btw, i want to vouch for this MP3 player.
i recently bought the Nomad Zen (firewire...$250 after MIR) and a 20GB iPod to compare. Initially, the size of the iPod wowed me. It's definitely easy to use and it's eye catching. However, the Zen beats it on usability, IMO.
iPod Pros:
-size and weight
-large LCD (but shows less text than Zen)
-charge w/ firewire cable
-"wow" form factor
-very easy to use out of the box
iPod Cons:
-can't make on the fly playlists (need to make them on your computer)
-can't queue up songs (have to wait until the song's over)
-no dedicated volume control
-display is "uneven" (could have been mine)
-earbuds are a little too big for my ears. kind of hurt after a while
-can't view track details (bitrate, genre)
-come with a nice case, but you can't see the display or wheel while it's in it. (although you can use the remote)
-muy, muy expensive
Zen Pros:
-create and edit playlists on your player
-queue up songs while current song is playing
-search artist/genre/track/album by letters
-dedicated volume controls
-headphones aren't
that bad (behind the head kind)
-very good signal-to-noise ratio (but i couldn't really tell w/ the iPod)
-great price when compared to the iPod
Zen Cons:
-bigger than the iPod
-LCD is smaller (although it displays more text per line than the iPod)
-scroll wheel isn't as easy to use as the iPod's trackpad/wheel
-to shuffle all songs, you have to make a playlist with all songs on your computer
-buttons are small
-case is nice, but a tight fit
To me, the iPod has awesome form factor, but the Zen's more robust user options won me over. For nearly half the price, it's an awesome deal. It's not as small and slick as the iPod, but I like it better. It take a little getting used to, but the features are worth it. To illustrate the importance of on-the-fly playlists, here's what happened when i first loaded up my iPod: i didn't have any playlists so, basically, i could only load up entire genres, albums, or artists. if i just chose one song, i'd have to wait until it ended before i could play the next. With the Zen, I'd play a song, search for a new one, and queue it up. Minor, but not having it on the iPod really annoyed me. The iPod's smaller size just wasn't worth the $200+.
Just my mini review
