Never bought into the whole Ipod frenzy, still using my creative zen from 5 years ago still the original battery and still getting 8-10 hours of playtime. plus the sound is unbelievable.

I'll just stick with my last-gen iPod, it seems to work fine. But if you need an alternative, Target will sell you a box of rocks.

I ordered a 30GB ZUNE from Woot last week, the unit was a refurb selling for $99. The beauty of the ZUNE is that the DRM is less restrictive than the "fruit machines" (IPOD.) IMO

Each member of our family owns a Sandisk. We're all very happy with them. I feel absolutely no need for an Ipod.

I recommend [www.archos.com]
I've had the av420, av500, and now the 605 160gb player. All of which now offer more features for the same price as a comparative iPod. Hell my 160 gb Archos 605 has a touchscreen and wifi! They have everything from Nano competitors to iPod touch alternatives. Give it a look see...

There's always something to be said for not buying one of these gizmos at all. Save a few hundred dollars!

20GB Dell DJ works just fine for me. Price was right when I scored it a few years back. Smaller than a deck of cards...works just great for my purposes!

I have a Creative Zen Nano, and one of my favorite things about it is that it runs on a AAA battery -- I have several rechargeables and I just pop a new one in. It's nice and small and even came with an armband. Also, putting music onto it is a simple drag-and-drop operation. I've been so happy with my Zen Nano that I just got my boyfriend a Creative MuVo for his bday -- it also runs on a AAA battery.

(Not a shill for Creative, btw)

I just picked up a Zune for $100 from Woot, and I'm more than happy with it. But it also needs to be said, I will never, ever bring an apple product into my home (unless it's an apple product of the edible variety). I've had my share of other MP3 products, Sandisk Sansas were nice but short on battery life, RCA Lyras just stunk, and have been crash prone.

I'll just stick with my last gen iPod as well. A few years ago I actually was going to go from a 3rd gen iPod to a Zen, but after my second Zen's headphone jack went south in 2 months, I just upgraded the iPod and am on the same 20gb 4th gen.

There are definitely alternatives out there, but very few actually have the menu ease and transfer compatability that is ideal, especially if you like to stay away from windows media player.

FTA:

I don't want to be on the Apple bandwagon, but I can't find a case for my Zen player.

Well there you go; either you get the ubiquity of iPods, or you blaze your own trail and get something different. As my grandfather said, it's okay to be a pioneer, just don't complain when you come back to the fort stuck full of arrows.

@bigdirty:

Ok, I'll bite; why won't you bring an Apple product into your home? It can't be because you don't want to spend money, you've had by my count at least three MP3 players.

I'm a big fan of the entire line of Creative products. I've always felt that the entire iPod line looks like it's going to snap if you sneeze on it wrong. I like my electronics built to last, thanks.

Still deciding between Creative or Archos...

I've had refurbed 20GB iRiver (woot.com, $99) for the better part of this year and I still love it. I use the heck out of it, too.

How about not buying an iPod and instead getting one of those less expensive Sandisk media players on which you can just drag-and-drop music and most of them also have FM tuners.

I wouldn't mind finding a cheap, small mp3 player with wireless controlability. Screen size is non-important. It doesn't even have to have a screen.

@meiran: I have an iPod from fall 2003 that's still ticking.

I definitely recommend looking into www.rockbox.org if you have a supported player. Open source firmware for various players - makes it so much better!

Last week, I went to Radio Shack to buy a FM radio to use while I was out walking. The clerk has trouble understanding why I didn't want an Ipod or Ipodlike device. I don't own a computer (I log on at the library) and I was primarily interested in getting a radio so I could listen to NPR on the weekends while I was out getting exercise. She was astounded to know that Radio Shack actually sold a walkman like device. I had to hunt around the store to find it while she followed me with questions about why I didn't own a computer though. I just assume that she was a new clerk and didn't know the store's merchandise yet but it was odd that she didn't know that the local public radio station has great programs to listen to (Click Clack, This American Life, Fresh Air, BBC news etc.).

I'm a gadget freak, but I've always been the type to NOT like something if EVERYONE else has it. I have a Zune 1 and I love it. It has a lot of features that the iPod was missing and I like the design of it a lot better. Before that I had an iRiver H10 which I also like the design of better, although the interface did need a lot of work.

I've had my 30 gig Zen Vision:M for a little over a year and I love it. The only bad thing (which I knew going into it) was that the front of the unit - including the screen - is very prone to scracthing, so I bought a screen protector for $14. I got a case directly from Creative for around $30 (black leather, still looks great). I use it every day and aside from the very rare fast forwarding issue (causes the track to begin at the start, and is usually cause by poor mp3 encoding) I've had no problems or issues with it.

