There are more iPod nano challengers on the market than we'd care to mention, but not many put up too much of a fight, except this one.

It's not perfect, though: sound quality is on the harsh side; and the price, while reasonable, isn't quite cheap enough to replace either the Zen or nano in our affections

It may be pricey, but Sony's Walkman is a fine MP3 player and a good alternative to everything Apple

The only software that Sony provides is an MP3 ripper and Media Manager. And, unlike music files that you can drag and drop directly onto the player, you have to move video files into Media Manager before they can be transferred across. It's a laborious p...

It's more tweaky and involved than most players, but it's also got far more features

You interact with the machine by prodding the touchscreen with either your fingers or the stylus. Both work fairly well. Another control option is to plug a mouse or keyboard into the full-size USB 2.0 socket

Good to have WMP compatibility, but it needs better sound.

Both MP3 and WMP files are supported here, among others, along with major video formats such as MP4

If you want an alternative to Apple, here's a great (and cheap) place to start

The YP-T10 only carries 2GB of flash memory (it's also available in a 4GB version), but it has an excellent 2in screen, plays video as well as audio, and has an FM tuner and a voice recorder. Most importantly, it looks and sounds great. Music is vibrant a...

An excellent player from Samsung, combing outstanding innovation with great sound and picture clarity

As well as supporting MP3 formats, it can also play host to WMA, WMV and MP4 files. Add to that a built in FM radio and Bluetooth capacity, and the gorgeous 3in touchscreen and you understand why we admire it

The PC peripheral finally hits the mainstream with this easy-to-use touchscreen device offering loads of extras

A valuable addition to Archos' repertoire is Wi-Fi, and while the storage on offer here is 30GB, there are also 80GB and 160GB versions available

The Vision M is something of an iPod imitator, but it doesn't quite match its inspiration

However, picture quality is high, while the sound is full-blown and expansive, offering good detail and an attractively punchy bass

One of the best performers in this category �€" if you're a PC user on a decent budget, you must hear this sporty Walkman

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Once you've mastered the touch-screen you'll have plenty of fun with this great effort from LG

The screen is a healthy 48x36mm though and offers a sharp clean picture