Microsoft Zune HD Review

Pros: HD radio, Wi-Fi-capable, Elegant touch screen, Zune Pass subscription service

Cons: Web browser is slow, Few mobile apps, Windows-only

The Zune HD delivers one of the best portable music and video experiences money can buy. At a time when many people have shifted their focus to games and applications, providing a killer media experience may not be enough for potential Zune buyers.

Being the high-profile runner up substitute to Apple's iPod portable media player, the Zune has endured an unfair share of jokes and derision. Proving the wise saying that "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger," Microsoft has taken four years'-worth of hard knocks and forged the Zune HD. As one of the only iPod alternatives that can match the iPod Touch in beauty and pricing, the 16GB ($199), 32GB ($269), and 64GB ($349) Zune HD also includes a unique stable of features worthy of Apple's resentment.

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Apple iPod shuffle: Product Review

Pros: Good battery life, Physical controls, Compact and lightweight

Cons: Small amount of storage, Clip is inelegantly placed

After a hard year and a half with the third-generation iPod shuffle, Apple has returned to form with the fourth-generation model—a less expensive, better-designed alternative that incorporates the features people liked from past models without unnecessarily tossing anything out in the process. While the new iPod shuffle is so familiar as to seem retrograded, its form factor is surely an improvement over anything that came before under the shuffle name, and moreover, the capacity and features it offers for $49 are the best Apple has ever assembled at this entry-level price point.

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SanDisk Sansa Clip+ Product Review

Pros: Small and lightweight, Great value, MicroSD memory card slot, FM radio

Cons: Small sized screen is hard to read, Radio reception is fussy in some areas

The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is an outstanding successor to the line, presenting a fitness-friendly design with a built-in belt-clip, a simple interface, solid sound quality, and ample of handy features--all for an ultralow price. It's a matchless value.

Flash memory and device manufacturer SanDisk clearly has a thorough understanding of the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." We sure are pleased about that, because when the company decided to update its extremely popular Sansa Clip, it could have mangled a perfectly peachy player. Luckily, SanDisk knew a good thing when it saw one and created the Sansa Clip+, a fantastic follow-up that builds upon the great foundation of its predecessor. The player continues to offer an ultracompact design complemented by useful features and solid sound quality--and all at an unbeatable price. The Clip+ is available in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB options.

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