With most digital-media-device manufacturers following Apple onto the touch-screen bandwagon, it's easy to forget how pleasant it can be to use a simple, well-designed device withgasp!physical buttons. Granted, the buttons on the Samsung Q2, which ...

Excellent value. Touch-sensitive buttons are fast and very responsive. Well-designed, intuitive interface

Slightly large for a small-capacity player. Weak file support

If the Samsung Q2 offered more robust file support, it might really give the iPod nano a run for its money. Still, it's a great bargain for an easy-to-use, low-capacity MP3 player.

The line between tiny flash drives and tiny external spinning hard drives is getting more and more blurred every day. Case in point: the Apricorn Aegis Mini (160GB) ($230 street). The Mini is a 3.7-ounce external hard drive that's no bigger than a ...

Tiny. Mac and PC software. Very easy to use

No disk-wide encryption. Backup software doesn't work with 64-bit Windows

The Aegis Mini is a full-featured alternative to a flash drive if you're looking for an external drive with a small form factor.

Sony is never afraid to experiment with its personal audio line, and the results sometimes can be baffling (witness the PFR-V1 Personal Field Speaker). But they can be inspiring, too: Take the 2GB Walkman NWZ-W202. This $69.99 (list) MP3 player ...

Unique, wearable design. Fits securely. Earphones offer strong bass. Easy to control. Preview feature lets you easily surf your tunes

Available only in 2GB capacity. No screen or FM radio. File support is limited

Ideal for the gym, Sony's simple NWZ-W202 delivers quality audio from a reasonably priced portable media player-earphone combo.

iriver has made some excellent and innovative portable media players, like the Clix, and some disappointments, like the E100. The new P7 falls somewhere in between. Offered in the United States in capacities of 8GB ($179.99 list) and 16GB ($209.99), ...

Sleek, minimal design. Large screen. MicroSD slot for storage expansion. Supports several audio, video, and photo file types. Includes voice and FM recorder

Touch screen requires stylus for optimal performance. Large for a low-capacity player. No Web access ; Watch the iriver P7

The iriver P7 is all about "buts": It's the size of a hard disk-based media player, but is slim on built-in memory, and there's no Web access. And the sprawling 4.3-inch screen is great for movies, but you'll need a stylus for navigation.

Samsung's P3 is a touch-screen player with an icon-based menu. Sound familiar? At $149.99 (8GB), $249.99 (16GB), and $299.99 (32GB), Samsung is clearly taking aim at the more-expensive iPod touch. The preloaded software, excellent FM tuner, and haptic ...

Supports many audio file types. Bright, high-res touch display. FM radio with 30 presets. Records FM, voice. Loaded with games and useful widgets. Haptic feedback is fun

No Wi-Fi connectivity. Touch screen isn't sensitive enough. User interface isn't always intuitive. Weak video codec support. No accelerometer

Samsung's P3 is a good-looking media player that's loaded with widgets, but it's a bit cumbersome to navigate and is missing a key feature: Internet access.

Since the iPod has won the battle for supremacy among MP3 players, SanDisk is trying a different strategy. Building on its idea of distributing music on microSD cards, as with its slotMusic player, the tiny Sansa slotRadio player ($99.99 direct), ...

Compact design. Easy to use. No PC needed. Comes with a microSD card with 1,000 songs from Billboard charts. Plays WMA and MP3s from microSD cards. FM radio with 40 presets

Monochrome display. Can't skip backward. No auto-off when no earphones are plugged in

If modern radio hits are your thing, the tiny Sansa slotRadio player is a great value1,000 songs (plus the device) for $100. Just be prepared for a no-frills listening experience.

There is little sense in arguing which is the better player, the iPod touch or Cowon's latest offering, the S9 (8GB, $199.99 list; 16GB, $239.99). Simply put, the S9 lacks the basic grace of the touch, as well as some other enticing features, Wi-Fi ...

Strong audio file support. Touch screen. Built-in accelerometer. Video output. Line-in, FM, and voice recording. Excellent battery life

Touch screen is not very sensitive. User interface can be difficult to navigate. Volume controls are disabled in some screens. Play/Pause button works only in the Now Playing screen

The S9 is designed to resemble the iPod touchwith a touch screen and its own version of Cover Flowbut the player lacks the grace and Wi-Fi connectivity necessary to be a true rival.

When an electronics company chooses to sell its wares alongside calling cards at your local deli, it's easy to write its products off as cheap and disposable. That's what makes the MP705 from Coby such a pleasant surprise. Coby makes a full line of ...

Inexpensive. Impressive overall feature set for the price. Earbuds stay firmly in place

Poor screen resolution. Nonintuitive user interface. Feels cheaply made

Coby's attractive, inexpensive portable media player bundles an MP3 player, a albeit weak video and photo player, an FM radio with programmable presets, and earbuds that won't fall out of your ears.

The Cowon O2 looks a lot like an Archos 5, but unlike that player, it isn't hiding a large-capacity hard drive inside its large exterior. The flash-based player is offered in 8GB ($219.99), 16GB ($249.99), and 32GB ($299.99) models, the same ...

Excellent file support. Large display. Voice recorder. Comparatively affordable

Despite its large size, the player has no hard drive, only flash memory. No Internet access. Touch screen requires stylus. Few extra features

The O2's file support is fantastic, and it is cheaper than its two main competitors, the iPod touch and the Archos 5but it packs far fewer features into its inexplicably large frame.

Altec Lansing's Moondance Glow is a quirky iPod dock that's both innovative and limited. The $179.95 (direct) dock-alarm clock gets its name from a programmable "mood lighting" effect that casts colored lights on the wall behind the dock. At ...

Wireless Snooze control. Quality audio output. "Mood" lighting turns the wall behind the dock different colors

Remote control offers limited iPod navigation. Audio distorts at high volumes. Only four radio presets

An iPod dock-alarm clock with some interesting built-in ambient lighting and a wireless Snooze controller, the Moondance Glow has a few flaws but is an overall solid device.