Cowon A2 (20GB)

Pros: Very feature rich, no clunky hub required for recording, price is competitive compared to the Archos machines, beuatiful interface, SUPERB sound quality, great video quality, great voice recorder...

Cons: Higher storage would be nice, and compatibility with software such as Realplayer would be nice

Summary: Apart from iAdudio's rubbish file management software and not the fact it doesn't have the highest storage, my new A2 is an utter joy.

I prefer the fact it requires no extra hub to record video from AV sources - very convenient. I love the interface, the sound quality is the best I've ever heard on any MP3 player, the design is stylish, the voice and FM recorders are also great.

Getting files onto the player is hardly a chore, as some reviewers suggest. Windows works seamlessly with the machine, and with a bit of clear thinking - it's easy to organise files so they are coherent.

I use a tree structure for filing, which really helps matters. I would, however, love to see improved file management software from iAudio, but as things stand, it's impossible to fault the credibility of this machine.

I love it!