Best non-iPod MP3 players for Mac

Connecting a non-iPod MP3 player to a Mac computer may sound like heresy to some Apple lovers, but for those Mac users who dare to "Think Different" there's a whole world of alternative MP3 players out there for the taking.

Not all MP3 players play nice with Mac, however. Several popular MP3 players marketed to PC users (such as the Microsoft Zune or Creative Zen) use a connection standard called MTP that only responds to Windows-based computers. For an MP3 player to be Mac-compatible, it needs to show up on your Mac's desktop as a generic USB hard drive (also called UMS or MSC compatibility). It's not too hard to come across an MP3 player capable of connecting as a generic USB hard drive, but finding one worthy of replacing an iPod is tougher than you'd think.

Each of the following six players offer something special that no iPod has yet to match. Whether it's the audio quality of the Sony NWZ-S718F, the unbeatable price of the Sansa Clip, or the dazzling file format support of both Cowon and Archos, Mac users looking to dip their toes in non-Apple waters have plenty of incentive.