Creative Zen Stone (1GB, black)

Summary: Apple has done an amazing job convincing the world that the Ipod and anything associated is the greatest mp3 player ever made. If you're new to the mp3 market, it is essential that you realize that the only thing Apple does better is market. In terms of the actual products, I believe quite a few companies trump Apple, and Creative does it once again with the Zen Stone.

When compared to the shuffle, you're not going to notice alot of differences. Bottom line, when looking at these devices there are 5 factors that most of us care about; sound quality, user friendliness/compatibility, price, capacity and look.

In terms of sound, the Zen wins by far. It has a much more rich sound, with much better bass. The headphones that come with this device are relatively comparable to the Ipod. They fit well and quality wise is really up to you. Most people are fine with the given ones(I'd say the Stone's are better), but some audiophiles won't be happy with either.

If you're an avid ITunes user, you may have no problem with either device. Personally, I have always been a fan of drag and drop, which is something you can't do on the Apple products. This is the Zen Stone's best aspect in my opinion. The Stone connects to the PC thru a universal usb cord that can easily be replaced by those provided with other electronics (such as cameras and some PDAs). This allows for you to not have to depend on the one cord provided, unlike the Shuffle. You can't get any friendlier than that. The biggest flaw with this product however is the lack of a clip. You can pocket it if you want, but not having a clip could be inconvenient at times (such as workouts)

Price wise, it's HALF the price of a Shuffle with equivalent capacity. There is no significant difference between the products to warrant such a ridiculous gap in price, other than the label "Apple" and the previously mentioned clip.

Capacity wise, 1 GB is never enough honestly. However, if you're looking for a second, smaller device for workouts or want to get something for the kids, spending $40 for this seems far more reasonable than $100(the cost of the Shuffle).

Visually the Zen Stone isn't the greatest thing in the world, but neither is the Shuffle. What you see is whatcha get.

Bottom line, if you aren't hooked by the Apple marketing scheme, you can't go wrong with the Stone. If you can sacrifice the lack of a clip, you pay get a good looking, better sounding device for half the price.