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Oct 24

MyFive: Good iPod Alternatives

This article was written on October 07, 2007 by CyberNet.

Not everybody has nor wants to jump on the iPod bandwagon so that they, like millions of others, can waltz around with their signature white headphones. If you’re one of those people that refuses to get an iPod but you’re still wanting a digital media player, there are plenty of great alternatives. Here are just five of the many available.

Zune
The 30GB Zune is getting replaced in about a month with the new 80GB hard drive version and the 4GB and 8GB Flash versions, but it’s still a great buy, especially because there will really be no differences in terms of software between the “old” and “new” Zune’s. It’s got an intuitive interface, you can play audio, video, view photos, and even listen to FM radio. With the new versions coming out soon, you’ll likely find some great deals (like this one) this month.
Creative Zen
Using the Creative Zen 16GB MP3 player you can watch 64 hours of video, or enjoy up to 4,000 of your favorite songs. You can also share hundreds of your photos on the 2.5 inch color display. It’s got a clock and alarm function, volume restriction, eight equalizer settings, and a USB hard drive mode. The Creative Zen 16GB model is priced at $249.99
SanDisk Sansa e280
Unlike the iPod, the Sansa features FM radio and has an easily replaceable battery. It also has a voice recorder, and you can record from the radio. It’s got a great interface and uses a scroll wheel with four buttons to control the player. It’s flash based and has room for 8GB of songs, videos, photos, and voice recordings. The Sansa e280 is priced at $131.39.
Toshiba Gigabeat 30GB Portable Media Player
Like most portable media player devices (excluding the iPod) this Toshiba player includes a built-in FM tuner. It’s got a 2.4 inch WVGA display, and will run about 20 hours per charge. This is a great player for movies, photos, and videos, and is priced at around $255.00.
Sony 8GB Video MP3 Player
Priced at around $209.00, the Sony 8GB MP3 Player features up to 33 hours of battery life, high quality video playback at 30 frames per second, and includes an FM tuner with 30 station presets. Of course you can watch videos too on the bi-directional LCD display.