Apple’s iPods are now a synonomous with 21st century living, however all portable media players (PMPs) don’t have to begin with the letter “i”. Most apple products have non-apple competitors, and some of these competitors would most likely be a more desirable choice for certain kinds of consumers. This article seeks to do a comparison of several of Apple’s PMPs to their non-apple counterparts. Another nice option might be Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones.
The Apple iPod Touch is quite possibly the best engineered PMP for sale. Apple’s Touch is quite simply an iPhone without the phone, and no other product has that number of applications attainable. Not every person needs all of those applications, however. Sony’s X Series Walkman functions as good as an iPod Touch when it comes to filing and playing music, offers terrific sound and ntegrated Wi-Fi, and even has a touch pad. Unfortunately, at about $300, the Walkman costs the same as an iPod Touch, and provides less. Another great alternative is Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones.
You won’t mind the loss of the applications you don’t use, but in that case, why finance them? Microsoft’s Zune HD is one more thoughtfully engineered PMP with a touch screen, web browsing functions and a wireless music shop. Microsoft’s PMP doesn’t work with iTunes and isn’t close to being as application-friendly, but for a $200 purchase price, you can get used to that.
Apple’s iPod Nano is on its 5th generation and has gotten better as a result of every single upgrade. Apple’s most recent Nano is teeny, adorable, and totally packed with features. For around $180, this gadget is the most effective PMP in the median price range, although if you’re looking for a lower price, you have a few options. Samsung’s Q2 has several Nano-like features including an intuitive interface and is nearly as attractive, although it gives you somewhat less storage space. It also will cost you about $50 less, therefore if you don’t particularly need several thousand tunes in your pocket, this might be a reasonable substitute. The least expensive Nano competitor, the Coby MP705 gives you a bit less capacity than the Q2, but it still comes with MP3 technology in addition to video, photo and FM radio abilities, and also a set of reliable earbuds. Most significantly, all of this can be purchased for not quite $50. Another good item to look into is Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones.
The Apple iPod Shuffle is Apple’s lowest priced PMP, and since it’s priced at $60 it works all right, although this particular iPod has a few opponents that actually out-perform it. The Shuffle’s primary deficit is the lack of a screen, which limits the user to either hearing playlists or putting up with random tunes chosen by the device. The SanDisk Sansa Clip gives you a micro SD slot to enhance its memory, plus a screen to allow you to see what’s playing, and is priced at only $40.