Personally, i think the Zen is a good buy and the best out there for those not considering an I-pod. The fact that it has a radio gives it one over on the I-pod (its main competitor) but the thing that i didn't enjoy about it was the sensitivity of the scroll button. For somebody like myself with not a lot of finese it was just too sensitive to scroll movements when selecting songs. You would find yourself down at Z when you were looking for P. apart from that, the storage facilities and connectability with the computer was top notch. overall i also found this product far more reliable than the I-pod. it lasted me a long time and was far less likely to break. So, put simply. If you have patience and the money to spend, then buy an I-pod. if you are looking for a cheaper, reliable alternative then look no further than the Zen