Tiny MP3 players

Jasmine France
Jasmine France Senior Associate Editor May 26, 2009
Flash-based MP3 players are taking over the marketplace. Unlike their hard-drive-based counterparts, flash MP3 players have no moving parts, affording them entirely skip-free playback and, in most cases, a long battery life. Also, flash chips are tiny, meaning the players that use them can be small to the point of ridiculousness. Luckily, most manufacturers realize that there is such a thing as too small, so we had no trouble finding a collection of manageable MP3 players that won't take up valuable space in a briefcase, a backpack, a purse, or a pocket. And although each measures less than 2 cubic inches, all of them offer at least 2GB of memory, which is enough to hold about 500 songs or 32 hours' worth of music.

The winner in terms of tininess? The Apple iPod Shuffle, at a startlingly scarce 0.39-inch. Next billing goes to the Sony W-Series Walkman, which incorporates an MP3 player into two 0.61-inch earphone modules. And then there's the Creative Zen Stone Plus at 1.1 cubic inch. At 1.4 cubic inches a piece, you have the plug-and-play Sony B-Series Walkman and the ultrathin iPod Nano, which offers an impressive 11.4GB per inch for the 16GB model. Finally, there's the sporty Sansa Clip at 1.5 cubic inches.

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Product Apple iPod Shuffle (third generation, 4GB, black) SanDisk Sansa Clip (8GB, sleek black)
Price $154.34 $126.52 to $153.00
CNET editors' rating 3 stars 3.5 stars
Average user rating 2 stars 4 stars
Release date Info unavailable October 9, 2007
Bottom line
The third-generation iPod Shuffle is the next best thing to an invisible MP3 player, but the quirky controls and microscopic design make it a limited recommendation.
The SanDisk Sansa Clip is an incredible value that's set to edge out the competition with a user-friendly interface, gym-worthy design, and great sound quality.
PC interface(s) supported

Hi-Speed USB

Hi-Speed USB

Flash memory installed

4 GB

8 GB

Flash memory form factor

Integrated

Integrated

Dimensions (WxDxH)

0.7 in x 0.3 in x 1.8 in

1.3 in x 0.7 in x 2.2 in

Weight

0.4 oz

0.9 oz

Battery technology

Lithium polymer

Lithium ion

Mfr estimated battery life

10 hour(s)

Info unavailable
Software type [Jul 2, 2008 from CDS: Software] Info unavailable

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