I have the Creative Zen Sleek 20G model and I really like it. The FM radio function works great and It's cheaper than an Ipold. I recommend it.

All depends on what you want to do with it. Apple's iPod, in its various forms, holds about 75-80% of the market for MP3 players. They keep knocking off companies like Sony, Samsung, Creative, etc. because no one else sells a player that works so seamlessly. The synchronization between the iTunes Music Store and podcasts and the computer (Mac or Windows) and the iPod is second to none. In addition, there's a healthy aftermarket of accessories, including FM radio add-ons if that's really important to you. And the iTunes Music Store manages about 80% of the legal downloads in this country.

I have an iPod that I use primarily to listen to podcasts while I rip my LPs and cassettes to it. I like that it's easy to use, it sounds good, and I'm not beholden to Apple for anything besides the iPod -- I don't have to buy their accessories, I can download files (including music) without iTunes if I want, and so on. I could wish that it was cheaper, but, compared to the hard-disk-based players from other companies, the iPod is quite competitively priced.I would buy another in a heartbeat.

I have a zen micro, 5 GB, and i like it. they ave very durable, i have ran mine thru the washing machione and drying machine several times, n it still works, the music quality is fairly good. Some Apple Ipods Baterys dont last, so if you buy an ipod, get a warranty i recommend the creative labs products, there customer support is good too

If you want to download songs from legal stores such as Napster, make sure that the model you choose is supported or you won't legally be able to transfer the songs to the player. ITunes obviously supports IPod only.

Many MP3 players also have a voice recorder--the playback quality is pretty good.

If you're interested in something really unique, check out the mobiblu cube at walmart.com

For only $100 you can get one. It's only like an inch on a side. The sound is excellent. It has a tiny screen, much smaller than an iPod, though. It doesn't have a hard drive either, so don't expect to load your entire record collection. Considering the cost (compared to a 'real' iPod), I don't think you can go wrong with it.

Thanks all, for sharing your opinions & advice.

i paid 59.00 for my i-pod shuffle, dont know all that much about this stuff, so i wanted something that was very user friendly. which is the main reason i use i-tunes and the i-pod. might be better things on the market but if i cant figure out how to use it, dosent do me any good.

I was ready to purchace and Ipod when Rhapsody came up with "Rhapsody to go". This is a subscription service where you can download music unto your MP3 player, and as long as you subscribe to "Rhapsody to go" you can listen to these cuts without buying them out right. Well not all mp3 players will work with this service, and the Ipod will not. The list of players that work with the system included the Creative Zen MicroPhoto 8gig player. That is the one I bought.

It is and excellent little machine. The sound is great if the cuts are downloaded at a high enough bit rate. When pumped through a real stereo system it sounds like a CD. I am more than satisfied with the sound quality and ease of use of the Creative Zen MicroPhoto, but if Ipod ever becomes compatable with Rhapsody to go I will buy one just because of all the third party accessories available for it.

Just be aware that if you ever stop paying rent to Rhapsody, your entire music collection (that is, anything you "bought" from them) disappears into the ether.... Enjoy your new player!

The music you buy from Rhapsody does not disappear. You can burn it to CD, and copy and play
it any where you want. Of course the music you rented on "Rhapsody To Go" will disappear
when you quit the service. In fact you have to sign onto Rhapsody with you player connected to
your computer at least once a month or the "music to go" will stop playing until you connect,
and than it will play again.

. This is no problem to me. Much of the music I listen to I would not want to own, but how do I
know unless I got a chance to listen to it and live with for a while. If you are into any kind of
music other than whatÂs played over, and over on the radio you might enjoy being able to carry
around a virtual record super market such as Rhapsody to go. As a fan of Jazz I have purchased
many albums over the years based solely on liner notes, and jacket art, and considering the
number of used records and CDÂs for sale, IÂm guessing IÂm not the only one.

I have no problem with dumping stuff I canÂt get into, and paying for what I like, fill my player
up and start over again. I have purchased more music in the last few months than I have in the
past year thanks to Rhapsody to go. Napster was the first to offer this kind of subscription
service, and I think Yahoo does also. I just picked one, and it works for me.

I'm not knocking your choice -- and point well taken about content that actually is purchased.

But the rental agreement is one of those "fine print" things that Rhapsody/Napster/Yahoo don't like to mention about their all-you-can-eat music libraries. Just something for people to be aware of as they shop for a music service -- renting can cost far more than buying (as is the case with just about any other rent vs. buy decision).