Portable Media Players Reviews: Best Portable Media Player

Best portable media player

*Est. $300 for 16 GB Compare Prices

If you love the Apple iPhone's multimedia capabilities and style, but don't need the phone, reviews say the iPod Touch, now in its second generation, has similar navigation and media-playback capabilities. Features… include an innovative interface, which has wowed critics and users alike and is unmatched by competitors, including Archos. The iPod Touch has a 3.5-inch touch screen capable of showing smooth video at up to 640 pixels by 480 pixels. The Touch is Wi-Fi-ready and includes the Safari web browser and a YouTube video portal. Music- and video-playback capabilities are of the same quality as other iPods. The Touch is available in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB capacities. The Touch interfaces seamlessly with iTunes, Apple's online store for movies and music.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNet.com: CNET's review gives the latest iPod Touch an Editors' Choice designation, saying it surpasses the original Touch in price and ...

PCMag.com: PCMag's review gives the Apple iPod Touch 2G an Editors' Choice and a perfect score, as it did with the original Touch. ...

Laptop Magazine: Laptop Magazine gives the Touch 2G an Editors' Choice award, citing numerous minor improvements over the 1G that keep the Touch ...

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org is the name brand in product reviews, providing unbiased evaluations based on laboratory testing and hands-on ...

GoodGearGuide.com: This Australian site features its own reviews along with those from PC World Australia and other sister publications. Melissa ...

Amazon.com: More than 950 Amazon users weigh in on the iPod Touch, with more than two-thirds giving this model a perfect score. Most users ...

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Abt Electronics & Applian

for $299.00

Budget portable media player

Archos 405

*Est. $150 for 2 GB Compare Prices

With its smaller screen size (3.5 inches), lower resolution (480 pixels by 272 pixels) and lack of a touch screen, the Archos 405 is missing lots of the gee-whiz goodies packed in other portable media players. However,… critics identify it as the best budget choice, despite newer models released by Cowon and iRiver. Reports cite great video and audio format compatibility, with even more available through added-cost plug-ins (*Est. $20 each). Reviewers say the Archos 405 is easy to use, and you can transfer files easily from your computer by dragging and dropping using Windows Media Player. The Archos media player is small enough to carry in a pocket. Though its 2 GB built-in memory is scant, it can be expanded with swappable SD memory cards.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNet.com: CNET gives the Archos 405 a positive review, with Donald Bell calling it a good value for the money, though he notes that if you ...

TechRadar.com: TechRadar.com publishes a roundup of its top 10 portable video players, with the Archos 405 coming in seventh (the Archos 605 ...

PC Advisor: PC Advisor editors like the Archos 405 in relation to its price, but say that its video display is "grainy" and that the battery ...

ComputerBuyer.com: British publication Computer Buyer magazine likes the quality of the Archos 405's video screen well enough. Reviewer Chris ...

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org tests everything it evaluates, and digital video players are no exception. But ConsumerReports.org falls ...

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High-capacity media player

Archos 5

*Est. $420 for 250 GB Compare Prices

Replacing Archos' popular 605 WiFi, the Archos 5 takes on the Touch as a premium portable media player, with its glossy black case and huge amount of storage space -- about eight times as much as the highest-capacity iPod… Touch. The Archos 5 also boasts a touch screen, although critics say that controls aren't as responsive or elegant as they are on the Touch. The Archos 5 also has a larger screen than the iPod Touch -- 4.8 inches compared with 3.5 inches. The Archos 5 is available in smaller capacities down to 60 GB (*Est. $325). Like other Archos models, its functionality can be greatly expanded with software plug-ins, though their added cost puts off many reviewers and keeps the Archos 5 from being a good value.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNet.com: CNET's Donald Bell likes the Archos 5, especially its video playback capacity, which he calls "stunning." However, he admits that ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com's review of the Archos 5 has few complaints. It praises the unit for its improved design over earlier Archos models, as ...

TrustedReviews.com: U.K. site TrustedReviews.com reports on a few portable media players, but they are lumped in with MP3 players. In this review, ...

TestFreaks.com: TestFreaks.com compiles reviews from users and professional review sites, and it ranks products within brands and categories. MP3 ...

InfosyncWorld.com: InfoSyncWorld.com covers all sorts of portable devices, but relatively few portable media players. The most recent review is the ...

PC Advisor: British magazine PC Advisor covers a handful of portable media players. Ginny Mies's look at the Archos 5 echoes the pluses and ...

Amazon.com: Nearly 100 user reviews are available on Amazon regarding the Archos 5. About one-third give the unit five stars out of five, and ...

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