The best part? No need for itunes or any other proprietary software to load it - you can use Windows Explorer and you're all set.

gasp. Blasphamy!

I'm just imagining the "fun" of a drag-n-drop interface with anyone that has over 200 songs. Or playlists. Or incomplete/mislabeled songs. Or DJ compilations. (shudder)

I have a cheap 4GB Insignia (Best Buy house brand, I think) which I use at the gym - it syncs really easily with Windows Medial Player and I actually like making myself new play-lists and changing stuff around all the time, so the small size doesn't bother me.

I just don't feel that I need a larger-capacity iPod. I find it easier to plug my laptop and my big external drive into my surround sound system and let it play. By my rudimentary calculations, I could have a month-long house party and never have to touch it

I'll join the praises for the quality of the Creative players. I've had my Zen Micro for years and love it.

@morganlh85: So you're no better than somebody buying an iPod just because everybody else has it.

Buy the product that serves your needs, but don't be a bullet-pointer. A feature is not a feature if you don't use it: it's an annoyance. If you like to have your music managed for you and don't really care for FM radio, then an iPod is a pretty solid choice. But the Zune 80 looks decent too if you use Windows (otherwise: MS says screw you).

@clementine: Those shows are all available as podcasts.

Well that just seems like a poor reason not to own something. You don't like its design, its features or the company's policies, that is fine, but to dislike it simply because it happens to be popular with a bunch of people, that's just a poor reason.

I have an iPod, the newest generation (I only bought it a few years ago, so I was kind of behind the trend) and I have a sounddock to go with it. To me, the biggest benefit of the ipod is the video capability. I have yet to find something I enjoy more for its video capability. I can use a nano when I go running, but to watch something on a trip the iPod is the only thing I'll reach for. I don't have to carry any DVDs or a laptop if I don't want to, and it isn't bulky. One of the worst flight experiences was when the gentleman in the seat in front of me reclined his seat while I was watching something on my laptop and pushed the screen down. I'm not a big person (petite and normal sized actually) but that movement pushed my tray further towards me, sort of pinning me down.

What to do now? I cursed him silently, waited for a flight attendant to walk by and either notice my predicament or for me to snag the person and ask if they can do anything about it, and in the meanwhile I took out my iPod and resumed my video watching, since I had the same episode on my iPod.

@padraic - I do not own a computer. I log on at the library. Podcasts aren't an option that I am interested in.

Flash sticks with audio payback abilities have been my player of choice for a while because of the battery thing (a spare AAA lasts about 15 hours, vs a lithium battery running out of juice at inopportune times). But I finally broke down and ordered a Nano, reluctantly resigning myself to using the crappy "audio player operating system" iTunes in exchange for not feeling guilty about eating through AAA batteries all the time. Eight gigs, small and stylish. I figured what harm is there in buying one of Apple's audio players? But yeah, iPod. . . I don't need my entire music catalogue if I have to carry around such a large and expensive thing (even a $199 player is kinda pricey for my cheap ass, but I went for it anyway). Eight gigs is more than enough. One gig is enough, actually. A good Flash key that plays music (SanDisc makes one) loads a lot faster (drag, drop & play) than starting up iTunes, scanning your music directory, loading the player, etc.

My friends have accused me of heresy since I really don't like Apple (for myriad very specific and well-tested reasons). But I've decided that the Nano seems like a decent product, and I think I can nuke the gadget and make it drag and drop, which would make it even more appealing to me (freeingmyself from that horrible iTunes monster.)

I bought an Ipod a long time ago and at the time it was one of the best things on the market. I used it as an external hd and many other things. Last Christmas my nephew wanted an Ipod and when I told him this other device could listen and record FM radio was cheaper and better looking he didn't blink and said that is what he wanted.

Personally ever since they tried to brand the Ipod as a video device I knew that they were done innovating. Especially when they refused to include a large enough screen to make it worth your while. Now the new touch could be cool, but there is still no FM radio ogg/Linux support or expansion slots. Things that competitors have been including for years.

This is my personal choice of "best in class for movies" It includes tv out, sd expansion, FM tuner, ogg & flac support. All at a very resonable price. [www.cowonamerica.com] This should be the Ipod killer. of course if you want something smaller there are plenty of great alternatives as well.

Yeah, I've tried store brand cola. I still prefer Pepsi. Thanks.

Laugh all you want at me but I got a walkman mp3 player. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one.

The sports model was the only one I found that was water resistant. It also had a build in pedometer and running functions, that I barely used.

