Want a mp3 player?

Want a digital music player that is capable of playing mp3 as well as displaying photos? Well, check out this tiny Archos Gmini 400, it is cheaper than a iPod and has a nice colour screen capable of not only displaying photos, but also playing DivX videos and games. It only weighs 160g, has a 20Gb harddrive and a 2.2" LCD display capable of displaying 18-bit colour. It even comes with a built-in Compact Flash slot. Along with ancient mp3 format, it is also capable of playing audio files in wma and wav format as well as XviD and Mpeg4 video format.

Want a portable PVR? Why not get the Archos AV400 series? The AV480 comes with a large 80Gb harddrive capable of recording up to 320 hours of TV programs from your TV, VCR, DVD player, cable or satellite receiver. The battery has enough juice for 4 1/2 hour of video playback though the large 3.8" LCD display with 18-bit colour support. Video format supported includes Mpeg4, XviD and DivX. It is quite heavy at 320g but still portable enough.

Can't get Archos in your country? Then go for the new iRiver H340. The H340 does not support video playback, but it does have a nice 2" LCD screen capable of 18-bit colour. The screen can display both texts and images (jpg and bmp). It does not come with any memory card slots but you can still transfer images from your digital camera directly through a USB cable (the H340 has USB host functionality). The battery life is rated at 16 hours. And to top it off - it has built-in FM radio which you can use to listen AND record straight to your player. The 40Gb player supports mp3, wma and OggVorbis audio format. They also sell the cheaper H320 version which has a 20Gb harddrive.

Don't need stinking colour? Just want a portable cheap digital music player with high battery life? Then get the excellent Rio Carbon which has 5Gb capacity. The Carbon even looks way better than its rival - the bland Apple iPod Mini. It only supports mp3 and wma, but is capable of going on for 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. And better yet, it is cheaper than the iPod Mini making it an excellent value for money.

Is audio quality far more important? Try the Rio Karma then. It has a 20Gb harddrive in it, 15 hours of battery life and capable of playing the excellent audio format - the OggVorbis. The interface is excellent and is the design is a true marvel to friendliness.