Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3 20 GB

Advantages Read the review :)
Disadvantages None

...If you want to be different, and not get an I pod, then you cannot go wrong with this fantastic piece of kit. I love mine and have been using it daily for years without fault, enjoying excellent memory capacity (around 16000 songs) and battery life (30+ hours and charger included). It is small, sleek and both the player and the 'sonicstage' pc program are very easy to use. Play is smooth, it is skip-free and the sound quality is fantastic (proper bass and even better with a new set of earphones). It is light and surprisingly tough (I can tell you from experience). The backlight is supurb and be honest who needs video and pictures when it's going to be in your pocket? The 'i pod killer' is fantastic value for an mp3 player that will last for years to come and is by far the best music player i have EVER used... Read review

Advantages The excellent battery life
Disadvantages The navigation through songs is slow

...The HD3 is a great model for anyone looking to enter the world of the mp3 player market. This is due to the excellent sound quality and easy to use software that is supplied with the player. It would beat the I-Pod any day as it weighs less than the mini version and the battery is far superior. The software that is supplied with the player also compresses songs without losing quality. This means that it can squeeze up to 13,000 songs onto the hard drive. This is again more than the I-Pod. The only draw-backs with this player are that the navigation through songs is quite slow and the cost of it in the U.K. compared to that of the I-Pod is expensive. A way round this is to buy online or from America. Overall a superb buy!... Read review

Advantages looks great deserves reputation as ipod kiler
Disadvantages takes time to comvert cd's into atrac format.

...It took me a long time to decide between this and the apple ipod. I knew a lot about the ipod (good advertising) but not much about the sony. I checked both out on the internet and the sony was miles better. The sound quality on the sony is excellent. Even on Atrac3plus format (which is the lowest quality) you cant tell the differance between that and a cd. At this recording level is where you get the 13,000 songs and the 30 hours battery life. Some people have moaned about the sound quality, i personally can't tell the difference. The only drawback is the speed which it takes to convert a cd into sonicstage (the software supplied with the player). But on the upside the software does have a program which automatically names the songs so you dont have to. I love the look of the and size of the player, miles smaller than the equivilent... Read review