SanDisk provides first significant step forward since iPod
The new SanDisk Sansa Connect in my estimation is the most interesting and significant evolution in the portable music player market since.well. the introduction of the iPod. Why? Because unlike the handicapped Zune it manages to integrate next gen thinking into a tight product form and apparently does it very well.
The new Sansa Connect integrates WiFi and Yahoo Music Unlimited so that the user can download music on the fly from the subsription service, browse Flickr albums and access digital radio via Yahoo’s Launchcast product.
The specs beat the Zune and iPod hands down - you can download music whenever you hit a WiFi spot, see what your buddies are listening to or check photos on Flickr. OK it ties you to Yahoo services but this seems to be a genuine snapshot of what the future offers for portable music lovers. Will we see the rapid growth of music rental rather than ownership - if so - this product gives us a glimpse of what music ownership may mean in the future.