Beyond the pod
If there is an iconic electronic product today, it is the Apple iPod, which continues to dominate the digital audio player space. But the iPod is not the start-all and end-all of digital audio players. Far from it. In fact, there are several good and far more affordable digital audio players available and most of them featured here compete directly with the iPod Nano, which, we think, is still the king.
This small four-gigabyte player from Creative is not for those who want to watch movies on the move, but its attractive form appeals to those who want a simple and small digital music player. Of course, this does not mean the MuVo does not have a screen. Its small screen is big enough to allow easy navigation of tracks. And its biggest advantage is that it can be directly plugged into a computer.
Price: Rs 4,990
Available at all major electronic outlets 
This two-gigabyte flash memory player from Philips can do a lot of things that the iPod cannot. For example, you can listen to the radio directly from the player when you are bored of listening to your songs. The GoGear allows you to use the gadget also as a voice recorder, and plays back Windows Audio (WMA) files and videos. The only problem is that while the Philips player is petite, its screen is rather tiny-with a resolution of only 128x128 pixels.
Price: Rs 3,299
Available at all major electronic retailers 
The four-gigabyte Walkman can play an impressive number of songs and also supports MPEG-4 video formats. It comes with a 2.4-inch 320x240 pixel resolution screen, which makes it easier to watch videos that are played back at a high-resolution 30 frames per second. The player can store almost a thousand MP3 tracks and has a claimed battery life of over 36 hours. That should keep you occupied for a bit.
Price: Rs 8,990
Available at all major electronic and Sony World outlets
If you want a simple, sexy player that is not an iPod Nano, the Samsung K3 is the player for you, with its illuminated touch-screen controls and animated icons. The two-gigabyte player (it is also available as a fourgigabyte model) is rather nifty. Its format support is not as impressive as some of the other players, but if you swear by MP3, this should not be much of a concern.
Price: Rs 5,500
Available at all major electronic and Samsung World outlets
