Try as it might, Microsoft has never been able to put a dent in Apple's marketshare for portable media players. The previous Zune players were pretty good, and the Zune desktop software finally got there after a few revisions, but neither one had the ...

It's also the first product to hit the market with Nvidia's Tegra APX 2600 system-on-chip, which packs a pair of ARM11 cores with lots of individual processors for audio and video encoding and decoding, 2D graphics, 3D graphics (with OpenGL ES 2.0 ...

Cowon makes some of the most interesting digital media players we've laid hands on. The iAudio 7 is no exception, although it won't earn a place in our pantheon of favorites. Click Read More for more.

Broad file-format support ; great sound ; innovative features

Display is much too small ; no support for WMA Lossless ; odd touch-sensitive controls

Let's start with the features: The iAudio 7 not only has a built-in mic-rendering it handy for recording voice messages or recording a lecture-it also has a 1/8-inch line-level input. Plug in a better-quality mic, or any other audio source, and you ...

The second-generation Slacker personal radio player is smaller, slimmer, and even better than the first. There may be no better way to listen to free music. Slacker announced a new version of its portable radio today, and we're happy to say the ...

Fabulous audio quality, great recommendations, free music

You can't choose which songs you'll hear unless you pay for the Premium service

trade-offs: You can't always choose which songs you want to hear, and you can skip only a limited number of tracks. Slacker also offers a subscription plan ($7.50 per month if you pay for a year at a time) that eliminates the ads, enables you to call ...

If you're willing to look beyond everyone's favorite fruit company when you shop for a digital media player, you'll encounter some wildly underrated alternatives. Cowon manufactures more than a few, including the nearly divine A3. In fact, there's ...

Beautiful screen, awesome format support, and plenty of storage

The navigation joystick is frustrating to use ; no carry case

Pushing the tiny, sturdy stick to the left or right (to skip tracks or navigate menus) is easy enough, as is moving it up and down (to control the volume, for instance); but pushing it in to select a file requires the kind of pinpoint accuracy that's ...

iRiver's new E100 digital media player offers a several terrific features, including a MicroSD memory slot, FLAC and OGG support, and the ability to record audio (there's a built-in mic and a line-level input). Unfortunately, all that goodness is ...

Mic and line-level input, MicroSD memory slot, OGG and FLAC support

Crappy display, problematic software, sloppy buttons

We did use the software to convert some WMV files (the player supports MPEG-4, WMV9, and XVID file formats) to the player's maximum supported resolution of 320x240, but we weren't impressed with the results: The video was grainy and exhibited poor ...

The Archos 604 has been one of our favorite digital media players since its introduction late last year. Our opinion of the new Archos 605 WiFi-which adds a high-resolution touch screen and wireless networking capabilities-isn't as lofty. Click Read ...

Touch-screen works great ; better screen res than old version

Lousy battery life ; 10% surcharge for Opera ; hazy-looking screen

The touch screen works great-it's a much easier means of navigating the player's menus than the column of buttons on the right side of the device-so we can overlook the need to use a stylus. But if the touch screen is to blame for the screen's vaguely ...

Microsoft, seeing the futility in polishing turds, went back to the drawing board to design the second rev of the Zune. (If only they'd do the same for Vista!) Fortunately for early adopters, many of the new features and desktop software will be made ...

Better controls ; wireless auto-sync ; Zune Marketplace greatly improved

Still tied to Zune Marketplace ; wireless sharing still mostly useless

The Zune's wireless features have undergone significant improvements, including the ability to manually sync your Zune to your PC when in range of a wireless network (the Zune must be connected to an optional AC adapter or charging dock to sync ...

It's taken many a year, but Microsoft is finally figuring out how to build operating systems for handheld devices. Windows Mobile Portable Media Center 2.0, embedded in Toshiba's Gigabeat T400 4GB digital media player, is better than anything Apple ...

Portable Media Center 2.0 kicks ass ; intuitive controls ; Rhapsody & ; WMA Lossless support

Only 4GB ; no FLAC support

Media Center Mobile looks and feels just like the big-screen version of the OS. Pressing the button with the familiar Windows icon brings up the main menu from which you can choose listings for TV, music, pictures, or video. Use the crossbar to move ...

It used to be that simply having two monitors on your desk was enough to establish your power-user cred, but LCD prices being what they are these days, it's not uncommon for even regular folk to boast a multimonitor setup. Perhaps it's time you up the ...

High build quality ; good aesthetics ; great price

No height adjustability

Assembly is straightforward-thanks to a minimum of parts, an all-inclusive "bits bag," and easy-to-follow instructions-but the process takes time and patience, nonetheless. The heavy black metal base sits atop a desk without the aid of any clamps or ...

Cowon provides a wealth of choice where SanDisk sets severe limits: The D2 supports not only MP3, WMA, and secure WMA, but also OGG, FLAC, and even WAV. Click Read More for more.

Support for all types of media, including lossless audio formats

Not enough built-in memory

The D2 is supremely versatile, it sounds fabulous, and it's certainly priced right. Oh, what we wouldn't give to trade its highfalutin touch screen for a simple control wheel and a couple of buttons