SanDisk packs a lot into its Sansa e260R player and while it wasn't exactly love at first sight, this multifunctional workhorse wins huge points pretty quickly.

Design-wise, the e260R closely mimics an iPod, albeit thicker and heavier than any Apple player made today. Moreover, the clunky, awkward looking, poorly fitted plastic dial with uncomfortable ridged surface seems sorely out of place on a unit at this price.

But get past this first impression and discover just how much the e260R can do. It plays music in MP3 and WAV files, movies, displays photos, has a voice recorder, FM tuner and radio program record capability. A bevy of settings lets you customize your player, including automatic shut off, slideshow speeds and recording options.

The record button placement high on the left hand side of the player makes it a bit too easy to accidentally shift into record mode. We did this more than once, interrupting playback and forcing us into the automatic prompts to save or delete the audio file, much like the process of canceling out of an open Word document. But the e260R lets you circumvent this feature in "settings;" either turn it off completely or request to be prompted if it's accidentally switched on.

The 1.8-inch color screen is hardly big enough to support an optimal viewing experience, but photos and other images display just fine and the media converter supports all available photo and video formats. The included headphones weren't great, but swapping them out with a better quality pair gets rid of the underlying static and interference we were hearing on some songs.

The e260R works with Rhapsody subscription service and is linked to the service through Best Buy's online music store. With a Rhapsody subscription, you can download content, select favorites to store, save and add to playlists. Future music selections can be customized based on your selected favorites and should you actually hate a song or artist, the e260R let's you ban it forever.

We tested the 4GB version but this line is also avilaible in 2GB, 6GB, and 8GB versions. Each unit, including the e260R, features a microSD expansion slot for added memory capacity and file portability (Sansa is made by SanDisk, makers of the SD card).

If and looks are a priority you might be put off by this unit's styling. But if you're in the market for a player that packs a lot of punch and serves a real variety of needs, the e260R is definitely in the running.

Pros: A true multifunctional MP3 player, FM tuner, recording
capabilities.
Cons: Heavier than other players, clunky dial, sketchy sound quality

Warranty
1 year