SanDisk Takes On Apple And Microsoft

At a packed press conference in a room that was hitting over 100 degrees, flash memory maker SanDisk has announced three new digital media devices including a video player with a four-inch widescreen display.

SanDisk launched its first challenge to Apple’s iPod last year with the Sansa, an MP3 player closely connected to RealNetworks Rhapsody music service. However the service like a lot of other US services is not available in Australia.  The new models take SanDisk right up against its one time partner Microsoft with the Zune player.

 
Among the products unveiled by SanDisk was the Sansa View, a video and music player it expects to start selling tin the US for $299.

The gadget has 8 gigabytes of memory – tiny compared to Apple’s heftiest 80-gig iPod _ with space for an additional memory card. It works with recent versions of Windows Media Player, and can download music from various services, including Rhapsody and Yahoo Inc.’s Yahoo Music.

The entire gadget, including speakers and a replaceable battery, is less than an inch thick.

SanDisk also said it will start selling two new music players in March, the Sansa Connect and the lightweight Sansa Express.

The Connect can use a Wi-Fi connection to access music services on the Web _ including streaming radio _ instead of relying on transfers from a PC. The 4-gigabyte model, which will retail for $249.99, also allows the user to connect to the Web to seek out and share music recommendations.

The Sansa Express is a 1-gigabyte music player reminiscent of Apple’s first chewing-gum-pack-sized Shuffle. It connects to a PC using USB 2, and stores 1 gigabyte worth of songs. But the $59.99 device also boasts an FM tuner and FM recording, and a voice recorder with a built-in microphone.

The Express will launch in Australia at the end of quarter one with pricing to be advised closer to launch date. The View and Connect are not being released in Australia, according to SanDisk spokesperson Byron Connolly.