The Sansa Clip is a newer entry to Sansa's growing line of impressive MP3 players. Sansa continues to lead the market in non-iPod portable music players and the Clip is clearly positioned against iPod's Shuffle (and Creative's similar Zen Stone), and presents a great value in the category.

First, the basics: the Clip comes in 4GB, 2GB and 1GB versions, all weighing less than an ounce and measuring just a little more than two inches wide. There are three colors--black, red and blue--and each unit sports an attached clip (of course) for active users who want to keep their hands free. The Clip does everything its closest competitors do and then some.

There's an OLED display to see what's playing and to help navigate the menu options, although those are blissfully straightforward. The FM tuner is better than some we've tested on more expensive players with more features. Presets are easy to enter, and a click of the center button navigates each one in order. The voice recorder is another welcome addition, and recording programming directly from the radio is quick and easy. Even storing and playback of recording is simple.

The included ear buds are white, like Apple's, but of better quality than most. In fact, the Clip's audio quality could go up against players going for more than twice the price, with clear, only slightly tinny sound. The player supports MP3, WAV and WMA formats, plays DRM free downloads and works with subscription music sites. But SanDisk is furthering its partnership with Rhapsody (like Apple with its iTunes), and the Clip is designed to work best with that service, although it's not necessary to subscribe in order to transfer music to the player.

If there's one criticism to be made, it's a minor one, having to do with the Clip's scroll wheel. A scroll wheel is de rigueur on many portable players these days, thanks to the iPod, but most companies don't make particularly good use of it. The Clip is no exception. Navigational icons and functions are located on the wheel and it lights up when in use, but the wheel itself is just for show, not moving at all, and volume controls are on the side of the player. Once you get used to it, this probably won't be a problem, but we found it disconcerting and kept trying make that wheel do some scrolling. But overall, the Sansa gives the Shuffle a real run for its money.

Pros: Display, good sound quality, FM tuner, voice recorder
Cons: Ineffectual scroll wheel