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Top 10 Audio Players

New Apple IPods take the top two spots on our chart of large-capacity audio players; but among midcapacity models, the Rio Carbon holds off a determined challenge from Apple's new IPod Mini.

Dan Sommer

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iPod Photo 30GB PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2004

1. Apple iPod Photo 30GB

30GB of internal storage, ITunes software, AAC, AIF, Apple Lossless, Audible, BMP, GIF, JPEG, MP3, TIFF, WAV formats, 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.6 inches, 5.9 ounces

Bottom Line: This elegant player gives you all the advantages of an IPod, and it lets you tote your favorite pictures, too.

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iPod 20GB MP3 Player PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

2. Apple iPod 20GB MP3 Player

20GB of internal storage, ITunes software, AAC, AIF, Apple Lossless, Audible, MP3, WAV formats, 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.6 inches, 5.6 ounces

Bottom Line: This unit is also a portable hard drive. It has intuitive menus and simplifies playlist creation. Battery life could be better, however.

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H320 20GB MP3 Player (20GB Internal Hard Drive) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

3. iRiver H320 20GB MP3 Player (20GB Internal Hard Drive)

20GB of internal storage, Windows Media Player software, ASF, JPEG, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA formats, 4.1 by 2.5 by 1.0 inches, 7.3 ounces

Bottom Line: Great audio, dazzling color display, FM radio, and photo viewing party offset the H320's relative bulkiness.

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Zen Touch 20GB MP3 Player PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

4. Creative Zen Touch 20GB MP3 Player

20GB of internal storage, Creative MediaSource, Creative Media Explorer software, MP3, WAV, WMA formats, 2.7 by 4.1 by 0.9 inches, 7.0 ounces

Bottom Line: A well-made MP3 player, the Zen Touch nonetheless lacks several features that might have helped it rival the IPod.

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Gmini XS 200 512MB MP3 Player (512MB Internal Flash) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

5. Archos Gmini XS 200 512MB MP3 Player (512MB Internal Flash)

20GB of internal storage, ArcLibrary software, JPEG, MP3, WAV, WMA formats, 2.9 by 2.3 by 0.7 inches, 4.3 ounces

Bottom Line: This ultracompact, no-frills unit has great sound, lets you create playlists on the go, and permits photo storage.

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Carbon PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

 BEST BUY!

6. Rio Carbon

5GB of internal storage, Rio Music Manager software, Audible, MP3, WMA formats, 3.3 by 2.5 by 0.6 inches, 3.2 ounces

Bottom Line: This sleek, ultracompact MP3 player combines a terrific, innovative design with a simple interface and a low price.

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iPod Mini PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: March 25, 2005

7. Apple iPod Mini

6GB of internal storage, ITunes software, AAC, AIF, Apple Lossless, Audible, MP3, WAV formats, 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches, 3.6 ounces

Bottom Line: Available in spring colors, the Mini is flashier than the bigger iPods. Its battery life is even longer than the first Mini's.

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Pocket DJ PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

8. Dell Pocket DJ

5GB of internal storage, Musicmatch software, MP3, WAV, WMA formats, 3.5 by 2.1 by 0.5 inches, 4.4 ounces

Bottom Line: The scroll dial and Home and Back buttons support speedy navigation. Offers more capacity than the 4GB IPod Mini for the same price.

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H10 5GB MP3 Player - Triple Platinum (5GB Internal Hard Drive) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: April 12, 2005

9. iRiver H10 5GB MP3 Player - Triple Platinum (5GB Internal Hard Drive)

5GB of internal storage, Windows Media Player software, ASF, JPEG, MP3, WMA formats, 3.8 by 2.2 by 0.6 inches, 3.4 ounces

Bottom Line: Versatile player sports a friendly interface on its color screen, making it a lower-capacity competitor to Apple's IPod Photo.

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Zen Micro 5GB MP3 Player (5GB Internal Hard Drive) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: March 25, 2005

10. Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 Player (5GB Internal Hard Drive)

5GB of internal storage, Creative MediaSource, Creative Media Explorer software, MP3, WAV, WMA formats, 3.3 by 2.0 by 0.7 inches, 3.8 ounces

Bottom Line: Despite some rough edges, this highly portable player is a solid choice. Includes FM radio recording and playback.

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