I know what you’re probably thinking. No, this is not some gory feature. Instead I intend to write about some players that are meant for no-complications, no-frills music buffs who don’t need their players to have a face. And by 'face', I mean a display.
Indeed, I sometimes wonder if our world has gotten far too complicated. Even the most basic music player or DAP (Digital Audio Player) comes choc-a-bloc with features today. Not that that’s a bad thing, but it does tend to get a bit too much. But let's get back to the topic at hand, which is super-simple players.
Sandisk Sansa Shaker
Not only is this an extremely basic player as it has no internal memory, it’s also one of the oddest shaped players. Presumably it’s called the Shaker simply because that’s what it looks like – a salt shaker. It uses SD memory cards for storage and runs on a single AAA battery. It even has a built-in speaker. The player supports dual earphones, so two people can listen in simultaneously. It has a single button for power and Play/Pause and you simply turn the ends to the left or right to increase or decrease the volume or skip tracks. A mini-USB port takes care of PC connectivity.
iRiver S7 and Disney’s Mplayer
This has to be one of the oddest players I’ve come across. Not because of the fits-in-a-matchbox design, but because of the funny icons used to depict volume control and track navigation. I liked the PC application that allows you to create certain EQ settings that you can install into the player when connected, to adjust the output. The earphones have a necklace-like feel, with a clasp. The S7 comes with a 3.5mm to USB converter for PC connectivity. What’s truly remarkable is that iRiver has managed to squeeze in an FM radio as well.
Disney and iRiver’s Mplayer is another cute device that kids would love simply because of its design. The Mplayer look slike good old Mickey Mouse’s head. The fun part is that the ears are used for track navigation and volume control. As in the S7, the earphone strap also doubles as a neck strap so the player can be hung around your neck. This really is a ‘faceless’ player.
gud one Shayne, makes decision making easier.... if possible could you please round up on mp3 players that can be doubled as decent USB storage devices too (like creative muvo T200, Transcend T.Sonic 320 etc..) .. would be much more helpful.. 
