A little piece of advice from Rob Miller

Here's a little clip from an article I found scrounging up in the iPod articles.

Ipod - Is It Worth The Money?
By Rob Miller

When people think of MP3 players most people think of the Ipod by Apple. But is it worth the money? My family began purchasing MP3 players about a year ago and the difference in price between one manufacturer and another can be substantial. The question you should ask yourself is: "How much am I willing to pay for the popularity of one MP3 player over another?" The answer of course is, you shouldn't pay a dime more than you need to. Most MP3 players regardless of price deliver outstanding sound quality and isn't that what you are looking for? Bells and whistles that you pay hundreds of dollars extra for are probably not necessary if you are just looking for a good quality MP3 player that won't break your budget. In fact, in our experience you can purchase an MP3 player which is superior to the Ipod in several areas for a fraction of the price.

The article goes on to confirm that other mp3 players are the same, if not better than the iPod. But I doubt the other mp3 players have the support or notoriety that the iPod does.

I think some people (myself included) enjoy going against the grain JUST to go against the grain. The iPod is one of the most popular personal entertainment devices known today. "But does that mean it's the best?" When does it not? If people thought it was bad, why would it sell like crazy? Wouldn't you think people'd stop buying them?

Although I do agree with Rob on this one; you need to make sure you're purchasing something that you've researched, and not just buying a device because it's popular.