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 Apple
iPod: It's from Apple-need we say more about the design?
Available in 5, 10, and 20 GB models, the last one can take 4,000
songs. It also offers a 20-minute skip protection-the highest in
the industry. The iPod even charges itself while you are downloading
songs from the Mac. Undoubtedly, the best of the lot, and a Windows
version is now available.
Price: Rs 15,000 (approx for the 5 GB model)
 SONICblue
Rio Riot: You have to look really hard to find this in India
but the Riot has been pegged as the iPod killer, especially since
it is designed to work with Windows right out of the box. The 20
GB drive is supported by an fm tuner and software includes Apple's
iTunes and Real Jukebox. On the downside, the USB connection, required
to transfer tunes from the computer, is a bit slow.
Price: Rs 17,000 (approx)
 Nike
Sport [PSA play120: Dubbed the audio player for the athlete,
this egg-shaped player is designed for movement and even rigorous
workouts. Playability is limited to MP3 and WMA formats. The built
in memory of 128 MB pales in comparison to the iPod and Nomad.
Price: Rs 19,500 (approx)
 Creative
Nomad Jukebox 3: The 20 GB model offers 340 hours of CD-quality
audio. A line-in allows direct stereo audio recording in wav format
from an external source. The adjustable playback speed helps slow
down and try to catch some of the lyrics-or maybe just listen to
how your favourite artist sounds at a different speed. Why you would
want to do that is anyone's guess.
Price: Rs 28,600 (approx).
FOR FREELOADERS
 You've
got the player, but where do you get the music? Pay monthly fees,
or better still, head for these free sites. A word of caution though-they're
not always on the right side of law.
Allofmp3.com: Trust the Russians to
come up with something like this. Register for free and download
mp3s, videos, and more.
Iuma.com: You can discover unsigned
artists, independent bands, local talent etc., from around the world
on this site.
Mp3.com: You won't get many popular
artists here but lots of new and upcoming bands looking for a break.
And great variety.
Mp3dimension.com: The wave of banner
ads are a bit trying but they're the ones who bring the music to
you, remember? You can download complete albums and the latest hits.
Compiled By: Subhajit Banerjee
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