Photos: This year’s would-be iPod rivals
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Apple Computer’s lineup of iPods has long been king of the hill among digital music players, but a new generation of rivals aims to claim a bigger piece of the glory. Shown here is the iPod Nano, released in September 2005, which comes in 2GB and 4GB models, with prices starting at $199. It’s also notable for its physical proportions: just a quarter-inch thick and 3.5 inches tall.
A distant second to Apple is SanDisk. The SanDisk Sansa e200, which starts at $199 for a 2GB version, and climbs to $299 for a 6GB version. All offer a color screen, an FM tuner and a MicroSD slot for expanding the amount of memory available.
Creative Labs’ Zen Vision:M, a competitor to the video iPod. It is currently available in a 30GB model for $329.
The iRiver U10 is one of the few new MP3 players to break wholly with the iPod form factor. A 512MB version lists at $199, with a 1GB version available for $249.
Sony Ericsson’s W810 Walkman phone offers up to 2GB of memory by using a removable Memory Stick. It will be available in the spring, but has not yet been priced.
