Better than an iPod and half the price!
591361
I bought this off Amazon.com a few months ago, and at first I was looking to buy an iPod.  However, when I saw iPods were selling for close to $200, I thought that there had to be a cheaper alternative.  I was right.  The Sansa Fuze is AMAZING.  I had owned an ipod previously, and after a while started to have problems with it freezing. The Sansa Fuze has not frozen once since I bought it six months ago. Compared to an ipod, it is visually more appealling and has a bigger screen, and with 8 GB of memory, it stores the same amount as a comparable ipod with 8 GB.  I have five hundred songs on it now and still have a lot more space available. It is easier to navigate and is about the same size as well.  I should mention though that I only listen to music on it, so I can't really review any of the other features, such as videos, pictures, etc.  In reality, it is not too much different than an ipod at all and serves pretty much the same functions; however, when I bought it, it was HALF THE PRICE, and works just as well, if not better.  Highly recommend.
2649060
I have had my Sansa M250 for about a month and love it.  I use it to listen to audio books while walking my dog or riding the lightrail to work in Portland, OR.  I can easily plug it into my car's cassette adapter to continue listening in the car.  My son has an IPod Nano and thinks it is the best, but I have trouble manuvering the Nano's controls and no problem with the Sansa.  Since my family goes camping a lot, I like that I can change the battery and not need to plug my player into a computer to recharge. 2 GB has been more than adequate for me, but I would probably buy a 4 GB if I had to do it again. I had no problem with the software since Windows Media Player is pretty standard and the headphones are fine (except that the white foam pads got pretty grimy while I was gardening - totally my fault)
4421280
We bought this for my daughter - it's like an iPod Nano in many ways, only for half the cost. One thing it has that the iPod Nano doesn't is a radio - so when my daughter is tired of listening to the music she has synced, she can switch over to radio and listen to that. It also has a voice recorder - which for now she uses to record her brother, but could be used for reminders and organization later.
4546702
I first bought a Zune 30 right after it was released. Being much more feature heavy than the iPhones as well as having a better screen was the tipping point for me. As my first MP3 player I was very happy with my purchase. A coulple years later I accidentally stripped the inside of the audio jack accidentally with some fauly headphones so now its ruined :C. I used some christmas money and purchased the new 120 gig model. The touch surface took a bit to get used too but its exactly the same as my loved old 30 gig but with a screen superior to any iPod, excellent hard drive space, and usable software. To this day I've probably used about 80 gigs worth of videos and music. <3 Zune!
4209679
I bought a black one. I listen to it mostly on the way to and from work. And sometimes in the office.

The photos are sharp. I put a lot of my CDs in my computer and synchrorize with the IPod. It is light and very intuitive.

So if you need a gadget and $400 is affordable, I highly recommend IPod Video 60GB. Don't put it off for price reduction or next version. Get it now. Life is short. It is well worthy of the money.
898380
My fourth generation iPod finally gave out a while back and I spent some time researching for a new mp3 player.  I can across this particular product and saw a that it was liked by a lot of reviewers.  Instead of spending twice as much for the same amount of memory on a new iPod touch, I decided to go in another direction.

Unlike iTunes which takes care of everything for you, this player is a lot more hands on.  Right out of the box I had an issue with the firmware and had to manually reinstall it which took about 45 minutes to completely sort out.  Besides that hitch, the player works great.

It can play a huge range of music formats ignoring lossless audio.  The screen is very high quality and performs well in both displaying photos and video playback.  There is also room for a SD card to expand the memory if 16 GBs are not enough.  Also comes with the standard FM radio/microphone.

To sum it up, the Creative Zen is a lot more hands on than an iPod.  You will find the applications it comes with are very basic compared to what iTunes does.  It does take a little while to adjust to but after you understand the player and it's habits, it makes a fine alternative to an iPod.
344180
I've been using this mp3 player for a year and a half and have loved it.  Not just by comparison with the ipod but just for itself!

What distinguishes it from the ipod classic are:

The controls are really easy to use. When you press a button it does what it's supposed to do.

You can set up to 10 bookmarks, so you can be listening to one podcast, stop and move to something else, and come back to any of them when you want.

It has an FM radio, and it works nicely.

You can determine what menus you see.

It's far more intuitive to use.

It's smaller and more compact.

It's not an ipod and you don't have to use itunes.

It's way cheaper, and way better.
4237405
It's even better than the IPOD, and it is very convenient to store and use this product. I have interfaced with my surround sound and it sounds amazing and plus the FM functionality beats its competitors hands down.
2384840
I love this product, although it has no wi-fi like an ipod, it has more options such as an SD card slot, FM radio, free games, and its durable and can handle the bumps! I would definitely recommend this player, if your not willing to spend the big time buck, but want all the whistles! I will be buying another one soon!!!
4969742
I have had the mobliBLU 1GB for about 6 months and I use it for Mp3 music only. Although it can play WMA files, I believe the battery may last longer with Mp3 files recorded @128kbps. I set the LED display to ALWAYS ON only when charging for long periods of time (ie. overnight) so that it does not overcharge the battery. I had to reinstall the latest firmware once about six months ago, but it has worked reliably ever since. Seeing the display in *bright* sunlight is a problem. Selecting the music to play is fairly easy, and I have never had a problem with "random" mode. I really like the equalizer which has presets, but allows you to configure it anyway you want. The earbuds are a tad larger than I would like, but they seem to have excellent sound quality.

