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.
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Previously, Bill was an IT manager in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.
