Sansa keeps rolling, announces new slotRadio player and cards

Sansa just keeps on rolling with it's slotMusic initiative, and today announced the new slotRadio Player and slotRadio music cards.

Aiming to provide more functionality and storage capacity than the slotMusic player, the slotRadio still has the same design geared toward simplistic controls and usage. No PC is required to operate the player, nor is an Internet connection or software to load music to the player.

The slotRadio player comes bundled with a slotRadio music card that contains 1,000 songs. The card is preloaded with Billboard chart toppers in a variety of music genres - including rock, contemporary, country, and others.

The slotRadio looks to overcome one of the main gripes that users had about the slotPlayer - the inability to easily navigate through MP3 tracks and work with playlists - by preloading a set of playlists that are included with the music cards. The playlists are genre-themed and include themes such as "chillout" and "workout".

Noam Kedem, vice president of product management, says "slotRadio dramatically lowers these barriers, offering a genuine alternative to existing options," said . "This makes slotRadio a perfect player for the pressed-for-time mom, the harried traveler, the can't-stop-now fitness fanatic, as well as anyone who just wants to kick back and discover new songs, or re-discover a timeless favorite."

Priced at $99.99 USD - including the 1,000 song card - the die-cast aluminum player also features a 1.5" OLED screen for viewing artist and song information, an FM radio and an integrated belt clip for hands-free listening. Additional 1,000 song, genre-specific and themed slotRadio cards will be sold separately at $39.99 USD.

Look for the Sansa slotRadio player available for purchase online at sansa.com and at RadioShack stores nationwide in the first quarter of 2009.