Pre-buyer Buyer's Remorse

I have this problem with buying things for myself, or in this case, choosing something I want "Santa" to get for me. You see, I have a tendency to go to the store with something in mind, and then when I get there and pick up said item, in my uncertainty about spending the money, I realize that I don't need to buy it. I've gotten along just fine without it for years now, and there's a chance I might get it, use it for a couple weeks, and then completely forget about it, making it a waste.

This time I'm having a slightly different problem. I really, truly want a portable digital media player, but I just don't know which device to get anymore. I was getting a iPod without question a few weeks ago, but then my brother's friend from California, one of the more musically inclined people I've ever met, said that getting an iPod would be a huge mistake. A Korean company called Cowon has a new player called the iAudio X5 that has superior sound quality, plus a 5-channel equalizer, bass/treble boosters, and simulated 3D audio. All this in addition to the ability to play video, just like the newest generation of iPod.

By the way, what is it with the "i" devices? Some believe it to be "i"Tunes, "i"Pod, and "i"Mac because they are personal devices for I...for me. I think that's lame. And now, even though Apple keeps dominating the nomenclature through the evolution of technology (i.e. podcasts are called podcasts even when played on a Creative Zen Mp3 player) this Korean developer thinks it can call its device "i"Audio? Come on, sure the Creative player has the word "creative" in the name, but at least it isn't the iZen or something like that.

In conclusion, based on a lot of contemplation, the fact that I am used to and love the iTunes/iPod interface, and the reviews that I've read, the winner is.......60GB iPod Video Black.



Read the CNET reviews on the iPod and the iAudio X5, and any other research you might want to do, and decide if I made the right decision.

-J