The Best Non-iPod Media Players for Traveling

Everyone knows what the iPod is. You either love it or hate it, and you probably know which one is the best one to get. But there are other media players out there, too; and when you're on the go, sometimes you just need a good pair of noise-canceling earbuds and your favorite movies or tunes. Here are some of the best travel media players I know of.

SanDisk Sansa

If you aren't using an iPod or Zune, chances are pretty good that you're using a player from SanDisk. Their old e-Series Sansa players are pretty good. I used to own one, and liked it a lot. (Click here to read my review!) You can probably get one for cheap, and like phones, they have a microSD card slot for loading more music on them. Plus, their black-and-royal-blue glowiness is pretty darned awesome.

If you're looking at more modern players, they have a whole array of them, from the tiny Clip to the widescreen Fuze. And the larger ones have screens you can watch videos on. Click here to see the Sansa media player lineup! Just don't forget you can buy them refurbished elsewhere.

Cowon iAudio

My girlfriend has one of these and loves it. She uses Linux on her laptop, and the iAudio plays nicely with open-source music formats like Ogg Vorbis. Plus, it has a text file reader and picture viewer, so she can review stories and other media.

Not all of their models have the same features as her super-deluxe iAudio, but you can take a look at what they've got by clicking here!

Your Phone

There's a good chance that your cellphone can play MP3s! Especially if you have a "music phone" like a Sony Ericcson Walkman or pretty much any smartphone.

Some phones will sync with desktop music players that use "MTP" technology, which is fairly much everything other than iTunes. Just plug in your phone and see if your PC recognizes it as a media player! Others you may have to copy your music files onto manually, or else load them onto a microSD card. It's more of a hassle, admittedly, but if you don't already have an iPod or other dedicated media player it might save you some money.

iPhone / iPod Touch

Wait ... didn't I say no iPods? That's true, but the iPod Touch is so different from regular iPods that it might as well be a separate device. It's more like a pocket computer and game console, with a very nice media player built in. The iPhone, meanwhile, is like a thick iPod Touch hybridized with a cameraphone. Take one of these with you and not only can you watch widescreen videos, but you can also play video games!

Nintendo DS

OK, now we're just stretching, here. Right? The lines between handheld devices are blurring, though. The iPod Touch is an iPod that can play games, while the Nintendo DS is a game console that can play music!

Don't believe me? Nintendo of Europe released the Nintendo MP3 Player, a device which turns your Nintendo DS game console into a media player. And with a chip to let your DS run homebrewed software, you can load the MoonShell media player onto it, turning your favorite handheld game console into a travel media player.

The Upshot

Just about anything can play music these days. But what's the best choice? Do you want the straightforward, streamlined experience of an iPod or other dedicated media player? Or do you already have another device of some kind, like a phone or game console, and don't want to drag something else around?

Hopefully this article has helped give you some ideas as to what's right for you! Good luck picking out a media player, whether you buy a new or refurbished one or stick with something you've already got. And have fun out there!