MP3 Players

This fall seems like it will be the year that every company is coming out with new designs and features. Here's what caught my eye this time around:


Apple iPod Nano-

Steve Jobs has come out with with a new line of iPods, and overall, the new ones are very intriguing. The iPod Nano is one such example. It has got a new design, with a shorter, wider look. The screen has been enlarged for a new important feature-video playback. It's finally on the Nano, and for that alone, it makes the Nano finally a worthwhile MP3 player in todays market. Other featres that are new include the new cover flow browsing, an updated interface, with album art and pictures shown as you scroll through the list. iTunes music store has always made this a plus. However, audio quality is starting to get behind in competition. It is not notibable enough to make too big of a difference. One negative is still, even with video, it is lacking in features. The player comes in a 4gb and 8gb version.


Apple iPod Touch-


The iPhone without the phone is finally here, and I can say that it will be the future of iPods. Design looks just like an iPhone, just a little bit slimmer. The great touchscreen interface is there from the iPhone, along with wireless interenet browsing. This feature is a plus. There is also wireless iTunes available with the WI-Fi. The rest of it is basically standard iPod/iPhone things. Audio is about the same as the others, a little below the leaders now. Video however is excellent. The only real negative for this right now is the size of the player. It comes in 8gb and 16gb. Hopefully they will improve this in the future.


Creative Zen-


Creative Labs newest MP3 player is just titled Zen, no names added to the end. This player in particular has really got me excited, with design, features, and quality. The design is a slim player, at the size of an credit card. Navigation now uses the 5-way tactile pad. The interface is much like an iPods, only brighter and more colorful. Features include the regular photo, audio, and video, along with FM radio. Another cool feature is expandable memory for an SD card. I think that all players should have this feature. Audio quality is excellent for this player. Another plus is there are many formats that it can read. AAC is now supported, as long as it is unprotected. This player comes in 4gb, 8gb, and 16gb. This is a little bit of a negative, but expandable memory helps.


Microsoft Zune-

Microsoft is releasing second generation Zunes, and I have to say, they are pretty cool. Although they probably aren't going to be the iPods downfall right now, they sure are going to give them a run for their money. Released in the second generation are player sizes of 4gb, 8gb and 80gb. The new design is similar to the old one, with a new twist and sleek look. All sizes are the same looking, with the largest being just a larger design of it. The interface is the same as the previous, and not much else has changed. Two big changes are the ability to sinc songs wirelessly now, and the navigation button. The navigation button has the traditional 5 way tactile layout, but their is a twist. If you slide your finger over it up and down, the menu will be scrolled through faster. This is a similar idea to the scroll wheel of the iPod, but in a way, I think that this is a better way to browse.