I’ve only just come to terms with the semi-retirement of the CD and begrudgingly accepted that my investment in a MiniDisc player back in 2002 was a bit of an oversight – the biggest one indeed since buying the clunky Amiga CD32 console before the PlayStation swept all before it.
The MiniDisc seemed to be the anointed one when it came to being the Compact Disc’s successor, so no company can afford to be complacent. But having sold over a hundred million iPods, making it the best-selling music player in history, Apple is firmly ensconced as the market leader for music players and MP3s as the dominant format.
But as good as the iPod is, here at BusinessWings we like to champion small business and healthy competition. OK, so none of the rivals are exactly ‘small businesses’ but consumer choice is unequivocally a good thing. I took a sample of reviews from the web to see if any of the rival portable music players can challenge the hegemony of the iPod, in particular, the flash-memory, slimmed down version, the Nano.
Sony NW-A808
Amazon price (subject to change): £139.99 for 4GB and £193.49 for 8GB
Size: 88 x 43 x 8mm
Screen: 50mm, colour LCD
Weight: 53g
Battery life (max): 30 hours
Audio formats: AAC, ATRAC3, MP3, WMA
Photos: Yes
Video: Yes
Radio: No
Pros
“Great sound from bundled headphones” – CNET.co.uk
“Superb, lightweight design” – CNET.co.uk
“Detailed video playback” – vnunet.com
“Long battery life” – CNET.co.uk
“Excellent features” – Unbeatable.co.uk
“User-friendly menu” – Unbeatable.co.uk
Cons
“Lack of FM radio” – CNET.co.uk
“More expensive than iPod Nano” – vnunet.com
“Fiddly audio software” – vnunet.com
Verdicts
“Better than Apple’s iPod nano in many respects, but it’s not cheap.” (8.3/10) – CNET.co.uk
“Neat, slim and with video playback to boot, the NW-A808 is an impressive addition to the digital player market.” (4/5) – vnunet.co.uk
“Excellent MP3 player with superb sound and a very user-friendly menu system. Shame about the software included and the high price, but we hope Sony ensure future models have these flaws corrected.” (5/5) – Unbeatable.co.uk
Overall average: 87.7%
Creative Zen V Plus
Amazon price (subject to change): £73.93 for 2GB, £88.57 for 4GB, £154.16 for 8GB
Size: 67.5 x 43.5 x 15.9mm
Screen: 38mm, colour OLED
Weight: 44g
Battery life (max): 15 hours
Audio formats: MP3, WMA, WAV
Photos: Yes
Video: Yes
Radio: Yes
Pros
“Simple interface” – CNET.co.uk
“Small size” – CNET.co.uk
“FM radio, Line-in and microphone recording are welcome” – Trusted Reviews
“Very good audio quality” – PC Magazine
“Cute design” – PC Magazine
“Easy to operate and navigate” – PC Magazine
“Good on-device file and playlist management features” – PC Magazine
“Easy on the eye” – Trusted Reviews
Cons
“Lack of support for other formats” – CNET.co.uk
“Plastic casing” – CNET.co.uk
“OLED screen isn’t very sharp” – PCMAG.co.uk
“Interface is sometimes sluggish” – PCMAG.co.uk
“No power scrolling or scroll acceleration” – PCMAG.co.uk
“Five-way joystick is “too small” and “stiff, which can make switching tracks awkward” – Trusted Reviews
“Bottom half of the front fascia, just below the screen, tends to creek under pressure” – Trusted Reviews
“Getting tracks onto the device can take an inordinately large amount of time” – Trusted Reviews
“Making playlists using the player is rather slow and laborious” – Trusted Reviews
Verdicts
“Kids and teens will love its curvy design and simple interface, and audiobook fans will enjoy the long battery life and Audible support. Overall, an excellent, lightweight little player for the price.” (8/10) – CNET.co.uk
“Overall, the Creative Zen V Plus is a very satisfying and reasonably priced device for mainstream consumers. It is jam-packed with features, and though the photo and video functions aren’t particularly impressive, the audio features are sure to please.” (4/5) –PCMAG.co.uk
