By WILSON ROTHMAN	Email this article to a friend

April 7, 2003

PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE    Apple iPod   Suggested Retail: $300 and up   www.apple.com/ipod/

2. Hard-Drive Jukebox
The category dominated by Apple's iPod is growing more populated, and prices are settling in the $300 to $500 range. These players can hold up to 40GB of music, which amounts to roughly 8,000 songs (or over 600 complete CDs). Electronics powerhouses like Samsung and RCA-Thomson have gotten in the game, which has fortunately turned the focus from capacity to features and ease-of-use. Still of note — especially for the price — are the Creative Nomad, Archos Multimedia and Rio Riot lines. Nothing is as small as Apple's iPod, and even the iPod isn't that small. Also, at the heart of these devices is a spinning magnetic drive, so all jukeboxes can be temperamental at times. Not the best for, say, kayakers, but ideal for transcontinental frequent fliers

NEXT: CD-MP3 Players