Samsung YP-U3

The Samsung YP-U3, a fairly basic, inexpensive flash-based player, is generally well-received overall by professional reviewers, who try to keep reader expectations in perspective with regard to price. Customer reviews aren't necessarily that generous. CNet.com editors are a bit lukewarm about the YP-U3 -- for some reason it doesn't appear on the site's list of best budget players despite having a higher score than two of the six rated players. Laptop magazine and GoodGearGuide.com love the YP-U3 and support their views with some good arguments.

User reviews are a little tougher on the YP-U3, with a number of contributors upset that the player, which plugs directly into your computer rather than attaching via cable, doesn't work as a flash storage device as Samsung claims. Professional reviewers don't even mention this feature as a possibility. Customers seeking an alternative flash-based device should also look at the Creative Zen V Plus (4 GB, *est. $90), another ConsumerSearch top pick and CNet.com's top-rated flash player. Some of the usual review standbys, such as Consumer Reports magazine, PC Magazine and PC World magazine hadn't reviewed the Samsung YP-U3 as of this writing. CNet.com weighs in with its hands-on use and lab testing, and its encyclopedic coverage of digital audio players gives it a broader frame of reference than Laptop magazine and Australia's GoodGearGuide.com. All three professional reviewers test battery life, and all observe that it falls short of the promised 15 hours. Only CNet seems especially concerned about this.