Philips SA1110/37 1 GB Flash MP3 Player (Black)

I gave it 3 stars only because this really isn't a top of the line mp3 player. It did what it said it would do and it was very easy to load music onto. I bought it because there were features that I wasn't allowed to have where I was going and this was the only one I could find. It was OK for what I needed it for.

I bought this mp3 player to replace an older Phillips mp3 player that I have had since 2007. That one lasted the entire time without a problem and had to be preplaced only due to my breaking the lcd screen by accident. The mp3 player itself worked flawlessly and this new one is destined to work the same. The only improvement I would hope for is increased memory greater than 1 gb.thank you phillips, for making such a solid product.

Much bulkier than Zen Nano, nearly twice as long, twice as thick. Looks rectangular in package, but is actually triangular in cross section. The Philips is even bulkier than the Samsung YP which uses an AA battery. That's not to say that the Philips is really objectionably large. In fact, the Philips is a nice size and shape for holding in the hand--if there was any reason to do so, such as recording notes or dictation. But, the REC button is in the wrong place to use the unit this way, and the way the unit operates makes it unusable for recording notes or taking dictation.Like Zen Nano: 1) has a usable pause function, 2) has a short (90 day) warrantee, 3) has an inadequate user manual, 4) uses same AAA batteries. The Philips claims to remember settings when it powers down on a dead battery, but like all other MP3 players, doesn't.Inferior to Zen Nano: 1) Customizable functions very limited. 2) No line-in for recording from cassette player, radio, etc. 3) does not support protected WMA (downloaded from libraries or purchased from providers). 4) no neck cord, no belt clip etc. 5) Too bulky to be comfortable in a shirt pocket. 6) Poor for listening to audio books because of extraordinarily slow upload times. It may take 20 min to upload an average size book. 7) crappier earphones. 8) You have the choice between a fast forward function when you hold the >> button or a "skip to next folder" function--you can't do both without altering the settings. 9) the "skip to next folder function" doesn't work if you load a set of folders within a larger folder. You have to load the folders one at a time for this function to work. In contrast, the Zen Nano easily navigates between folders and tracks, regardless of how they are loaded. 10) On/off/pause button not distinguishable by touch from forwards/reverse button--this is far more annoying than it sounds-you cannot pause by touch. 11) No FM radio. 12) A fresh AAA seems to last only about 4 hours. The included Philips battery lasted for only about 3 hours. Compare that to the 40+ hours that the (smaller) Samsung YP gets on a single AA battery. Perhaps you say "I use rechargeable batteries so battery life doesn't matter to me"---however, note that when you recharge the batteries every night, they fail after a few months, so you'll have to replace your expensive "rechargeable" batteries. If not the cost of batteries, the inconvenience of having to change batteries every few hours (and loosing your place in your audiobook everytime) is intolerable.Better than Zen Nano: 1) Voice recording is much simpler with the Philips than most other MP3s. Voice recording of meetings or lectures may be useable--but the unit lacks voice activation. A cheapy voice recorder with voice activation would be better for this purpose. Not usable for recording notes or dictating because of a long gap between pressing REC and the actual beginning of recording and having to hold the REC several seconds to stop the recording. 2) Full-size USB male plug is nice, but the unit is so bulky that a short patch cord (supplied) is necessary in most cases, and the cover is very likely to fall off and get lost.The Samsung YP-C1Z/XAA looks to me to be the best choice in replaceable-battery 1G MP3 players. The Samsung 1 year warrantee is significantly better than the 90 day Zen or Philips warrantees.In conclusion, the Philips is fine if you only listen to music which you have ripped from your own CDs, or unprotected files you've obtained from some other source. There is nothing that the Philips does better than other MP3 players, and almost any other MP3 player is better designed or offers more features than the Philips.> Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

