Looking into buying a MP3 player

I've been pretty happy with my Sandisk unit. It works as an all-in-one kind of unit, so it has video, photo, mp3, and even a mic for voice recording. It comes in a 2 or 6 gig model as well, and it has an expansion slot so you can add up to another 6 gigs if you need.

It's flash, obviously, but a curious thing that I noticed was that before I downloaded the Sansa updater program on my computer and it updated my firmware, the unit was functioning like an everyday flash drive. It had folder options, file properties, and I could basically just drag and drop anything I wanted to into the unit. Of course, this could have unexpected results, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend trying to use it as a flash drive.

As for complaints, the unit stores files differently after the firmware update. You can't create folders, so organizing your mp3s can be a pain, and since it doesn't function like a flash drive anymore, I can't simply right-click and check properties to see how much space is left, and I can't seem to find a way to check it in the unit's options.

Also, the interface is great, but I can't seem to find a way to create a playlist other than the one that it comes with, called "Go List." I can add tracks to it, but I can't create a different one, which is annoying, to say the least.

Finally, I came to the conclusion that the mic for voice recording is a little bit wimpy as well, after I figured out that it was pretty much useless for recording lectures. For recording your own speech, or someone sitting right next to you, it's perfectly acceptable.

It's a great value, I think, for everything that comes with it, and it maintains some of that sleek and stylish appeal that you might be looking for in a personal player.

Jam it back in, in the dark.