iPod Touch
$329 (8 GB), $449 (16 GB)
This revamped version of the world's most popular digital music player has only one button, which you press to get back to the home menu. All other interactions take place on the touch-sensitive screen, including flipping through your media collection, skipping tracks or adjusting the volume. The key benefit here is a larger screen, which is a big plus for video fans (though with only eight or 16 gigabytes of flash memory, you won't fit many full-length movies onto the Touch before you run out of space). The Touch is also the first iPod model to have onboard wireless networking, allowing you to surf the Net. And since the Touch uses a stripped down version of Mac OS X as its operating system, it also has the capability to run applications. While third-party apps won't officially be available until February, friendly hackers have demonstrated that it's possible to write interesting applications that can turn the iPod Touch into much more than it is. The bottom line is that the Touch is a digital media player with the potential to be a full-on portable computer. Works on both Windows and Mac.
Archos 605 WiFi
$299 (30 GB), $349 (80 GB), $399 (160 GB)
Of course, the iPod Touch isn't the first media player with built-in wireless networking — Archos has been releasing players with this feature for a while now. The 605 WiFi also supports a variety of audio and video file formats, as well as the ability to record television when connected to a special dock. The unit can also surf the Web using the Opera browser, read text documents and PDFs and play almost any audio or video file you can throw at it. You can also custom-configure the menu system with your own artwork. True, the industrial design isn't quite as slick as Apple's, and you do have to pay a bit extra to unlock certain features, but the 605 WiFi will appeal to multimedia enthusiasts, tweakers and hackers alike. Compatible with Windows and Mac.
The Sansa View shows why SanDisk continues to gain fans: this little player is svelte but it feels very sturdy
Creative Zen
$129 (4 GB), $199 (8 GB), $249 (16 GB)
The newest multimedia player from Creative skips all the fancy adjectives and superlatives in its name: it's known simply as the Zen. This credit-card-sized player has a 2.5-inch colour screen, FM tuner and a Secure Digital memory slot for additional multimedia files. In addition to standard audio formats, the player shows photos and plays video formats including Windows Media, DivX, Xvid and MPEG 1, 2 and 4, but be forewarned that many of these will require a lengthy conversion process to fit the screen. The Zen is compatible with Windows XP and Vista — sorry, Mac fans.
SanDisk Sansa View
$165 (8 GB), $220 (16 GB)
The Sansa View shows why SanDisk continues to gain fans: this little player is svelte but it feels very sturdy — you get the feeling it won't fly to pieces if you drop it. It comes with eight or 16 gigabytes of flash memory, but it also has a microSDHC memory card slot for those who want to add content on the fly. The player supports Windows Media, MPEG4 and H.264 video files, but as with the Creative Zen, a lengthy conversion process may be required to accommodate the player's screen. The Sansa View also has an FM tuner and a built-in microphone for voice recorder functionality. Unfortunately, it's Windows-only.
Samsung P2
$220 (4 GB), $270 (8 GB)
In addition to audio and video, the P2 has one nice twist: Bluetooth stereo connectivity, allowing you to listen to your music with optional wireless headphones. Compatible with Windows XP and Vista.
Mio DigiWalker C720t
$499
Wait a second, you might say, this is a GPS! It is, but you can also use its built-in speaker and large 4.3-inch screen for playback of your audio and video files from an optional Secure Digital card. It also has a 2-megapixel camera.
Sony NWZS616FR Walkman Video MP3
$100 (2 GB), $140 (4 GB), $199 (8 GB)
The Walkman keeps on evolving — this one comes with a near-2-inch display, the ability to play video and an FM tuner. Available in multiple colours, it's only compatible with Windows.
iPod Nano
$169 (4 GB), $219 (8 GB)
While the clip-on iPod Shuffle is the smallest player in Apple's lineup, the iPod Nano still impresses. What else can you say about a device that's barely thicker than the headphone jack yet still plays full-motion video? The Nano is still best suited to be an audio player, however, with its 2-inch screen and just four or eight gigabytes of onboard memory. While this redesign makes it a bit wider than the previous model, it's also shorter and thinner, making it easier than ever to stow away in a pocket, whether you're walking, exercising or ignoring everyone else on the subway ride home. Compatible with Mac or Windows.
SanDisk Sansa Clip
$48 (1 GB), $71 (2 GB)
Clip-on media players seem to be the hot new trend, and SanDisk's entry is the Sansa Clip. The clip portion is a bit fragile, but you can detach it if you want to slip the player into a pocket. A tiny two-colour screen allows you to scroll through your music library or access other features such as the built-in FM tuner or voice recorder. No video playback. Windows only.
Creative Zen Stone Plus
$60 (2 GB)
If you've ever skipped stones across water, you understand this player's name — it's the perfect size and shape for skipping (you'll probably want to hold onto it, though). Despite its tiny size, it packs in two gigs of memory, an FM tuner, a voice recorder and a tiny window for the player's menu. Windows only.
