5 iPod Contenders

If like me you are considering buying a new mp3 player, but are tired with all the iPod / iPhone hype. Here are 5 worthy alternatives to Apples offerings:

Cowon D2
The Cowon D2 MP3 player is sleek and compact with an amazing looking 2.5 inch touch-sensitive screen. It comes standard with video playback, voice recording, and an FM tuner. Also included is a unique stylus that doubles as a kick stand. Sound quality is great (according to CNET who give this 8.3/10). It’s on the pricier side when compared to rivals, but should be on your list of possibilities. Available in 2 and 4 GB’s

Cowon D2 is Available at Amazon for around $195

Samsung YP-K3
The Samsung YP-K3 is cool looking and simple to use with its intuitive menus, fast interface and good quality sound (according to CNET who give this 7.3/10) If you are a Mac user then this mp3 player is not for you. But if you are looking for an iPod Nano alternative, then consider the YP-K3 from Samsung. Available in 2 and 4 GB’s


The Samsung YP-K3 is available at Amazon for around $155


Creative ZEN Stone Plus
The Zen Stone Plus is an iPod Shuffle alternative that is worth checking out. It is priced very competitively with good sound quality and easy to use functions. It supports Audible files and has a Skip Folder function that makes it easy to skip through groups of tracks.

The Creative ZEN Stone Plus is available at Amazon in various colors for around $70

Iriver Clix2
The iRiver Clix2 is the second generation iRiver Clix that is even sleeker and slimmer than its predecessor. The player comes with an FM radio; a voice recorder; an alarm clock; support for subscription content as well as OGG and Audible files; and photo, video, and text viewing. Well rated by CNET with 8.7/10 this is one mp3 player that you should consider seriously.

The Iriver Clix2 is available at Amazon for around $195 for the 4GB version

Creative Zen Vision:M
The Zen Vision M is available in five colors with 30 or 60GB. It has a great screen, simple user interface, strong battery life, FM tuner / recorder and supports a wide range of online music stores and subscription services, as well as video formats. It has excellent audio and video quality. The downside, there is no iTunes-like video content at present and you need an adaptor for transfers and power. This is another iPod alternative that is highly rated by CNET with 8/10

The 60GB Creative Zen Vision:M is available at Amazon for around $270