Well, it might be styled like an iPod mini-me, but it’s never going to compete with the full-blown Apple model. For one thing, the circular control that’s looks like an iPod Click Wheel is actually a four-way button pad. And there’s no option to view video on that basic screen.

Thankfully, the Sansa Clip isn’t trying to punch above its weight. It’s actually taking aim at Apple’s weaniest product – the Shuffle. And in that area it has a real shot at the title.

Kicking off our initial attraction is the Sansa’s good looks. It manages to appear small but impressive at the same time, which is a difficult act to pull off. The blue glowing light that surrounds the control pad also backlights the key functions. This mixes elegantly with the green track listing and timer and the yellow battery gauge and song number that are shown on the screen (at least this is how the colours appeared on our black Sansa Clip – it also comes in red, blue and pink).

SanDisk seems to have learned from Apple that it’s not just good enough to have a great looking product, it also has to do the job and be easy to use. On that score, the Sansa Clip hits the bullseye. Even without checking the manual it’s possible to figure out how to access your own uploaded music, listen to the FM radio or record your voice using the built-in mic.

Controls are also kept to a minimum to avoid overcrowding. A Home button lets you return to the main menu at any time, offering easy access to all functions. The play, pause, options and forward/back buttons make up the circular pad, with volume control separated out to the side for better access. A single slider bar acts as power button in one direction and locks the device by pushing it in the other.

And while you won’t be watching any video on that small screen, at least it has one! You’ll need to log in to iTunes with a Shuffle to see what you’re playing and set up playlists. Here, you know what track is playing and can choose to listen by artist, album, song, genre, playlist or your rating.

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