Archos's 04 series of portable video players has many components, the smallest being the pocket-size 404. This is a full-fledged PVP with all the fixings and a 30GB drive, but this one measures only 4 by 3 by 0.5 inches--that's a stone's throw from ...

The attractively priced Archos 404 is a PVP in an MP3 player's body. If you want a better screen and a removable battery, spend $50 more for the wider 604.

Editor's note: The review has been updated to reflect the improvements made to the Archos 604 via the latest firmware update (1.2.05). Among the fixes are better audio quality and gapless audio playback.Archos's 604 (link to PDF) represents the latest ...

The do-it-all Archos 604 with its improved design and a low base price is an amazing PVP. Just make sure to figure in the cost of some essential extras.

Want to impress your jaded gadget geek friends? Show 'em the Signeo SN-A800, a sleek and unusual MP3 player straight out of Japan. From the beginning, the retro-styled flash-based player, with its circular display and 14 "blister" buttons caught our ...

Signeo's SN-A800 is a wonderfully designed player with retro-modern style and three standout colors ; dedicated function buttons ; good sound quality ; compatible with OGG ; superthin and lightweight ; includes FM, voice/line recording

Signeo's SN-A800, being a designer piece, is overpriced ; uses an uncommon USB cable ; not compatible with protected music files ; buttons can be a drag for some users

The smooth retro-modern design of the Signeo SN-A800 is almost good enough to make us forget about its lofty price tag.

Remember a day when the most techie communication device a child could have was a walkie-talkie, or am I dating myself here? From preteens to college students, the younger generation is a growing and important segment for the consumer electronics ...

In the tech world, $20 doesn't get you too much. A big spool of CDs, a reputable 128MB SD card, and maybe some cheap headphones. Oh yes, and an MP3 player.The 128MB Coby MP-C827 may not be the prettiest, best-sounding, or most feature-packed player ...

Apparently tired of offering deals on iRiver and Creative MP3 players in exchange for a one-year subscription commitment, Napster has decided to get into the hardware game itself. The company recently started offering two Napster-branded devices to ...

The player is only $50 when you sign up for one year of Napster To Go ; it offers good sound quality and some nice extra features, such as photo and video playback and an FM radio ; excellent battery life

The only way to get the Napster player is by signing up for Napster To Go for a year ; album art support feature needs work ; the included earbuds suck

The Napster DMPJ-250C (1GB) player, plus a one-year subscription to Napster To Go would make a good gift for any MP3 newbie, but steer clear of this deal if you don't want to be locked into subscription music for 12 months.

Late last year, amid much hype--and after Steve Jobs repeatedly belittled portable video devices--Apple announced its fifth-generation iPod, dubbed by many as the iPod video. Seven months later, the U2 iPod has caught up to the pack. Originally ...

Incredibly thin and intuitive design ; beautiful LCD ; supports photo and video playback ; seamless integration with iTunes, which boasts the world's biggest music catalog and a fledgling video store ; lots of extra features, such as a world clock, a ...

U2 edition costs $30 more than standard iPod ; no extras included, such as a dock, A/V cables, or a power adapter ; poor battery life for video ; slight delay when playing video ; no guarantee that your non-iTunes Music Store video will play on an ...

The iPod U2 certainly isn't for everyone, but its target audience (namely, U2 fans) will love it, and will pay the extra $30 for it.

Sometimes you just don't want to drag a lot of stuff on the road, even if that means you're at the mercy of pricey hotel pay-per-view TV and your MP3 player for tunes. Well, how would you feel about a pocket-size hard drive that'll double as a hotel ...

There are numerous music subscription services on the market (such as those from Virgin, Yahoo, and MTV) that let you download all the music you want to your home computer, then transfer it to your portable player. But what if you can't wait that long ...

Lets you download new songs to your portable without a PC ; music store has about 2 million tracks ; can connect to other MusicGremlins through Wi-Fi or ad-hoc connections and share music ; includes an FM radio

Music subscriptions cost $14.99 per month (otherwise, songs are 99 cents per track) ; only subscribers can share songs ; poor battery life ; merely 8GB of storage for $299 ; requires open Wi-Fi connection to download songs ; FM radio can't remember ...

The MusicGremlin is a novel first effort and a boon for people who want instant access to downloadable songs, but it probably doesn't deliver enough value to attract many users.

Apple's iPod and iTunes spawned a purchasing frenzy in the digital music world. Now it's time to give something back. Talking Panda's iRocker can teach you how to make music yourself, using the rocker's instrument of choice: the guitar. If you or ...