iPod! Lets do some research!

[Zylstra]

Hmm...
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore
Cheapest thing: $79 1GB, no screen, nothing special

iPod Nano: $149, 4GB

iPod Classic: $249 80GB

First hand notice on the Apple products:
All say something about design... design design design.
They seem to be more pretty than they are useful.

Second fact:
Most users dont even have 80GB of Music, and when they do, they brag about it, but dont listen to half of it. Heck, I bet they use the SKIP button more than anything else.

Microsoft:
Zune: 80GB $233. Has a bigger screen than the iPod classic, great for those users who dont even listen to half of their songs

$189 30GB Zune Still a bigger screen than the iPod classic, perfect storage capacity

$194 8GB Zune (the mini-fied version!)

$140 4GB Zune (still mini)

Now, what to notice about both:
They both have cool looks... right then. Fine, Fashion Statement, but, you can still call a Zune an iPod and get away with it. Besides, Zune is cooler than that Apple the suckup brings for the teacher every week, right?
Yes, buy an iFruit...

But, better yet, lets step outside the realm of Apple and Microsoft:

 $91.99, Creative ZEN V Plus 1.5" Black & Blue 4GB MP3 Player

 $94 MEElectronics RockMee 2.4" 4GB MP4 Player

>>>> Mind you, there were a ton of MP3/MP4 players on Newegg, but, I'm not going to bother posting them

 $119 Creative ZEN 2.5" Black 4GB MP4 Player  ... sleek design for this one, thus why I pulled it and put it on this post

 $154 Creative Labs Creative ZEN V Plus 1.5" Black/Red 8GB MP3 Player

 $174  SMARTDISK 3.6" Silver 40GB MP4 Player FTXXT40  (admittedly, its a bit funky looking)

Dozens more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&SubCategory=23&N=2100080023

Now what?

[Deerpark]

If you're interested in something that sounds good go Creative ZEN. With a good pair of headphones these will blow iHype out of the water.

[Zylstra]

If you're interested in something that sounds good go Creative ZEN. With a good pair of headphones these will blow iHype out of the water.

Has good sound quality, eh? Ill have to keep that in mind, I go to a school were there are very little people who are into technology, we have a lot of iPods though... and someone I know has a PSP that he uses for music... but, for the most part, it never leaves the Apple cooperation. Some of these people spent their entire paychecks on a iPod...

I asked why, and I heard no valid reasons. Since I am at the top of the technology knowledge, I cant explain why you shouldn't get an iPod and expect people to understand. (You have to realize, last year when we had a tech teacher, I literally knew more than she did about computers.)

Sound quality is something you should look for in a device, and never use the headphones that come with it, unless its a Niki Phillips MP3 player... otherwise, expect some quality loss.

My little 512MB MP3 player (Coby, of all companies that I dont like) has descent sound quality, but, does have some (not much) quality loss.