At about $140, the iPod nano 4GB 3rd generation offers a nice size at the high end of starter players. This unit has video and compatility with iTunes and iPod accessories. It doesn't offer an expansion slot or internal FM tuner available in some products. But it is MUCH thinner. Apple's reputation is #1.

The new Sony Walkman Video is a nicely designed player with a durable metal body and great menu features. Sony has finally started to remove some of the software limits from their interface, making this a compelling starter unit.

Wow! The Sandisk Sansa View is sure to gather a lot of Apple devotees and convert them. At $150 for an 8GB flash based player, this unit sports a nicer screen and also has an microSD expansion slot!! This unit is nicely designed, and definitely caught me by surprise.

This 4 GB Sansa Clip is listed at $80. It's been around since January 2008, but seems to alternate between being available, unavailable and available for pre-order. Apparently this was a limited release that was just a tune up to the Fuze, a combination Sansa Clip and Sansa View.

These new Sony Walkman Video models are NICE!!! This 8 GB model should be below $150 by the summer.

The Sansa Clip 2 GB is a classic model. This guy comes in black, pink, red and blue. It has a great bunch of features and nice capacity for $50, down from $80. About the same price as the 1 GB iPod Shuffle with many more features.

The Creative Zen Stone Plus 2GB doubles the size and adds a monochrome screen for track names. Add in the functionality of a built-in FM tuner and voice recorder at $65 and you have a nice alternative to the iPod Shuffle, which only comes in 1GB.

The newest Microsoft Zune 4GB is availble in black, pink, red, and olive green. It has a built-in FM radio and a wireless sync function that is still being worked out. About twice as big as the iPod Nano 3rd generation with a smaller screen and a similar price point of $150, this player is less attractive to most people. It does offer nice integration for XBOX 360, and free rear-case art.

A 4GB Sansa Connect is slightly larger than the other models but adds some wireless features.

A 2 GB Fuze for $80 is perhaps the only new Fuze that is truly priced behind the market. Step up to either of the larger models.

With the Creative Zen V, larger sizes and a color screen were added, including this 2GB model for about $75. The plastic shell and larger size of this player made it less attractive.

For $90, it's definitely worth your while to look at larger 4 GB and 8 GB models.

Sandisk has come out with the Sansa Clip. This 1 GB model is about the same price as the Creative Zen Stone Plus. It has a nicer screen and an integrated clip like the iPod Shuffle.

The Sandisk Sansa express is similar to the Creative Muvo players with a direct USB plug in (no cables!). Syncing is a drag and drop exercise, and it's availabe in 1GB for about $50.

The same Sansa View in a larger 16 GB size. I include it here because at this price it won't be long before it gets to $150.

This is another unit just over the $150 threshhold that will be coming down in price soon.

Even though I'm wary of Samsung on quality issues, some newer players like the T and P series are starting to become impossible to ignore. 4 GB for $100 is not bad either.

The D2 adds some video capabilities for around $150.

8 GB iAudio, around $140. Some devoted fans rave about sound quality, but models have started to have quality issues.

The Sansa Shaker comes in 1GB versions in a few colors such as blue and pink. For around $30, it's not bad for the very young kids new to MP3 players. It's a better value than the 512MB versions.