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by Editors of CNET
CNET is a top review source for portable media players. Editors test each model in depth, covering well-known brands as well as little-known players you may never have heard of. Because each media player… gets a numeric rating, it's easy to compare models. The best-performing models make it to this list of top portable video players, with links to the full reviews. The second-generation iPod Touch is the top choice, and a winner of a rare Editors' Choice award. The Archos 605 WiFi, an earlier top choice, takes second in this update. The Cowon A3, O2 and S9, as well as the Archos 5 and Samsung P3, also merit consideration.
by Tim Gideon
In this buying guide, which covers MP3 players and portable media players, Tim Gideon offers shopping advice and links to full reviews of the iPod Touch as well as the Archos 5, Cowon A3 and the iRiver… Spinn. All products get a rating on a five-point scale. The iPod Touch leads the pack with a perfect rating, and the Cowon A3 and Archos 5 are close behind. However, you need to click on the individual players to see those. Including the ratings here would have made this report even more helpful.
by Donald Bell
In this head-to-head comparison, CNET's Donald Bell and co-judges Jasmine France and Nicole Lee pit the original Apple iPod Touch against the Archos 605 WiFi in an attempt to name the best portable media… player overall. The players are judged in five categories, including navigation, "sexiness," compatibility, sound and science, and wallet factor. Each judge provides a score and an explanation. Though the Touch has an edge in several categories, the 605 WiFi' s commanding lead in compatibility and value -- despite the fact that "they [Archos] nickel and dime you on the 'extras' " -- give it the edge overall.
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Consumer Reports' coverage concentrates on MP3 players that excel at playing music, but it also includes a handful of portable media players. Ratings are clear and well explained, and while discussion is… brief, it seems that ConsumerReports.org is taking the time to put each device it tests into context with a description of strengths and weaknesses, along with a bottom-line assessment. While some content on the site is free -- including a dated and fairly superficial article on video MP3 players -- ratings are only available to subscribers.
by Editors of Laptop Magazine
Laptop Magazine covers all things mobile, including portable media players. All the major players get reviewed here. The writers are competent, and the reviews are geared toward the lay reader, not the… techie type. Like many reviewers, Laptop magazine covers portable media players as part of the larger MP3 player category. Products are rated on a five-star scale, and the very best of all get an Editors' Choice recommendation -- the 2nd gen Apple iPod Touch is one of the few to make the grade.
by Editors of AnythingButiPod.com
As its name implies, AnythingButiPod.com covers all sorts of media players -- as long as it's not a member of the iPod family. Reviews are generally excellent and well detailed, but there's no rating… system, and the editors don't tell you which players are best overall. Portable media players are reviewed alongside other types of players. Reviewer Grahm Skee is one of the few to cast a disparaging word about the Archos 605 WiFi; he loves its capabilities but dislikes the user interface.
by Editors of GoodGearGuide.com
This Australian site features its own reviews along with those from PC World Australia and other sister publications. You can sort reviews by date or rating, but the latter isn't as useful as it could be,… because a lot of older, discontinued models remain on the site. Review lengths vary, but even the longest doesn't match the depth of the reports we found by the best reviewers. Ratings are provided, but because these ratings come from a host of different reviews and even different publications, they aren't that helpful. Most but not all of the players reviewed are available in the U.S.
by Editors of TrustedReviews.com
Trusted Reviews is a U.K.-based website that reviews a wide variety of electronic products. Portable media players are occasionally reviewed, but they are mixed in with other MP3 player classes, making… comparisons difficult, despite the numerical rating system. Most top scorers and Editors' Choice recipients -- such as the iPod Classic -- are MP3 players with video. The iPod Touch and various Archos models score highly among true PMPs.
by Editors of ComputerShopper.com
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
While the quality of the reviews is mixed, TopTenReviews.com is valuable because it provides a great way to compare portable media player features at a glance. MP3 players and portable media players are… mingled together, and while the third-generation Microsoft Zune holds down first place, the Archos 605 WiFi and Archos 5 take second and third place. In capturing second, the review says price and battery life kept the 605 WiFi from walking away with first place. Like many other reports, the fact that needed accessories aren't included is a disappointment. In the flash player companion piece, the second-generation iPod Touch takes the top spot, followed by the now discontinued Cowon D2.
by Editors of PC World
PC World, like some other tech publications, doesn't quite recognize the category of portable media players, intermingling them with smaller MP3 players. Even including MP3 players, reviews are rather… sparse, and ratings are all in the same narrow range. The Archos 605 WiFi is described by editor Paul Jasper as a "near-perfect combination of usability and portability." The iPod Touch scores about the same, but it's reviewed by a different editor, and the two players are not compared.
by Walter S. Mossberg
Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walter Mossberg takes the first-generation iPod Touch for a spin and reports that while the Touch is "elegant and capable," it also has some "quirks and downsides."… Mossberg is disappointed in the battery life, saying it is the first iPod family member to fall significantly short of Apple's battery life claims. He also does not like that there are no physical buttons to control music playback. Mossberg has not reviewed the second version of the Touch, which addresses many of his complaints.
by Editors of InfoSyncWorld.com
by Editors of ArchosLounge.net
This is the English version of France's ArchosLounge, which is dedicated to all things Archos. Unfortunately, this site has only a fraction of the content of the French version, and what's here is sometimes… creatively translated. Still, there are some worthwhile things to see, such as a head-to-head comparison of the Archos 605 WiFi and the Apple iPod Touch. The site does not appear to have been updated since our last update.
by Editors of PC Advisor
Britain's PC Advisor rates a handful of portable media players as part of its MP3 player coverage. The quality of the reviews varies. Some portable players get pages of discussion, while others get only a… few paragraphs. Ratings are provided, but because personal media players are being lumped in with MP3 players, they don't really provide much illumination. Many, but not all, of the personal media players covered are available in the U.S.
by Editors of Gizmodo.com
by Editors of MP3.com
by Editors of DigitalTrends.com
Like many other reviewers, editors at DigitalTrends.com lump MP3 players and portable media players together in their evaluations. Ratings are provided, and the top scoring players get an Editors' Choice… rating. There's no explanation of ratings though, so it's difficult to determine what the highest rating possible is. The quality of the reviews does vary -- some are pretty good, others a little too superficial -- but none are overly technical. Some listed players get user rather than editor reviews, and some are not reviewed at all.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Though Consumer Guide has improved as a resource for product reviews, there's little reason to visit if you are looking for guidance on portable media players. The site does review the Archos 605 WiFi and… iPod Touch, but the reviews are superficial. Notably, the review of the 605 WiFi praises the web browser but fails to mention it is an extra cost add-on -- a significant criticism leveled by most reviewers. A large number of discontinued players remain listed, making navigation difficult.
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This is our assessment of the review’s relevance, clarity of testing and thoroughness.
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