Sony NW-A1200 (8GB, violet)

Pros: Amazing sound quality, great look and feel, Plenty of shuffle and organisation options, Scratch resistant

Cons: No colour screen or FM radio

Summary: The Sony NW-A1200 is undoubtedly one of the best looking mp3 players ever. I'll leave that where it is. The sound quality is something you'll have to hear to believe, and it kicks the iPod's butt at this! Sadly, the arrival of the 8gb iPod Nano, albeit for $50 more, does highlight the issue of the absent colour screen. Some might complain that an FM radio should have been included, but the huge success of the iPod points out that this clearly isn't neccesary. The in-box headphones are the best freebies I've ever used, though it's worth investing in some up-market 'phones to truly get the most out of it's sound. It's just a shame that the software is so awful. If you can afford to let go of the 130mb ram it takes to run, and are patient enough to ignore it's bug-a-minute habits, you won't have any issues with the software.
Despite it's shortcomings, the Walkman is a truly fantastic player, you just have to be able to put up with people staring at it!