Decide what to buy | the Reevoo.com blog, featuring news on TVs, cameras, laptops, mp3 players & other gadgets, shopping tips and deals, reviews and more

Last week we looked at the top digital cameras of 2008 and this week we bring you MP3 players. There are plenty of them around but which ones are any good?

We’ve looked at the most popular ones - the ones that get the most attention on the web and the highest rated to see how they fare when people get them home.

At the moment, everyone’s after the New 16 GB Apple iPod Nano. It gets great reviews for its design and size but, as with most Apple products, consumers would like more battery life.

Here are the MP3 players getting the most attention at the moment:

1.       New Apple iPod Nano 16GB

2.       Apple iPod Shuffle 2GB 2^ND Generation

3.       Sony Walkman NWZA815B 2GB

4.       Archos GMINI 402

5.       Philips SA167 512MB

And these players are the highest rated by consumers who have all bought the products:

1.       Creative Zen 8GB MP3 Player

2.       Sony NWZA816 4GB MP3 Player

3.       Samsung YP-P2JCB 8GB

4.       Apple iPod Touch 8GB

5.       Samsung YP-T10J 2/4 GB MP3 Player

The Creative Zen 8GB MP3 Player gets great reviews. Consumers hardly have a bad word to say about it and praise its design, battery life and sound quality.

Here are some of the things reviewers had to say:

“excellent all rounder sound, vision, size and value for money” Debs, Co. Durham

“i absolutely love it, the sound and vision quality is exceptional” Nicola, Whitley Bay

If you’re strapped for cash but want to invest in something decent, the Samsung YP-T10J is an absolute bargain at £30. It’s rated 9/10 and seriously impresses reviewers:

“this MP3 player has just about everything you could possibly want and very user friendly. The sound is clear and crisp and the photo/video mode is excellent.” Denise, Norwich

“its awesome, looks good, good sound and battery life, cute, not too common like an ipod” Anonymous

“This MP3 player is capable of superb sound reproduction (though not perhaps with the supplied headphones). It’s easy to find your way around the menu and I think it must be one of the slimest MP3 players around.” Eric, Perthshire

If you’re not impressed with any of these, there are loads of other MP3 players to choose from.

If boredom is a big issue for you, especially if you do a lot of travelling, this is the gadget for you. Forget iPods and PSPs, this is the accessory for the summer. It’s the MP4 Film and Music Playing Watch. Think James Bond without the missiles.

Ok, it’s only 4GBs but you can still store about six full-length films or 1000 songs or even 160 music videos on it. Not bad for some wrist action. What’s more, for those of you who are worried about how you could possibly watch your favourite movie on an average tiny watch screen, think again. This watch has an impressive 1.8 inch screen, without looking ridiculous and it comes with earphones and built-in mini speakers to complete your watch-ing experience (sorry, couldn’t resist that one).

If you fancy keeping other files on your watch, you can do that too. Its handy USB port connects to your computer with the cable provided so that you can also carry documents and pictures around with you. And if you have a meeting and you’ve forgotten your pen? No problems, it’s also a voice recorder!

You can pick one up at Paramount Zone for £49.95. The overall watch is black but you can choose from a smart silver screen-surround or a more fun blue.

The best bit is that you always take your watch with you so you won’t have to worry about remembering to pack your MP3 player, USB stick and dictaphone (I’m not entirely sure that anybody even uses dictaphones anymore but if you do, you can relieve yourself of a few grams) and, as one comment on the site says, it’s less likely to get pilfered than an MP3 player which you carry in your bag or pocket.