The big debate for the user of digital music is of course what type of player to use, and the main contenders are MP3 players, which are compatible with Microsoft PC software, and iPods, developed by AppleMac. And even within these categories there are a bewildering range of players to choose from at varying prices.
Here are some good value players available for under 100 GPB to consider:
• Apple 8GB iPod nano – 3rd generation – this player is incredibly lightweight, has a sharp LCD display and 8GB of memory making it great value for the price.
• Cowon 4GB iAudio D2 - made in Korea, this player features video, FM tuner, photo and text viewer, memory expansion slot and a touch-screen 2.5 inch LCD that can be used with a stylus or fingertip.
• Apple 1GB iPOd Shuffle – 2nd generation – although it has only 1GB of storage, this iPOd is tiny and you can wear it on your sleeve (instead of your heart?)
• Creative 1GB ZEN Stone – a “no frills” player that can cope with most common formats, with a battery life of up to 6 hours and a range of colours.
• SanDisk 2 GB Sansa Express – a budget player with 2GB of storage and a FM radio, voice recorder and good quality playback of a range of file formats. It also has an expansion slot for adding extra memory making it excellent value.
• Creative 2GB ZEN V Plus – this model has 2GB of storage as well as added features such as video and photo storage. It is a good audio player as well.
• Samsung 2GB YP-T9JQB – not a very sexy name, but a stylish device nonetheless. It is Flash based allowing you to play flash games as well as use video, photos and FM.
Here are some good value players available for under 100 GPB to consider:
• Apple 8GB iPod nano – 3rd generation – this player is incredibly lightweight, has a sharp LCD display and 8GB of memory making it great value for the price.
• Cowon 4GB iAudio D2 - made in Korea, this player features video, FM tuner, photo and text viewer, memory expansion slot and a touch-screen 2.5 inch LCD that can be used with a stylus or fingertip.
• Apple 1GB iPOd Shuffle – 2nd generation – although it has only 1GB of storage, this iPOd is tiny and you can wear it on your sleeve (instead of your heart?)
• Creative 1GB ZEN Stone – a “no frills” player that can cope with most common formats, with a battery life of up to 6 hours and a range of colours.
• SanDisk 2 GB Sansa Express – a budget player with 2GB of storage and a FM radio, voice recorder and good quality playback of a range of file formats. It also has an expansion slot for adding extra memory making it excellent value.
• Creative 2GB ZEN V Plus – this model has 2GB of storage as well as added features such as video and photo storage. It is a good audio player as well.
• Samsung 2GB YP-T9JQB – not a very sexy name, but a stylish device nonetheless. It is Flash based allowing you to play flash games as well as use video, photos and FM.