The Sansa's 1.8-in. screen is bigger than the nano's, if not as bright. Its sound quality is about equal and, like the new Nanos, built-in capacity ranges from 2GB to 8GB. However, unlike Apple, SanDisk added an FM tuner, a Micro SD slot for additional storage and a replaceable battery. The e200 also goes beyond Apple's iTunes to work with other music stores.

-- David Haskin

Personal video player: Archos 604 WiFi

When it comes to portable video players, Apple Computer is snoozing and losing, for the moment, to relatively unheralded Archos. While users wait for Apple to release its long-rumored big-screen video iPod, the new Archos 604 WiFi is the best way to watch video, listen to music, look at still images and browse the Web while you're mobile.

The heart of the $450 device is its bright and sharp 4.3-in., 480- by 272-pixel touch screen. Its audio playback quality is also top-notch, but what makes this device truly unique is its Wi-Fi connectivity. (Don't talk to us about Microsoft's Zune player: It can use Wi-Fi only to connect to other Zunes, not to a wireless network.)