Jasmine France,
August 1, 2007
You listen to your stereo at home and to your computer at work, but filling your commute with tunes requires a portable player. If you commute by car, look for a hard-drive-based model; size doesn't matter much in this situation, so feel free to save money by buying a heftier unit. You'll also need a cassette-style adapter and a cigarette-lighter charger. The former can be purchased anywhere, but for the charger, stick with manufacturer-approved accessories; that way, you'll avoid frying your player with the wrong voltage or polarity. If your car has no cassette player, you're going to need an FM transmitter device or a direct line-in jack on your car stereo. If you commute via subway, bus, or some self-propelling method (i.e. biking or walking), look for a compact flash-based player and, to seal out as much of the din as possible, a pair of noise-canceling or sound-isolating headphones. Remember, though: if you ride a bike, it's illegal to have both ears covered. Pick some earbuds and always leave one out.
First up for the car drivers, we've selected the Microsoft Zune and the Apple iPod. These quality players have plenty of room to store most people's entire music collection, but the main reason they make this list above other hard drive models is due to the plethora of auto-friendly accessories available for them. For commuters whose only container is a bag or pocket, we have the iRiver Clix, the SanDisk Sansa Connect, the Sony Walkman, and the Creative Zen Stone. These are all highly rated flash players--with a variety of pricing options and feature sets--and they won't weigh you down.
| Product name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $239.99 to $249.99 | $199.00 to $592.28 | $149.99 to $219.99 | $103.55 to $141.00 | $124.95 | $30.27 to $49.83 |
| CNET editors' rating |
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| Average user rating | ||||||
| Review date | November 14, 2006 | September 19, 2006 | April 25, 2007 | April 12, 2007 | May 23, 2007 | May 09, 2007 |
| The Bottom Line | The Microsoft Zune, with its intuitive interface and solid playback performance, will please most users. But lukewarm format support and the cool but limited Wi-Fi capability will have advanced users seeking more. The Zune is a very good start, though. | The amazingly low priced updated Apple iPod gets many under-the-hood improvements, but it's still not a true video player. | The Iriver Clix offers the perfect blend of hot design, desirable features, and stellar sound quality. If you're looking for an alternative to the iPod Nano, this device should top the list. | The Sansa Connect is a nicely designed player with desirable features and advanced wireless technology, making it a great choice for early adopters and Yahoo Music Unlimited subscribers. With a bit of tweaking to the integrated Wi-Fi, this device could become a "must-have" music player for users who want fresh content all the time. | Despite its small capacity, the Sony NW-S705F delivers a lot of bang for the buck with ahead-of-its-time noise-cancellation and a 50-hour battery life. If you can tolerate Sony's software long enough to load your favorite music, you won't be disappointed. | The Creative Zen Stone is a fantastic choice as a secondary MP3 player or for first timers on a budget who want a simple, great-sounding device with limited features and a bargain basement price tag. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Battery technology |
Lithium ion |
Lithium ion |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
Lithium ion |
Lithium polymer |
| Digital player (recorder) |
WMA MP3 AAC |
WAV AIFF Audible MP3 AAC Apple Lossless |
MP3 |
MP3 |
WMA ATRAC3 MP3 AAC ATRAC3plus |
WMA Protected WMA (DRM 9) Audible MP3 |
| Digital Player total harmonic distortion | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
0.1 % |
| Software type | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
Drivers & Utilities |
Info unavailable |
Sony SonicStage CP 4.1 |
Drivers & Utilities |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) |
2.4 in x 0.6 in x 4.4 in |
2.4 in x 0.6 in x 4.1 in |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
1.1 in x 0.6 in x 3.4 in |
2.1 in x 0.5 in x 1.4 in |
| Color |
Brown |
Black |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
Black |
Red |
| PC interface(s) supported |
Hi-Speed USB Wi-Fi |
Hi-Speed USB |
Hi-Speed USB |
Hi-Speed USB Wi-Fi |
Hi-Speed USB |
USB |
| Mfr estimated battery life |
14 hour(s) |
20 hour(s) |
24 hour(s) |
Info unavailable |
50 hour(s) |
|
