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Top 10 MP3 Players (Flash-Based)

There's no stopping the iPod, but Apple's latest players have some serious competition from Sony and Creative. New to the chart is Sony's flashy X-Series Walkman and the gorgeous Microsoft Zune HD.

Edited by Ginny Miles

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1. Apple iPod touch, second generation (late 2009) 32GB

Built-in Capacity: 32GB

Bottom Line: The iPod Touch remains the class of the field, with beautiful design, useful apps, a touch screen, and built-in Wi-Fi.

 $208.97 - $250.00 Check Prices

2. Creative Zen X-Fi

Built-in Capacity: 32GB

Bottom Line: The amazing Zen X-Fi has great sound, features, headphones, and storage options--and for a nice price, too.

 $139.99 - $190.83 Check Prices

3. Creative Zen

Built-in Capacity: 32GB

Bottom Line: Gadget-lover's player may lack Wi-Fi but has lots of other features, wide format support and accepts SD cards.

4. Apple iPod nano, fifth-generation (5G) 8GB

Built-in Capacity: 8GB

Bottom Line: The ultrathin iPod Nano now has a video camera, a radio, and a pedometer.

 $113.99 - $149.99 Check Prices

5. Sony NWZ-S738F Walkman

Built-in Capacity: 8GB

Bottom Line: The NWZ-S738F is an audiophile's player, with top-notch earbuds and great sound, but it isn't the best choice for video.
 

6. Apple iPod nano, fourth-generation (4G) 16GB

Built-in Capacity: 16GB

Bottom Line: Despite its new design, the fourth-generation iPod Nano is more of an evolution than a major overhaul.

7. Sony Walkman X-Series

Built-in Capacity: 16GB

Bottom Line: Despite a frustrating browser, the Sony X-Series has gorgeous OLED display and excellent multimedia playback.

 $272.10 - $358.28 Check Prices

8. Microsoft Zune HD

Built-in Capacity: 32GB

Bottom Line: The Zune HD is a huge step forward for Microsoft's Zune line, but you still have to pay extra for some of the best features.

 $249.97 - $305.99 Check Prices

9. Cowon O2

Built-in Capacity: 8GB

Bottom Line: The Cowon O2 supports an astonishing number of formats, but lack of ID3 tag support is disappointing.

 $247.46 Check Prices

10. Samsung Samsung S3

Built-in Capacity: 4GB

Bottom Line: With its sharp design and high sound quality, the Samsung S3 is a great value flash player.

 $79.97 Check Prices
 
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