I’ve been sitting on the sidelines watching different MP3 players come and go.  I refuse to buy into the iPod mentality, and pay a 50% premium just to own a popular brand name.  So, I’ve been watching a couple of other options, and I think I may have narrowed my choices down to a few.  Read on!

I’m not looking for too many features.  My own feature set relates mainly to usability and durability.  Here’s what I’d like to see in my player.

1.  Solid state storage.  I do not want any type of hard disk based player.   True, I can store a lot more, but the thought of having my music on a storage system that is prone to failure does not sit well with me.  Better yet, if the player has a slot to expand its storage capacity, that’s even better.

2.  Easy navigation.  I’d like to be able to find my music quickly.

3.  Good sound.  I know MP3s and other compressed forms don’t sound ideal to begin with, but if the MP3 or WMA decoder is substandard, or the playback electronics are distored, then the player is doomed.

4.  Battery life.  I may be using my MP3 player in the car for hours at a time.  Or, listen to it at night in bed.  So, it should have decent playback time between charges.

5.  Size?  As long as it’s reasonably small (maybe credit card sized), I’m OK with it.  If it’s too small, I can’t work the small buttons.  Too large, and I’ll be reluctant to take it anywhere.

6.  Image storage.  It would be neat to carry around a collection of my photos, both digital, and scans of film-based photographs, to display.

Video playback would be nice, but not necessary.  Also, gapless sound file playback would be nice, but it’s not a deal killer here.  And no, I won’t get anything with the Apple name on it…sorry, Steve Jobs.

I’m liking the series of Zen players made by Creative Labs.  The Creative Zen is apparently going to be discontinued soon, in favor of the newer Zen X-Fi, which is available in sizes up to 32GB, and there is an expansion slot for SD-based memory cards to boost memory further.  The larger X-Fi models can also stream wireless music and other content from your computer.  It is about credit card size, and has a nice sized screen for playing back video and photos.  It also has an FM radio.

The Zen Mozaic is a neat player, with the buttons arranged in a mosaic pattern of shaded squares.  The screen is smaller, but it still features video playback.  Sizes are available up to 16GB.  Like the Zen X-Fi, it also features an FM radio.

While I don’t really want a tiny MP3 “clip” player for myself, it will make nice gifts for others.  The Zen Stone
is nice, but the Sansa Clip series seems to have the edge in players of its size.  Available in 2GB and 4GB configurations, the Sansa Clips feature a nice text display and reportedly very good sound.
It would be ideal for someone who is active in sports.  Clipped on, the player is barely noticeable, and it’s tiny (about the size of a remote keychain fob).

Sansa also has the Fuze player, which is similar in size to the Creative Zen Mozaic, for which it would be a nice alternate.  Sansa’s early players looked very awkward, but the latest models are very stylish and nicely packaged.

I’ve looked at the Zune and Sony players, but they are too expensive for the capacities given.

I’ll mention more players in later columns…if I don’t get one of these first.  Stay tuned!