SanDisk is looking to make that move a bit easier with the with its new slotMusic cards—essentially full albums loaded on microSD cards. SanDisk on Wednesday unveiled the Sansa slotMusic Player, its new MP3 player for listening to music on the go. Both types of slotMusic Players are shipping to U.S. stores today ? including Best Buy and Wal-Mart. It weighs just over two ounces and measures 2.75†W x 1.4375†H x 1.4375†D. It’s about the size of two lighters and feels very robust.
The Sansa slotMusic Player doesn’t have memory or screens, just some basic controls. It uses a USB slot for the 1-GB microSD cards. In addition to the basic model, SanDisk is building artist-branded versions of the product, priced at $34.99, with pictures of Abba, Robin Thicke and others bundled with slotMusic cards pre-loaded with those musicians’ albums.
In fact, you don’t even need a computer to use the Sansa slotMusic Player, and the package doesn’t include a USB cable–there’s no syncing port on the device anyway. Instead, SanDisk includes a USB adapter that can be plugged into the computer for transferring content directly to and from the card, and rather than having a built-in rechargeable cell, the unit is powered by a single AAA battery (rated for 15 hours), which is concealed beneath a removable faceplate that wraps around the player. slotMusic cards available this month will feature nearly 40 of the biggest names in music from all four major music labels: EMI Music, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Artists on slotMusic cards include Robin Thicke, Katy Perry and Coldplay.