“Excellent lightweight design and a decent feature set is let down by cheap construction, a clumsy 5-way joystick, awkward navigation and a poor quality display. Above average battery life and general adaptability do make up for these failings somewhat, but not enough to make them fade into insignificance.” (7/10) – Trusted Reviews
Overall average: 76.7%
Mcody M20
Pros
“stylish” – CNET.co.uk
“Lightweight” – CNET.co.uk
“OGG support” – CNET.co.uk
“Direct encoding” – CNET.co.uk
“FM radio” – CNET.co.uk
“Inexpensive” – Computer Shopper
“A good-looking piece of pocket-friendly minimalism” – Gagdet Centre
Cons
“Difficult navigation” – CNET.co.uk
“Low-resolution screen” – CNET.co.uk
“Average battery life” – CNET.co.uk
“Transfers are excrutiatingly slow” – Computer Shopper
“Menu system isn’t very intuitive” – Gadget Centre
Verdicts
“It might suit a tech-savvy commuter, but it's not a good choice for kids or technophobes.” (4.9/10) – CNET.co.uk
“An MP3 player with such a random and short battery life is no use so, despite some good points, the M20 is one to avoid.” (1/5) – Computer Shopper
“It's a great look, no question, but we'd like to see the functionality improved. Even so, it's a good price for a 2GB player.” (7/10) – Gadget Centre
Average rating: 43%
Samsung - YP-K3
Amazon price (subject to change): £76.53 for 2GB, £91.99 for 4GB
Size: 96 x 44 x 6.95mm
Screen: 46mm, colour LCD
Weight: 50g
Battery life (max): 25 hours
Audio formats: MP3, WMA playback
Photos: Yes
Video: No
Radio: Yes
Pros
“Stylish and sleek” – PC Advisor
“Lightweight” – CNET.co.uk
“Fresh control system” – CNET.co.uk
“Easy-to-use PC software” – CNET.co.uk
“Slick to operate” – T3
“Near-perfect sound” – T3
“Huge battery life” – T3
Cons
Portrait shaped screen “isn’t much cop when viewing photos” – PC Advisor
“Buttons are hypersensitive” – PC Advisor
“Picks up finger marks” – CNET.co.uk
“No AC adaptor” – CNET.co.uk
“No album art support” – CNET.co.uk
“Low-resolution screen” – CNET.co.uk
“Looks a little too much like the Nano” – T3
Verdicts
“It looks cool and sounds sharp, but the Samsung K3 is hampered by its clumsy interface and poor screen for photos. And it’s not an iPod nano.” (3.5/5) – PC Advisor
“A stylish, lightweight and functional player but we would love to see a sharper screen and support for album art.” (7.3) – CNET.co.uk
“A great musical performer with some lovely design features and slinky looks, at a very attractive price.” (5/5) – T3
Average rating: 81%
iRiver Clix 2
Amazon price (subject to change): £114 for 2GB
Size: 80 x 46 x 12mm
Screen: 56in, colour AMOLED
Weight: 55g
Battery life (max): 25 hours
Audio formats: MP3, WMA, ogg
Photos: Yes
Video: Yes
Radio: Yes
Pros
“Viewing pictures on the clix is an absolute joy” – Trusted Reviews
“Even more impressive is how good a job it does of playing back video” – Trusted Reviews
“Beautifully styled” – Trusted Reviews
“Killer Navigation” – Trusted Reviews
“Best screen I’ve ever seen on such a small and slim player” – Trusted Reviews
“Incredible strong sound quality” – Trusted Reviews
“Intuitive and easy-to-use controls” – CNET.co.uk
“Lightweight” – CNET.co.uk
“Animated backgrounds” – CNET.co.uk
Cons
“iRiverPlus 3 software is obtuse and near impossible to fathom – at least initially” – Trusted Reviews
“Screen feels as though it's coming loose from the player” – CNET.co.uk
“No line-in recording” – CNET.co.uk
“Ample screen is a magnet for fingerprints” – Consumer review on Yahoo! Tech
“Not great for putting into back pockets and the like” – Consumer review on Yahoo! Tech
Verdicts
“The substandard software can’t diminish the fact that the clix is now my favourite MP3 player.” (9/10) – Trusted Reviews
“Quite simply the finest flash-based MP3 player you can buy at the moment – the second-generation Clix is feature-packed, easy to use, has stunning aesthetics and it won't break the bank. There’s almost nothing we would change or try to improve.” (8.6/10) – CNET.co.uk
“The iRiver Clix is a superbly designed MP3 player that's easy to use and packed with pretty much every feature in the book.” (4/5 – based on 45 ratings) – Consumer review on Yahoo! Tech
Average rating: 85.3%
SanDisk Sansa
