Product Review: SanDisk slotRadio -199
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 10:29AM 
Are you interested in purchasing a portable music device but not looking forward to downloading music from the computer all day?
The SanDisk slotRadio is the newest gadget from Sansa. The slotRadio, priced at $99.99 is both an FM radio and a disk player- only the disks are SanDisk cards (similar to what most digital cameras have these days). The gadget operates much like a radio in the fact that you select a disk by genre and it plays a preset listing of songs.
Much like a radio, you don't really get much choice in what song is played, but you can skip (but not repeat) songs. I'll admit a bit of frustration when I tried to repeat a song again and I had to skip through hundreds of songs before finding it again- I'm not 100% positive but it does appear the songs play randomly.
Don't worry too much about repeats as each channel comes with 1000 songs. The slotRadio comes with a mixed disk but you'll have to purchase any additional disks- in the categories of country, classical, rock n roll, oldies all with 1000 songs each. At the cost of $39.99 per disk (plus shipping & handling) that's less than 5 cents per song, which beats out iTunes (generally 99 cents for one song). Sansa plans to keep updating disks to keep the list of songs current.
The slotRadio is small, light and the clip holds up to a fast-paced workout. The disks are small but manageable. Sansa does have a lot of accessories to help keep you organized from a travel case, card holder, and wristband.
For a visual tour of the slotRadio go to: Sansa slotRadio
Purchasing information can also be found at the link above.
photo: SanDisk Corp flickr
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Shanna Quinn is a Galavanting contributing editor and based in Chicago, IL. She likes lattes, going barefoot, when public transit is on time (not that it happens...ever) and of course traveling! Shanna would ultimately love to make a living traveling. Follow Shanna on Twitter >>
Reader Comments (10)
Shanna,
Did you actually use this product or are you just a sell-out regurgitator? This looks more like a SanDisk advertisement than a serious look at a product.
First question should be, "Why buy a slot radio when you can get an iPhone at the same price"?
-or-
"Why buy a slot radio when you can get a year of satellite radio at the same price?"
-or-
"How many lattes can you buy for $99?"
Put your shoes on and do some work.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Shanna did try it out and apparently liked it. The review was not sponsored. Sorry it bothers you so much that she liked it. I can only assume your questions were rhetorical, but hey, why not answer them with some simple logic:
1) If you already are in a contract with a company that doesn't offer an iPhone, this would be a good alternative.
2) Satellite radio is nice, but unless you had a mobile device that allows it, or your car driving alongside with the windows open and music blaring so you could listen to it on a walk through a city you're visiting -- it's a little prohibitive for travelers. And this is a TRAVEL publication Dave, not a listening-to-music-in-your-car or at an Apple store publication.
3) You can buy about 28 lattes for $99, depending on where you go.
If that answers all your questions, perhaps you can use whatever products would benefit you as a traveler. But I suspect you're a bit biased toward something else.
Kim Mance, GoGalavanting.com Editor-in-Chief
Go Kim!
Nice tone you have there, Dave. Lots of love to you with sprinkles, I'm sure.
It's a fun idea and looks an admirably sturdy little beast. But beyond the preloaded songs disks, does it work like a traditional USB mp3 player, ie. you can swap around and organise the songs yourself including uploading your own? I use a microSD card in my Smartphone and it's essentially a mini hard drive, so is this the same kind of structure? Or are the disks Read Only?
I love that - love with sprinkles! yum!
Yes, the slotRadio is customizable - you can drag & drop music from your computer. Sansa has a bunch of handy videos on their website under support to walk you through it step-by-step.
So looks like you can buy more lattes with the money you save by using your own music instead of buying the preloaded disk. That is, if you like lattes.
Shanna Quinn, GoGalavanting.com Contributing Editor
Wow. I'm in a better mood after all of the love sprinkles. After reading again, I don't see Shanna jumping out of her socks about this product.
Somebody (who isn't paid off) should admit that $99 is way to expensive for an MP3 player. Instead of lattes we should be counting the number of MP3 players at $15 you can get for $99 - I'm sure Kimmy can do the math.
"downloading music all day" - quite a stretch.
"you don't really get much choice in what song is played" - not uplifing
"I'll admit a bit of frustration when I tried to repeat a song again and I had to skip through hundreds of songs before finding it again" - again - not uplifting
"Yes, the slotRadio is customizable - you can drag & drop music from your computer" - although it will take you "all day"
Come on guys - $99 bucks???
Love and sprinkles
Dave
Again with the tone, dude.
Ah well. Never mind.
You're confusing quality with quantity. I haven't used this product, but I'd happily shell out $99 / £60 for a really good mp3 player as opposed to a £10 model that lasts 3 months and then dies one day when you bend down to tie your shoelace. That's why iPods are massively, stonkingly popular despite their hefty price-tag - they're solid pieces of engineering. And the normal-sized models are *well* above $99. (And they don't have a radio in them).
Also, you were complaining that the article was positive, and now you're complaining that the article was critical? I see a theme.
Affectionately,
Mike.
Shanna - thanks for the prompt reply. :)
With the custom-building side of it, I like the sound of it more and more. But is there any way to disable the random-play side of it, I wonder? Couldn't find anything in the website specs on this, and presume you had the same problem. That might frustrate a few people (although I quite like the idea of the constraint if it's permanently random choice - fun when you're out for a run with it) - so I wonder if that feature would last beyond the next model...? Hmm.
Dave - Even if Shanna liked it, she obviously felt a duty as a writer to point out both the positive AND negative aspects of the player. You listed the non-upifting things, so I will list some of the positive points... since you apparently missed them:
"Don't worry too much about repeats as each channel comes with 1000 songs."
"that's less than 5 cents per song, which beats out iTunes (generally 99 cents for one song)"
"The disks are small but manageable."
"Sansa does have a lot of accessories to help keep you organized from a travel case, card holder, and wristband."
Great article, Shanna! I'll stick with my iPod, even if it doesn't have radio. But thanks for the option. Had never heard of this before.
They just raised the retail price from $40 to $50 for most of the cards, must be selling like hot cakes or wanting to be like 2 month old hot cakes soon.