I agree with most of the negatives/CONS posted already. (e.g. the packaging IS DECEPTIVE, i.e. it APPEARS you are getting a unit the exact size and SHAPE of a 7-stick gum pack, but it's really quite a bit thicker, and triangular in cross-section.)Also, I can see the *potential* for the USB cap to become loose-fitting, but after 24 months, mine's still snug. Knock on plastic.OTOH, karma swung my way: i.e. agreed to pay $75 (incl. tax, May 2007) only because $40 mail-in rebate included from Office ____. Months go by, no rebate, visit customer website, clickety-click-click... then TWO $40 rebate checks show up! So they PAID ME $5 to take it off their hands, nyuk-nyuk-nyuk.Later on, I would need that fiver to buy new Philips-Magnavox (ChiCom) earbuds, as the wire for first one channel, then the other, eventually broke inside the original plug's strain-relief. No violent bending involved, just normal use. Perhaps a right-angle plug would prove more durable?PROS: 1) EASY (albeit slow) to load files on--it's ALPHABETICAL! (Wish my bloody Nokia phone were so straightforward!) If you want the folder called 'Xray Death Metal' to be first, just prefix a zero or 'a' to the title. For what you wish to be last, place a small 'z' in front of the name. Similarly inside the folders, simply prefix numerals to change the "natural" order to the desired sequence. Duh-simple. I like it.2) Nice nuanced assortment of equalizers.3) Handles several NON-MP3 formats, including some very compact versions of WMA. Kudos.4) Voice memo function handy, voice quality very good, even in vehicle; more than adequate for dictation. (Have NOT tested it in high-din situation, e.g. lecture hall.)5) Fits securely in the excellent and affordable Tunebelt AB3 armband.6) Accurate and linear battery meter.Pro/con: *does* remember exactly where you were in which file during battery swapout, but ONLY IF: a) you manually shutdown before battery dies completely; and b) you swap the battery quickly, say less than 20 secs. empty-bay time... as if it uses a small capacitor to keep "pointers" alive in a volatile memory...? Anyway, that's how it behaves.CONS: 1) Agonizingly SLOW FF/REW function! This is the only REAL DEAL KILLER: It's only 4x normal speed! So to jump (crawl) to minute 30 of an hour-long podcast/language lesson/lecture, you're holding down the FF button for 7.5 minutes! Holy thumb-cramp, Batman! And with NO audio feedback (you know, that screechy accelerated sample-stream), so now you have to WATCH the timer to avoid overshoot... on an AUDIO device... oh, the cruel IRONY... Bloody HELL!This could easily be remedied in firmware, but Philips has NEVER issued a single firmware update for this product, AFAICT. You know, like maybe after holding the FF/REW down for more than 30 seconds, it *accelerates* to perhaps 10x, or better yet, 16x!... HELLO Dutch persons!!!... ;')2) Awkward ergonomics. Whereas w/ iPod you can activate anything/everything with a single hand/thumb, this SA1110 unit requires 2 thumbs plus 2 index fingers! I call it the "crab-pincer" interface, LOL.3) Klugey, stilted menu navigation. e.g. the FF/REW button doubles as the folder-skip button, but there's WAY too many pushes of THREE separate buttons required to make this function-swap! Ridiculous. Annoying, actually. Not to mention AVOIDABLE... a little thinkin' and designin' next time 'round, eh?RE: Battery life--I get about 4 hrs. per hybrid re-chargeable AAA. Since I rarely use it more than 2 hrs./day, no problem keeping it ready by rotating a pair of batteries dedicated for this purpose.

This things sucks literally--- the life out of any battery. The battery it came with died in 1.5 hours. I have tried three other batteries of different brands (one cheap Big Lots brand, an Energizer and a Duracell) and they get sucked dry quickly. Sometimes, right after you insert a new battery, it will already show that it has been depleted on the Mp3's battery meter. It has other good qualities but if you listen to it on the move a lot like me, consider something with better battery life.

I gave this product to my 15 year old son for Christmas. Last week, he loaded his music onto it. He used it for 3 days. Yes, it goes through batteries quickly. However, the biggest problem was that on day 3, as he was putting it into his pocket, the display cracked. I was watching him and he was not being rough with it. It just cracked and can no longer be read. The menu is worthless. He was so upset. This seems to be a serious design flaw. I don't think putting it into a pocket is a misuse which a product can not be expected to withstand. This was a total waste of money.