2008 Woodie Awards
Find the right MP3 player for you
iPods receiving serious competition from Zen and Sansa's new media players
Brian Moser
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
Many of you might be looking for an MP3 player this Christmas for someone or just looking to put one on your Christmas wish list. I know many people use the word iPod in place of MP3 player. It happens, that is why we ask for a Kleenex instead of a facial tissue.
The reason for the iPod to gain this reputation isn't because it was the first MP3 player, but it revolutionized the product. With the concept of iTunes buying single songs and albums online, the iPod created a huge demand for MP3 players.
Now that the iPod has been out for five years and seen many improvements, the competition is starting to heat up with more companies entering the mix like Creative with the Zen and SanDisk with the Sansa.
The biggest reason for the rise of competitive music players is the variety of music stores available. The iTunes store still reigns king, but other stores like Napster To Go, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Rhapsody To Go, and Microsoft Urge are gaining popularity.
Each of these products are small, have a huge storage capacity, and look sleek. Let's take a quick glance at each of these products to see what is on the market for playing music this Christmas.
The iPod Nano is still the king. With it only weighing 1.4 ounces, it is extremely easy to carry around. With a 24-hour battery life, it will be able to play your two, four, or eight gigs of music for a whole day straight.
The iPod has iTunes, which is the widest used audio store with the biggest selection of music right now. Finding accessories for the iPod is the easiest as well because of its popularity. Even Wal-Mart carries almost a full aisle of iPod accessories. The iPod Nano goes for $199.99 for the four gig version.
The biggest competition the iPod faces is the Creative Zen, which is only a year younger than its competitor. The Zen brings over a dozen different MP3 players to the market. The newest version is the Zen V, which is small and has a slick design.
The Zen V only comes with a one, two, or four gig capacity. It weighs 1.5 ounces, but it isn't as small as the iPod Nano. With three different colors and a couple of different accents, the Zen has a small variety of color options. The Zen V is cheaper than the iPod with a $179.99 price tag.
The Zen will play music from any subscription music store, but it can also play ZENCast video and audio files similar to the podcasts of iTunes.
The SanDisk Sansa e200R Rhapsody Series is the flagship product for SanDisk MP3 players. It rivals the iPod in having a player with an eight gig capacity. The SanDisk Sansa also undercuts the iPod with a lower cost at $179.99, rivaling the Zen.
The Sansa comes with the option to listen to Rhapsody channels and supports Microsoft's PlayForSure subscription. You can also insert an SD memory card for additional storage.
Now, you can surf the net and check out the specs on the many different music players. You can see that there are a couple dozen different players that have different options and different subscription compatibilities. Just do some background checking before you select the music player for you.
The reason for the iPod to gain this reputation isn't because it was the first MP3 player, but it revolutionized the product. With the concept of iTunes buying single songs and albums online, the iPod created a huge demand for MP3 players.
Now that the iPod has been out for five years and seen many improvements, the competition is starting to heat up with more companies entering the mix like Creative with the Zen and SanDisk with the Sansa.
The biggest reason for the rise of competitive music players is the variety of music stores available. The iTunes store still reigns king, but other stores like Napster To Go, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Rhapsody To Go, and Microsoft Urge are gaining popularity.
Each of these products are small, have a huge storage capacity, and look sleek. Let's take a quick glance at each of these products to see what is on the market for playing music this Christmas.
The iPod Nano is still the king. With it only weighing 1.4 ounces, it is extremely easy to carry around. With a 24-hour battery life, it will be able to play your two, four, or eight gigs of music for a whole day straight.
The iPod has iTunes, which is the widest used audio store with the biggest selection of music right now. Finding accessories for the iPod is the easiest as well because of its popularity. Even Wal-Mart carries almost a full aisle of iPod accessories. The iPod Nano goes for $199.99 for the four gig version.
The biggest competition the iPod faces is the Creative Zen, which is only a year younger than its competitor. The Zen brings over a dozen different MP3 players to the market. The newest version is the Zen V, which is small and has a slick design.
The Zen V only comes with a one, two, or four gig capacity. It weighs 1.5 ounces, but it isn't as small as the iPod Nano. With three different colors and a couple of different accents, the Zen has a small variety of color options. The Zen V is cheaper than the iPod with a $179.99 price tag.
The Zen will play music from any subscription music store, but it can also play ZENCast video and audio files similar to the podcasts of iTunes.
The SanDisk Sansa e200R Rhapsody Series is the flagship product for SanDisk MP3 players. It rivals the iPod in having a player with an eight gig capacity. The SanDisk Sansa also undercuts the iPod with a lower cost at $179.99, rivaling the Zen.
The Sansa comes with the option to listen to Rhapsody channels and supports Microsoft's PlayForSure subscription. You can also insert an SD memory card for additional storage.
Now, you can surf the net and check out the specs on the many different music players. You can see that there are a couple dozen different players that have different options and different subscription compatibilities. Just do some background checking before you select the music player for you.
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