It was $60 for a 1 gb model but, it was nicer than the weird condom things I had to place on my ipod to keep sweat out of it.

iTunes is much nicer than most other mp3 software but, I found that I could live quite well without it.

I recently upgraded to an ipod touch, it is simply the most amazing PMP (portable media player) I've ever played with. Of course if you absoltely need to carry the entire series of "Arrested Development" AND an additional 60GB (roughly 15K songs), then the touch is not for you. However, I spent some time learning itunes software (why anyone wants to drag and drop a bunch of music and manually maintain their music collection is beyond me) and I rotate my music in and out via smart playlists.

Of course a $400 media player/web device is an extravagance that not everyone can afford, but then that's why there's Sansas, etc.

@olegna: @olegna:

Why did you get a 8 gig nano? Why not the 4gig version if 1 gig was enough? Or even the shuffe? A 1gig shuffle is $79.00.

I still use my old Rio Carbon... just upgraded the firmware to the developers edition. Added lots of new features. And if I need to watch video on the go - I just grab my PSP.

My MP3 player is an old Creative Rio that uses 2xAA batteries and it plays MP3 burned to a CD. 700mb is plenty of music for me and it will also play standard CDs. Battery life is 10+ hours.

My wife bought a SanDisk player off of Amazon for $20, it's a 1gb device and works great. Drag/Drop to put music on, standard headphone jack. She wears it to the gym and hasn't had a problem with it.

ipods have been overpriced and underfeatured for years. They do their limited set of features very very well, but I just can't get over some of the omissions. Especially the lack of format support. I have most of my collection ripped in the superior OGG format, and really dont want to have to rerip it to inferior mp3 or AAC (aac is fine, just all the work.....)

I am a big Apple fan, but when it came time for need a player for a oversea's trip to China I chose the Zune. I picked it because it had a bigger screen.

Well, it served it's purpose, kind of. The battery life was horrible, but it got me there. After I returned I discovered I actually like listening to music at work, something I had never done before.

The Zune just wasn't cutting it. So I went out and got a Nano. I have been a iTunes user since it first came out, and I love the program. The main reason I got the Nano was so I could start using the iTunes store again.

The Zune marketplace or whatever they call it just doesn't compare. I can understand why people like the other players though, but to me the others feel so much cheaper than the iPod.

I've disliked iPods, and especially iTunes, since they have been around. I have gone with Creative products, which in my opinion have better screens, sound, and work much better with what I want to do (which is never use iTunes). People buy iPods because they don't know better, or because of how they look, not for ease of use or even necessarily quality. There are tons of great mp3 players out there that are way better than the iPod.

@zentec:
As my grandfather said, it's okay to be a pioneer, just don't complain when you come back to the fort stuck full of arrows.

diggin' the quote man... I'm stealin' it.

I'm just sick of the logic that says "the iPod/iPhone/whatever does not meet my individual needs/tastes/pretensions! Therefore, everyone who bought one is an imbecile! GO ME!"

I own the iPod photo, you know the one that they made for like a month before coming out with the video one. It still works perfectly (knock on wood) and I still use it every single day. I don't care if Apple comes out with a holographic mp3 player, I'm not into the whole disposable electronics thing. I like using my stuff until it becomes completely unfixable and have no need to always buy the latest greatest whatever.

Eh, I like my iPod. I am on my second one (the first was a hand me down to begin with), bought cheap refurbished through Apple's site. I know I *could* figure out how to use another player and interface, but iTunes works great for me. I don't download a lot of music, simply listen to what I've ripped from my CD collection. I also like podcasts I get for free on iTunes (This American Life being key). It does the job I want it to do well, so I see no need to change right now.

Here's a thought...How about you don't listen to music during that 7% of your waking day when you aren't within listening distance of your home stereo, car stereo, or computer?

Crazy, I know.

@clementine: But with an mp3 player, you can listen to those NPR shows when you want. My iPod wouldn't be worth more than $10 to me without podcasts.

A bus drive by while out jogging? Just go back a few seconds to make sure you hear the joke on 'Wait, Wait.'

I've got a 3G iPod (which I use on trips) and a Shuffle (for daily use). I'd love to have an iPod Touch. But the small amount of storage and short battery life are a major deterrent. In the mean time, I use my Samsung U740 cell phone to store hours of video on a 2 GB card. It has built in stereo speakers and a portrait display. Pretty sweet :o)

Good point but I have a 3 hour commute on the CTA.

I listen to music and read.

If you do decide to get an iPod, you can avoid being shackled to the iTunes by stripping the DRM from your songs with QTFairUse6: [hymn-project.org]

@swatlax There is only so much that I am willing to do on a public access computer at the library. Podcasts just don't make the cut with me.