For the most part, you pay more to get more memory. Ipod is one of the more expensive brands. If a company makes several models and comes out with a new model, you can often get the older one cheaper. Roam the web to look at features vs price. Select a model and then check prices on the web.

I got a 6 gig Creative Labs Zen Micro to take to the gym. It holds about 2000 songs, as advertised, in wma format (about half the size of a n mp3 file, most players handle both). It weighs 3 oz and does not hold all of my CDs at once, but you can shuffle songs in and out of the device from a music library on your computer. Dick just got a bigger Creative Labs Zen Touch 40 gig, which weighs 8 oz and did not cost much more than mine, because a new model had come out.

If you want snazzy cases and accessories, there are more for Ipods than for the others.