If you like the idea of a tiny music player that's easy to carry, then check out the SanDisk Sansa Clip.
It's not quite as tiny as the Apple iPod shuffle (0.9 ounces vs. 0.55 ounces for the shuffle), but it adds a bright multi-line display so you can browse through your music.
And, like with other non-Apple players, the Clip also adds a FM tuner with 40 preset channels, plus voice recording with a built-in microphone. It plays MP3, WMA (Wiondows Media Audio), secure WMA (purchased music with DRM), and Audible audio formats.
The design includes a sliding Power button on one side that also serves as a hold switch, Volume control on the other side, and a Menu button and control pad on the front to access the nice SanDisk menus, complete with simple animation. Like the shuffle, the Clip also has a clip on the back -- but it is removable to make the player even smaller.
The Clip nicely uses a standard mini-USB connector, so you don't have to carry a special Sansa cable. The internal rechargeable battery is rated to provide up to 15 hours of play time.
The original Clip from the summer 2007 is available with 1 GB of storage for down to $29, and 2 GB for $59 (compared to the shuffle with 1 GB for $79). And SanDisk has announced a new 4 GB model for $79, due in February, in a "stylish" silver color (shown above) with a mirror finish on the front. That's enough storage for some 1,000 songs.
For more music, plus videos, still in a light package, the flash-based SanDisk Sansa View video player will be adding a model with an amazing 32 GB of memory for $349.
That's some 48 two-hour movies or 8,000 songs on a light player under 3 ounces.
The View features a 2.4" screen on a 2.9 ounce player. The initial models have 8 GB for down to $129, and 16 GB for down to $169.
See my Portable Media Players Gallery for details and comparisons.
Find the SanDisk Sansa Clip on Amazon.com