Buying: mp3 players

MP3 players: Let me start off by saying that I'm an AVID Apple iPod guy.  So far, I've had a first-gen ipod, 3G ipod, 1G shuffle, ipod video, 1G nano, 2G nano, and now a new 4G nano (more on this later).  Since I've stated my preference, why do you need to keep reading?  LOL.  Well, I tried to break away from my iPod addiction and see if the "grass" truly is "greener on the other side".  So I tried my friend's Zune for a week and also obtained a couple of  SanDisk items from their Sansa line: Sansa C240, and Sansa Clip via Buy.com.  The latter two were on special.  ;)

Here's the criteria: I wanted something small and I didn't want to spend that much.  I also bring my mp3 player almost EVERYWHERE.  I work out, bike, run, play football, etc.  So it's gotta be durable and portable.

Zune: The Zune functionality was very iPod-esque.  I know I'll get flamed by the Zune-faithful about this but, c'mon guys!  It's like the preference between Mac's and PC's.  I use BOTH btw.  I liked the Zune and it's feature-set is RICH.  Seriously!  Here's a little comparison on Zune vs. iPod.  If the Zune was "familiar" and the features (tactile touch, wi-fi, comparable battery life) were that rockin', why didn't I get that?  It came down to simplicity.  Those features are nice and you'd get all that with the same price as Apple's products.  I just didn't feel like I wanted all of that on my person.  No, I'm not paranoid about getting cancer because of all of these wireless devices.  Lord knows that I've had enough of those since I was younger.  If it were true, I would've keeled over by now.

Sansa: Why the Sansa's?  Well, I use SanDisk cards religiously for my digital photography since, imho, they're the best around for that purpose but I'll talk about that at another time.  It boiled down to the expertise of SanDisk with their flash memory.  The C240 was okay.  It was just too thick.  Length and width were okay but just too deep.  Functionality-wise, it was so-so.  Nothing dramatic or mind-blowing.  It's a simple mp3 player.  The same goes for the Clip.  But the Clip wins due to its diminutive size.  It is downright puny.  It's about the size of my thumb (L = as long as my thumb, and W = 1/2 of my thumb).  And it's a nice shade of red.  I'll keep the Clip around for my backup.  You know, those days that you want to use something that you wouldn't be afraid to break or lose.  Probably for biking.  Notable items on the Clip: it has FM radio and a voice recorder.  :)

So which monopolizing, mega-conglomerate product did I get?  What did I end up with in the end?  the 4th Gen iPod nano.  I was able to "procure" it through a good friend's brother.  ;)  Simplicity at it's best with a great form, function, and design.  It's just appealing.  With all of the tech in cars nowadays (USB, A2DP, FM modulators, aux inputs), either the Zune or the iPod will work in just about anything.  The iPod, with it's metallic case, COULD get scratched up more than a Zune but it feels more durable.  Yeah, you could say I was being brand-faithful, but I gave it a shot with the others.

Sound off, what do you guys think?