The 100 Best Products of 2005
When you're buying hardware, software, and services, you want the top combination of power, features, reliability, and value. That's what you'll find in these World Class Award winners--starting with the Product of the Year.
The Editors of PC World
Consumer Electronics
Apple IPod Photo
LARGE-CAPACITY MP3 PLAYER ($349 for 30GB, $449 for 60GB) A color screen, photo capability, and a TV-out option make this device the first truly useful digital audio and photo portable. Review | Latest Prices
Apple ITunes
MEDIA PLAYER (Free) It's great at letting you legally share music with others on the same network. Oh, and did we mention it works with the most popular audio player on the planet? Review | Download
Apple ITunes Music Store
MUSIC DOWNLOADS ($1 a song) One-click simplicity, a huge selection, exclusive tracks, and playlists from many artists give it universal appeal. But we'd like to see a higher bit rate for downloads, as well as a subscription service. Review
Delphi MyFi
SATELLITE RADIO ($300) This device puts all the riches of XM satellite radio--from bluegrass to Major League Baseball--in the palm of your hand. VCR-like recording lets you save up to 5 hours' worth of audio for later listening. Review | Latest Prices
DirecTV HD DVR HR10-250
HD RECEIVER AND DVR ($999) This combo allows you to record two HD shows at once and watch another, prerecorded show simultaneously. Review | Latest Prices
IRiver IFP-895
FLASH-BASED MP3 PLAYER ($150) An FM tuner with scheduled recording, a voice recorder, and both line- and microphone-level inputs make this player more talented than the IPod Shuffle. Company Web Site
Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0
PORTABLE SPEAKERS ($100) The crisp-sounding speakers don't take batteries, but like 17-inch laptops they're just barely portable--and almost as good as what you'd find on a desktop. Review
Microsoft Windows Media Player 10
MEDIA PLAYER (Free) Version 10 combines a compact interface with an innovative DRM technology for enabling music subscriptions that you can take with you on your MP3 player. Review
MEDIA STREAMING SERVICE (Free) This clever service streams music, video, and image files from your desktop to phones, PDAs, and notebooks. Review
MIDCAPACITY MP3 PLAYER ($200 for 5GB, $229 for 6GB) This sleek audio player fits comfortably in your hand or pocket. We like its simple interface, clear sound, and stellar battery life. A price drop on this great-quality player makes it even more attractive. Review | Latest Prices
STREAMING MEDIA DEVICE ($1199 for two players and one controller) If money were no object, there would be no question about buying this set. This streaming-media box offers the slickest, simplest way to aggregate your digital music and play it back virtually anywhere. Review
HANDHELD GAMING DEVICE ($250) The innovative PSP doubles as a personal video player. A beautiful screen, great graphics and sound, and a full lineup of games outweigh the drawbacks, such as slow loading times from Sony's Universal Media Disc and the high cost of Memory Stick Duo cards. Review | Latest Prices
Toshiba RS-TX20 Digital Media Server
DVD RECORDER ($500) A more capable alternative to TiVo, the RS-TX20 archives video to discs, and stores files in its 120GB hard drive as well. Latest Prices
Valve Half-Life 2
PC GAME ($55) Half-Life 2 skillfully blends elements of sci-fi, horror, adventure, and puzzle-solving into a seductive productivity-killer. Review | Latest Prices
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