meant spending hundreds of dollars up front and then a minimum of $60-70 per month for a full two years? Let us never speak again of this dark period in our history.

Today, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Microsoft Lumia 640 5-inch smartphone for $26.99 plus tax, with free in-store pickup or free shipping if you pad your cart to at least $35. Update:If you have a Target store near you, the Lumia 640 is currently on sale for $19.99 (plus tax). Thanks to the readers who pointed this out!.....

[issybird]

Kobo Glo HD on sale for $99.99 plus free shipping at Kobo US today only, according to an email.

[sufue]

I thought I saw a sale for Moto E's recently somewhere else on this forum, but when I searched I didn't find it.

I have been looking for a replacement for one of my Moto E's that I dropped, tried to catch it, but just ended up batting it further, it skittered along the pavement in the parking lot, and then got run over by a car going by. (If I had tried to do this I couldn't have done it on purpose - it must have looked like one of those funniest home videos...)

When I checked a bunch of deal sites on the Internet, I found refurb Moto E 1st gen on sale at Page Plus Cellular for $9.99 and $0.01 ground shipping. I'm not sure about the differences between 1st and 2nd gen, but all I'm using it for is music and books, so I have to imagine it will work fine for that. Granted I have a LOT of books and a LOT of music, but they all reside on the SD card, and I'm not trying to stream video or even play audiobooks.

Anyway, I've ordered one and if it doesn't work, I'm only out $10.

Link is here: https://www.pagepluscellular.com/pho...to-e-(refurb)/

BTW, you should have seen the nice lady's face who ran over it - she was horrified, but when I explained to her that it had been all of $10 last Black Friday (I think that's how much it was?), that I wasn't really using it as a cell phone, and that I was just using it for books and music, we ended up having a conversation about it, and now she's a NCP convert too...many thanks to tubemonkey from someone not even on MR !

[sufue]

And, after that bit of good news, a bit of bad news. My LG Volt from two holiday seasons ago (???) now seems to have stopped recognizing its micro SD card. I've cycled the phone, taken the card out and put it back in, tried a brand new card, pretty much everything I can think of short of doing a factory reset - which I really don't want to have to do since then I have to re-tweak it to get it the way I want it again (and it might not work even after that). Oh, and BTW, the original card it doesn't recognize works okay in a card reader hooked up to my desktop. So I really think it is the phone.

Anyone else have this happen, or have any suggestions before I try the reset option? Or maybe order a second refurb Moto E...

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by sufue

And, after that bit of good news, a bit of bad news. My LG Volt from two holiday seasons ago (???) now seems to have stopped recognizing its micro SD card. I've cycled the phone, taken the card out and put it back in, tried a brand new card, pretty much everything I can think of short of doing a factory reset - which I really don't want to have to do since then I have to re-tweak it to get it the way I want it again (and it might not work even after that). Oh, and BTW, the original card it doesn't recognize works okay in a card reader hooked up to my desktop. So I really think it is the phone.

Anyone else have this happen, or have any suggestions before I try the reset option? Or maybe order a second refurb Moto E...

I have 2 of those Volts. Both have been experiencing battery problems. The cards are working fine, but the touch screen on one of them doesn't always work right (however, that one belongs to my 10 yo DD, so....)

It does sound like your Volt is going bad.