The FM radio only works for strong local stations. The 1GB is too small-I am sure the 2GB is a better value. Copying music and deleting th music is a piece of cake using My Computer or Windows File Explorer. The iPOD Nano is nice, but it does not come with the necklace earbuds which are $39.99 from Apple the last time I checked. You must also use iTunes to load and remove music, which I found cumbersome. I recommend the mobiBLU for those who want to try something diferent and easy to use.
4578795
I absolutely love this music player! It turns any device into an MP3 player. My very expensive iPod Classic is now just collecting dust. I can play music through my phone at anytime, or my PC, or my iPad - this is exactly what I was looking for. I pay for my music and I had been using iTunes when my PC crashed. I was at least smart enough to back up my music to disk but that was 30 disks of music and it was getting expensive and time consuming doing it. Plus I lost whatever I had purchased since my last backup which I don't even know what songs those were. When I started backing up my music to disk the iTunes website said if you ever have to use the recovery disks just put the first one in and it will automatically start to load your music. Not only did this not happen but even going in to iTunes there was no way to get the music off those darn disks that had over $1000 worth of music on. I messed with it for weeks and never could get it to work when I saw an add while shopping on Amazon for this music player. It saved my life! Ok it didn't do that but it did save me some tears. I don't spend money on many things but I spend a lot of money on my music. I loaded this to my PC and it automatically searches for music files on your device or PC and loads them to a cloud player. It even took the compressed files from my iTunes backup disks!!!!!!! I am sold! It took awhile to get all the music off of those 30 or so disks but that would be the case no matter what with a disk. I never went back to iTunes. I can purchase my music right here and play it instantly on any device. And never another backup disk again! It's all in the cloud and we'll worth the $25 a year to store it all. It's fully searchable, and you can shuffle in a playlist which I couldn't do with my iPod. If you shuffle on an iPod it shuffles the whole thing- so stupid. I download kids books for my daughter and then bring headphones so if we are shopping or driving I get some peace and quiet while she listens to a book. Which is also awesome with this app!  All her audio books I purchased on CD are in one place! But with my iPod the shuffle feature would only shuffle the whole iPod which means it could randomly go from Def lepard to The Ugly Duckling. This app can shuffle inside a playlist which is exactly what I wanted!  On my iPad it shows album covers and also the lyrics as it's singing like karaoke for most of the songs. I can access my playlist at work by streaming on my work PC without having to carry an iPod around and try not to lose it or break it. All of my devices are now music players! We were at a dinner party recently and the private room was really quiet. Whipped out my phone and BAM! Instant music. This app rocks. All my music always at my fingertips. And on my PC it recommends new music based on what I am listening to. I actually use this on my iPad via Bluetooth to my beats pill and have an audio cable running to my stereo system. So I can wirelessly control all of my music to the stereo from my iPad now!!!! I can control volume, skip, pause, song, everything from the lock screen so I don't even have to unlock it to use the controls. My stereo is on the lower level and the Bluetooth works through the floor. With my iPod I had to have it plugged into the stereo so every time I wanted to skip a song or turn down the volume I had to run all the way downstairs. With this app I can play it wirelessly a floor away and have full control! And if I need to I can select songs to download on a device if I can't get cloud access like a road trip or something.  I recommend this ALL THE TIME!,  so far my only complaint is that it will put duplicate music on a playlist without a prompt telling you it's duplicate. Sounds like an easy thing to fix, will probably be something they will change soon as iTunes did this. All my music all the time and always safe in the cloud. Poo poo to iTunes! Get this app!
839790
If you're an anti-iPoder like me, it's quite a relief to find an alternative brand that either beats or equals the iPod in nearly every way.  I've had it for about three weeks now and am incredibly satisfied.  I just wanted to echo the sentiments others have made in the comments.  Key points to consider, in comparison to an iPod:

- the Zen is sturdier and doesn't scratch easily (compared to the silver back of an iPod/the black iPod).  I accidentally dropped it on the floor and there's not a mark on it. Amazing.  Also, with the matte back and finish on the front, my player has absolutely no smudges.

- it's a little bigger, width-wise, than the iPod, but for me it helps me feel like I won't break it.  It's the perfect size and weight, I think.

- Everyone was right: the colors you get on screen are amazing. You really are going to get a better viewing experience on this one.