Amazon price (subject to change): £61.22 for 2GB, £74.99 for 4GB, £73.29 for 6GB, £104.49 for 8GB,
Size: 89 x 44 x 13mm
Screen: 46mm, colour LCD with TFT
Weight: 39.7g
Battery life (max): 20 hours
Audio formats: MP3, WMA
Photos: Yes
Video: Yes
Radio: No
Pros
“Conversion time is quick” – Trusted Reviews
“Audio quality is superb with treble and bass both well represented” – Trusted Reviews
“Bigger and better screen” than the Nano – Trusted Reviews
“Removable battery” – PCMAG.COM
“Sturdy shell” – PCMAG.COM
“Expandable storage” – PCMAG.COM
“Extensive feature set” – PCMAG.COM
“Strong FM tuner” – PCMAG.COM
“Good looking” – Gadget Centre
“Easy to use” – Gadget Centre
“Excellent capacity” – Gadget Centre
Cons
“Video doesn’t support a progress bar” – Trusted Reviews
“Controls still aren’t quite as intuitive as an iPod’s” – Trusted Reviews
“Playlisting features aren't great” – CNET.co.uk
“Buttons are slightly difficult to press” – CNET.co.uk
“No lossless support” – CNET.co.uk
“Loading music in USB mode causes erratic behaviour” – CNET.co.uk
“Requires separate apps for loading music and visual media” – CNET.co.uk
“The scroll wheel feels rattly and cheap” – Gadget Centre
Verdicts
“It feels a much more durable product than the Nano, sports a far greater range of features, offers a bigger and better screen and costs significantly less.” (9/10) – Trusted Reviews
“The e260 has an excellent combination of features, style, ease of use, and price, but the overall user experience still isn't quite as smooth as that of the iPod Nano.” (4.5/5) – PCMAG.com
“This is a little player that looks terrific and performs even better. All it needs is a radio to make it unstoppable.” (9/10) – Gadget Centre
Average rating: 90%
iPod Nano
Amazon price (subject to change): £82.99 for 2GB, £112.86 for 4GB £136.89 for 8GB
Size: 90 x 40 x 7mm
Screen: 38mm, colour LCD
Weight: 40g
Battery life (max): 24 hours
Audio formats: MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
Photos: Yes
Video: No
Radio: No
Pros
“Looks terrific” – Gadget Centre
“Unmatched functionality” – Gadget Centre
“Very thin” – PCMAG.co.uk
“Excellent sound quality” – PCMAG.co.uk
“A triumph of design and functionality” – Trusted Reviews
iPod navigational click wheel “works flawlessly” – Trusted Reviews
Cons
“Not the cheapest” – Gadget Centre
“No radio” – Gadget Centre
“No photo pan or zoom” – PCMAG.co.uk
“No voice recording” – PCMAG.co.uk
Verdicts
“Still a terrific player that does everything you need it to exceptionally well.” (9/10) – Gadget Centre
“Sure, it doesn't have an FM tuner or voice recording, but it does have an unsurpassed interface, excellent sound quality, and an undeniable cool factor.” (4.5/10) – PC Magazine
“The iPod Nano is the kind of product that just makes you stop and stare – anyone that you show it to just wants to hold it and play with it […] the nano shows that Apple isn’t sitting on its laurels.” (10/10) – Trusted Reviews
Average rating: 93%
Overall verdict
Rather like the Walkman vis-à-vis tape players, the iPod has more or less become the generic name for an MP3 player. This has been demonstrated in newspaper supplements when they ask celebrity interviewees what songs they have on their iPod. So synonymous is the iPod with music players that many people are unaware of any competition.
Yet competition is healthy and a couple of the players reviewed here outstrip the iPod in some respects. One reviewer says the San Disk Sansa has a larger, better screen and the iRiver Clix is very impressive at playing videos. The Sansa is about £20 cheaper and given the reviews were comparable, could be a better bet.
The success of San Disk’s Sansa range and iRiver’s Clix range in the comparison shows you don’t necessarily need to go for a recognisable big-name brand.
Yet the iPod did shade it overall, especially in the areas that really matter to people. Thanks to long battery life, intuitive software and peerless functionality and navigation iPod is still the one to beat – although the competition is getting closer.
