Are iPods really the best MP3 players?

It depends on what you want out of it, and what you plan to do with it. There are tons of MP3 players out there. It all comes down to a few determining factors. Price, size, memory, features, and accessories. I'll try to narrow it down for you.

The best in the 4GB area.

Price: RCA 4GB Lyra Micro Jukebox RD2762 or the Zen Micro Photo 4GB @ Walmart for ~$140

Size: Overall size Ipod Nano. Weight is like 1.5oz and a the thicknss of like 2 creditcards.

Memory: Zen Micro Photo 8GB. Best $$$ to GB ratio...8GB for $200(Walmart for $188), though this is becoming discontinued and is going to be replaced by the Zen V which is only 4GB, but still $200.

Features: The Zen Microphoto has the best overall features; built in mic, recorder, fm tuner, easy to replace battery(you'll eventually need this because all rechargeable batteries end up dying someday), replacement battery is cheaper than the Nano ($40 vs $60), doesn't scratch very easily unlike the Nano, comes in quite a few colors, bright color screen, can be used as a harddrive, play just about any audio format, and can do those useless things like store contacts and calendar.

Battery Life: 35hrs Samsung YPZ5AB, the Nano only has about 14, then zen is about 15

Accessories: Ipods have the most and best accessories.

Hopefully this helps. Ipods are very popular, but they are a bit overpriced and the only real thing that makes them so popular is the amount of accessories and size. Personally, I would choose the Zen Microphoto, but they soon will be unavailable. The Creative Labs (the people who make the Zen) are Apple's main rival, their products are similar, but often a bit better. I don't like RCA personally, because their products kinda suck and they have horrible customer service. I would check out the Creative Labs site for more info on the Zen.

Creative is definitely a good choice. My wife has a Creative Zen Microphoto and I have a Creative Zen Vision M. Creative just announced the Zen V and Zen V plus with up to 4GB and video capability from a flash drive player (good if you plan to do work outs or other physical activity).

They are easy to use.

They have good battery life.

The Microphoto has a user replaceable battery.

The Microphoto is very lightweight.

The Zen Vision M has tons of storage (30GB) plays videos and supposedly has twice the video playback time of the iPod 30GB player (4 hours vs 2 hours). I've not tested it fully but did get over two hours of video and hours of music on a single charge on a cross country flight.

They support subscription music services which allow you to rent as much music as will fit on your player or more for as little as $10 a month with a one year pre-paid subscription. I have over 1000 songs on my players which works out to less than a penny a song a month. Can't do that with an iPod.

that depends on what you want in an MP3 player.If you prefer for a player to be easy to use and does not need to have too many functions like FM radio and voice recorder then go for the iPod nano.Also if you're into stylish players then you cant get more stylish than the iPod.

If you are more interested in functions instead of looks or popularity then you would be able to find many Mp3 players which have tons of functions like the creative zen micro for instance.The interface on it may take some time to get used to since its not as easy as the ipod but once you master it you will realise how good it really is.If you're the type of person who gets bored of his songs quickly and likes to upgrade your music every once in a while then go for a player with a radio in it so that you are always up to date on the latest music.I have heard that the nano can get scratched very easily so you would need to buy one of those tubes or socks to keep it safe from scratches.

If you are not into the whole back n white mp3 players then there are many players that come in a variety of colours for you to choose from .If you are a person who cares about the details of the music he listens to like how the base sounds or the guitar then the Ipod may not be the player for you.If price is a factor in deciding which player you want then i have to say that the iPod is a bit more expensive than other players which have more options.

The Toshiba Gigabeat is an excellent MP3 player. The smallest size you can get is a 10gb and it's $180 vs $250 for a 4gb nano.

No, you should shop around first and read some customer reviews on Ipods and you'll find out that the quality and the Customer Service sucks on them. I think Creatives should be the best Mp3 players.

Yep, I've had a Zen, and a couple cheaper MP3 players (flash drive types) and wish I had bought my 30GB iPod earlier. It's is far superior to anything else I've touched.

If you ask me it depends on what you are looking for. The itunes system is quite easy to use and iPOD's allow for plenty of music. Be warned that ipod batteries only last five years so after that five years you have to send it back and have Apple put in another battery.

IPODs are the best mps players out there. No doubt. Each second 2 ipods are being sold. That's incredible.

To get 10% discount of IPODS go here apple.com/edu/fordham

Nope. I love my Creative Zen Micro. Not too expensive, incredibly easy to use (never even read the instruction manual) and really good sound.

no, in fact they are not even the top 30% in terms of features. but ease of use, they are up there, which is why the majority of mp3 owners has one. but thats because most people suck with technology. i would suggest something with more features and that allows for plug and play instead of having to use itunes to transfer. something like samsung, sandisk sansa, or even creative are better choices.