The touch pad takes getting used to, an included AC adapter would be nice (but the USB charger isn't bad, either), and you can't put mp4 videos on it (aka: any videos you get from iTunes, which def. sucks... but you can put any other video type on there), but if you don't mind those small things (and really it's a matter of preference), the Zen is fabulous.
4960346
I had wanted a music player for a long time and held off until I saw the 2nd generation iPod Touch. This is essentially an iPhone without the phone. WOW! Let me say that again, WOW. There are other versions of the iPod, but for those who have larger hands or don't want something too small and slim, this is perfect. It is not too large, but comfortable to hold and flat out fun to use. The color screen is beautiful and video is simply amazing to watch on the Touch. While the Touch is designed to be easy to use and mostly it is, it is not intuitive if you are not familiar with the design and how it is supposed to work. Being a geek, I purchased several books to learn about the Touch before hand, so I was ready to go when I received it. Syncing via iTunes is very easy and it is wonderful to have music, video (TV Shows, movies, movie trailers and You Tube to name a few), Internet, GPS and helpful apps make this a must have device. The Touch has Wi-Fi, so you can browse the Internet, check your mail, browse the iTunes Wi-Fi and App stores, get GPS info, check weather or stocks only on a Wi-Fi connection. If you are not near a Wi-Fi signal the Internet connection features and apps will not work. It should also be noted that only the music  and App store sections of iTunes work on the Wi-Fi connection, all others are available only on your computer. The Touch also has some handy PIM widgets for a Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Clock and a Calculator. You can also view photos in vivid color. Your music library can be sorted by artist, song title, album (check out the cool cover flow feature by flicking your finger across the screen) and you can search for any of the above. The new Genius feature is also included in the 2nd generation version, suggesting music you may have forgotten you have. I don't use the Genius feature that much because the artist category feature is my favorite to find music. There are a number of paid and free aps available for the Touch and the iPhone since they are similar. Many do not need an Internet connection to work.

It is fantastic to be able to listen to your music library nearly anytime and anywhere you like. The Touch has full stereo sound and is espcecially good with headphones. The ear buds that come with it are okay, but I prefer over the ear headsets for full, rich sound. I never would have thought I would have enjoyed watching TV Shows or video on the go, but I love watching my favorite shows on the Touch. iTunes has nearly every cable channel show you can think of and it is a cost effective way to view a single episode to see if you like a show you have not seen before. One thing I am not wild about is touch typing. Contrary to popular opinion, there are stylus' made that will work with the touch. I purchsed a wonderful one from Hand Held Items that makes it much easier to type. The Touch syncs fairly quickly. Video will run the battery down faster than music will, but it charges very fast. I bought a 32 GB so that I would have plenty of room for music and video. I would like to mention an important point, once you have filled your iPod with your favorite entertainment, make sure you back up your iTunes libarary. iTunes will back up your iPod, but many people forget to back up their computers. If you lose it, it is gone and you will have to re-purchase anything you have lost. I backup all items purchased on my computer using both a backup drive and Arconis True Image software and an online storage site, Flipdrive. You can get 20GB of storage for $5.00 a month and unlimited photos backed up. If it is on your iPod and important to you, take the time to back it up. The iPod Touch is a must for powerful packed and mostly easy to use features. It really is a fun and useful player to have.
3214798
I have to say, the capacity, larger screen then the iPOD, and better sound are real selling points. The screen is 30% bigger, making the picture a lot easier to watch, and the cound quality is just better.

LOVE the FM tuner too, and the fact that I can tag a song for purchase is great!  Combine that with the subscriotion service for UNLIMITED MUSIC and LOVE THIS THING!
3676720
I bought this ipod for my 12 yr old,  after his 1st one only lasted about 12 hours,  it was a cheaper MP3 player by ilo technology and it sucked.  When I received this ipod opened it immediately because I knew it had to charge so when I looked for the directions, it really did not have any just a basic picture directions and one liners so when i went to the website its say to go to it says it was no longer available.  So after fumbling thru the "itunes" website and having to download 35 pages of manual I was able to figure it out.  It takes about 4 hours to charges.  Then I had to download songs to it, which took again about 30 minutes to figure out but all in all after managing to figure it all out, my kid is very happy and it seems to be very durable.  My husband now wants one and also the 8 yr old.  So, I'm sure I will be purchasing more in the future!!
4584227
Sansa is the non-conformist's answer to the ipod.  It is/has

* more durable

* FM radio

* 3 times as many gigs as the nano for the same price or less

* uses all MP3 formats and so you are not restricted to itunes

* video

WONDERFUL product.
747404
When I bought my first iPod years ago I bought a monster and loved it! I could listen to all my favorite music all the time! But I accidentally broke it when I slammed the car door on it. So I finally bought a new one and it exceeded my expectations! The new one has much better sound and works my my iPhone. The old one didn't. I can listen to pandora radio all the time. I love it! I get no interference whatsoever. Plus it keeps my iPhone 3gs charged.