Well, I think you all have very good reasons for buying the iPod. It's really rather useless to argue it with me because I need the recording feature of the AJR (although if I didn't, I still wouldn't want it for my own reasons. yes, I'm stubborn).

Just a few last comments. If it's size you're after, yes, the iPod is the king. The Archos players, however, are only a bit larger and are completely upgradeable. (this, hybrid8, is an empeg trait).

USB... Everybody has it. Fine, but why should that influence the choice in an MP3 player that YOU will use?
That's a bit harsh. I only say it because many people won't buy a firewire card because they don't have a use for it. Plus, you're $40 firewire card brings the cost of an iPod up to about $440. No thanks. (although this is similar to the empeg + amp argument).

USB 2.0? That won't change the slow speeds of USB1 on older products like the Archos.
That's not what I was saying at all. Of course it won't improve the speed! I'm not an idiot! What I was saying is that it will still be supported if one chose to upgrade to the new standard. (plus, the new Archos Recorder 20 will have support for USB 2, which will make transfers on it very fast).

If you prefer the empeg to something like teh Neo, then in the same way, you'd prefer an iPod to something like an Archos.
Oh, ouch. Thanks for the jab. I like my empeg, thank you, so you must not be refering to me.


As for directory structured devices, I have to agree with you. I'm not liking that. But I can live with it.

As I said, I'm not going to buy an iPod. Period. But I can appreciate the things it has over the AJR (UI, ease of use, physical size, quality). I just want to make it clear that the iPod isn't the ONLY solution out there. You seemed unbiased in your comparison of car MP3 players. You don't seem to be so here.