Okay, so this isn't the long-awaited iPod video, but to be honest we don't really care - personal video players currently only have niche appeal, and it's music on the move that really matters. So, what exactly does the latest addition to the rapidly ...

Stunning looks ; Simple to use ; Excellent sound quality ; Great idea

How much ; Pretty expensive ; Have we mentioned the price

Choosing what snaps to display and matching them with their own soundtrack is fun and easy, and the picture quality is good. In day-to-day use, the audio side of the equation is consistent with other fourth-generation iPods - in short, bloody impressive

Just drop in a standard 3.5-inch hard drive and youll hit the media streaming ground running

PVR functionality ; Handles most media formats

Awkward setup ; Not the easiest to use

There's also basic server software supplied, enabling you to host content on a PC on your network, but sadly there's no UPnP support. Still, it's simple to use with bags of features and so is a great choice

The screen itself is only 320 x 240 and not widescreen

Wide compatibility ; Decent credentials as a storage device

Poor video playback ; Slow to load ; Music playback very basic

It's not a bad piece of hardware, so a firmware update could one day rescue it, but right now you're better off looking elsewhere

There's a symbiosis between the two non-Apple products that bespeaks quality

Raises the iPod to audiophile standards ; Amazing clarity

An expensive second system ; Confusing remote ; Video quality so-so

The KID does not crack the digital code within the iPod, but instead has mild filtering in post processing to help give the signal the best possible start in life (there's also subtle treble and bass tone controls, which are useful when trying to ...

As the name suggests, the Muvo TX FM is more than just an MP3 player - Creative has also managed to squeeze in an FM radio along with 256Mb of flash memory.

FM radio ; Good battery life ; Good audio

Headphones aren't the best

Anyone used to dragging and dropping files will immediately get to grips with the operation system, and audio quality is among the best around (it's even better if you upgrade the supplied headphones)

The tiny black and white screen and hard edges make it feel like the kind of imitation iPod you might find on Camden market

Line-in recording

Poor design and tiny screen ; Unresponsive buttons

The tiny black and white screen and hard edges make it feel like the kind of imitation iPod you might find on Camden market. Trying to navigate the tiny interface is a chore, the buttons feel unresponsive and despite line-in recording, it doesn't feel ...

This MP3 Player is slightly larger than a regular USB memory key. Finished in aluminium, it comes with Toni Braxton's Libra album pre-installed.

Good sound quality ; Sennheiser headphones included

Doesn't offer enough for the price ; Small display prevents easy navigation

Magix MP3 software is provided to turn your CD collection into a digital format, although the menu system for the software is unintuitive. However, you can simply drag and drop music on to the G-Flash once you've turned it into an MP3 or WMA format

Years of gadget usage makes it almost impossible for this illogical button layout to become second nature

Very good display quality

Woeful interface ; No metadata support

A year ago, this would have been an impressive player. Yet it's just not a stellar enough performer to overcome its interface foul-ups. If you find one dirt-cheap, do consider it. Just be completely clear that there's no way you'll be able to sensibly ...

It's dead compact, robust, and the screen is bright

Loads of features

Poor supplied software

A decent everyday player, if a little low-tech against its peers

The shuffle option isn't just a design gimmick - it's a necessity

Doubles as a USB drive ; A decent amount of memory ; Great iTunes integration ; Light and portable

Hogs the USB port ; No screen

Alternatively, you can drag and drop tracks or playlists onto the shuffle to transfer only the music you want. In the iTunes options you can also choose to use the shuffle as a storage drive. When this mode is activated it appears on your desktop as a ...