Apple’s iPods have grown to be a synonomous with 21st century living, however all portable media players (PMPs) don’t need to begin with the letter “i”. Many apple products have non-apple options, and several of these substitutions could be a better option for some specific shoppers. This article intends to compare several of Apple’s PMPs to their non-apple competitors. Another nice option might be Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones.
The Apple iPod Touch is quite possibly the best made PMP on the market. Apple’s Touch is essentially an iPhone excluding the phone, and no other device has that many applications offered. Not everybody wants all of such an array of applications, however. Sony’s X Series Walkman functions as nicely as an iPod Touch with regards to storing and playing music, gives you great sound and included Wi-Fi, and even comes with a touch pad. Unfortunately, at about $300, the Walkman costs as much as an iPod Touch, but delivers less. Another great alternative is Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones.
You won’t mind the loss of the applications you don’t use, however in that case, why finance them? Microsoft’s Zune HD is another nicely designed media player with a touch screen, web browsing features and a wireless music site. The Zune can’t interface with iTunes and isn’t close to being as talented, but for a $200 purchase price, you might get used to that.
Apple’s iPod Nano is on its 5th generation and has improved with each and every upgrade. Apple’s most recent Nano is little, cool, and thoroughly stuffed with features. For about $180, this machine is the most popular PMP in that price range, however if you’re interested in a smaller investment, you could find some choices. Samsung’s Q2 provides several Nano-like features such as an intuitive interface and is nearly as attractive, while it provides slightly less file capacity. It also will cost you about $50 less, therefore if you don’t really need three or four thousand tunes in your pocket, this might be a realistic option. The least expensive Nano competitor, the Coby MP705 offers a bit less file storage than the Q2, although it still comes with MP3 technology as well as video, photo and FM radio functions, as well as a pair of efficient earbuds. Even more importantly, this whole package can be acquired for less than $50. Another good item to look into is Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling Headphones.
The Apple iPod Shuffle is Apple’s entry level PMP, and for $60 it works all right, but this particular gadget has a few competitors that actually out-perform it. The Shuffle’s most glaring discrepancy is the deficiency of a screen, which reduces the consumer to either audio scanning playlists or settling for random tunes chosen by the device. The SanDisk Sansa Clip comes with a micro SD slot to enhance its memory, and a screen to help you navigate, and will cost you only $40.
