Christmas 2005, 2006 and 2007 all had one hot consumer electronic item shared betwixt the three years: The iPod. While the iPod isn't quite as poised to be the holiday 2008 juggernaut that its been over the last few years, that doesn't mean a portable media player is going to be a bad gift. This year's crop of PMPs is particularly exceptional, and outside of certain fruit branded MP3 players, the devices are starting to look like a bargain. Join us as we take a look at some of our favorite portable media players this holiday season.

Apple iPod

 

Might as well get it out of the way first, as it's the most notable name in portable media playback. This year's crop of iPods slims down the line in both numbers and actual physical size. Apple's marquis players this year are the iPod touch and iPod nano, with Apple still selling the iPod classic, though it seems to have been relegated to some sort of unimportant status in marketing and press materials.

The updated nano is as slick as ever, with the new beveled model adding a varied bright color selection, support for the Nike + iPod transmitter built-in, and an accelerometer which can detect the unit's orientation, switching automatically into CoverFlow browsing mode when tilted on its side. The widescreen aspect also makes the new nano a video playback candidate.

Meanwhile, the phone-less iPhone aka the iPod touch still boasts all the bells and whistles of the iPhone, though without the messy AT&T contract or voice calls. This year's model has also gone beveled to match the other devices in Apple's lineup, but the most notable change is the price. Now, the least expensive iPod touch is a manageable $229. A nice pricey gift for sure, but definitely doable.

The iPod line is for the trend-seeking, iTunes-toting music lover in your life. There are many other devices around, but none with the cachet of the iPod. We recommend the iPod as a gift for someone with a large library of iTunes music who is still tooling around with a fifth generation iPod. Unlike classic tunes, older iPods don't typically stand the test of time.

Microsoft Zune

One of the devices that's improved substantially since its initial release is the Microsoft Zune. Microsoft's initial foray into the PMP game was clunky, boxy and down right unacceptable. The newer iteration cleaned up the interface and the industrial design, and the result is a pretty good little player. For us, the highlight of the device is the subscription music service that can be coupled with it. For the ultimate music gift, coupling a year-long Zune Pass with the Zune PMP would give the music aficionado in your life unlimited music on the go.

iRiver Spinn

One of our favorite newcomers this year was iriver's Spinn. With both a tactile wheel and a touch screen, the Spinn doesn't skimp on interface design. While the Spinn won't boast the iTunes compatibility nor the depth of application support that the iPod touch commands, the Spinn fits in as a pure media player that won't get cluttered up with other applications. With MicroSD expansion, the Spinn allows users to inexpensively add storage to the admittedly pricey device. With a street price of $250 for the 4GB model, we see the Spinn as a gift for someone who's a tad nerdy, into interesting gadgets and might appreciate a solid portable media player. The gift would be a unique one that would say, "I thought about this gift a bit more than a simple iPod."

Archos Internet Media Tablets

While not strictly portable media playback devices, Archos's "mildly portable" internet media tablets are some of the most powerful media players we've seen in a small-ish form factor. Like the name implies, these behemoths have more than portable media playback on their minds, with built-in WiFi, internet browsing ability, and media streaming. We're fans of the stainless steel exterior, and the device feels really solid in your hands — something we complained about with previous iterations of Archos devices. The big advantage / disadvantage with the currently available Archos 7 is its size. A seven inch screen is basically unheard of on other portable media players, however its size makes it a tad difficult to pocket. Check out their guided tour and you can see how their product manager is holding the device in his hands. The Archos 7 seems like a perfect gift for anyone who's a frequent traveller with a large media collection. Using the Archos 7 in lieu of the seatback entertainment system would be perfect for a long flight or train ride, but subway commuters might find the unit a big too large. The Archos 5 should be released soon, which will help rectify the situation by swapping in a slightly smaller five inch screen.

Creative ZEN X-Fi

 

We think of the Creative ZEN X-Fi as the cheaper, smaller, more awkward version of the Archos series of devices. The Zen X-Fi's biggest claim to fame is integrated WiFi, but the device also has support for DivX and Xvid movies, along with a bit of an odd choice for navigation. Rather than use a scroll wheel like the iPod made famous, or opt for a traditional four way navigational pad like many other devices have chosen, Creative instead picked a nine way directional pad, with only five buttons being active most of the time. The navigation uses the up, down, left and right keys, with the center button being pressed for a select button. So why all the extra buttons? Creative hopes developers will create applications for the device that could utilize the other directions. Don't pick up this device expecting to take home a robust application-supporting device. Instead, expect a 16GB player that has an SD expansion slot, pretty good battery life and WiFi.

Sony Walkman NWZ-S738F

The original king of portable audio has long since lost its crown, but Sony's latest crop of PMPs adorned with the classic Walkman branding doesn't look like it's going to take the throne away from the iPod. The NWZ-S738F (catchy name, right?) does have some premium features, like optional noise cancellation with compatible headphones — made by Sony, of course. Other than the noise cancellation, the device is pretty run of the mill, and costs $150 for a 4GB model.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze

The undisputed king of low-end audio is SanDisk. Their Sansa Fuze is a tiny DAP that runs as cheap as $79 for 2GB of storage. The real boon here is the MicroSD expansion slot, allowing users to upgrade the storage capacity on the cheap after the gift is given. Other than the expandability, the device is a pretty standard post-iPod low cost portable media player.

Enough already, just pick one!

Our real pick is still going to be the iPod family for both the PMP only category (iPod nano) and the higher end PMP category (iPod touch.) We'd likely opt for the Zune + Zune Pass scenario over an iPod classic, and media moguls who are constantly traveling and have plenty of cash should check out the Archos 7. We'd recommend most users steer clear of the ZEN X-Fi, unless DivX and Xvid movies on-the-go are your gift recipient's thing. Cheapskates have only one true option: The SanDisk Sansa Fuze.

We've laid out all of our holiday picks side by side on our portable media player holiday roundup so you can judge for yourself which device has better specs.

What about you? Do you have your eye on a device that we didn't mention? What do you hate about iPods that makes you go with other devices? Sound off in the comments section and let us know your favorite device.

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