Portable video players are the way to go these days if you have a budget of around Rs 10,000 and you’re considering an MP3 player. Of course, with that kind of budget you could get two (maybe even three) MP3 players with a minimum of 1GB storage. But the point is with that kind of dough you can avail of other options like a PMP. So here’s my list of PMPs that are available for under Rs 10,000.
Creative Zen – Rs. 5,200 (4GB) and Rs. 8,000 (8GB)
The Creative Zen is equipped with a 2.5 inch LCD display with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. You can view images, sync with your PC, and schedule backups. But what I really like about this player is the design: it’s slim and sleek and very light. You may want to use your own headphones though – the ones bundled with the package are not as good as a Creative should be. At the moment only the 4GB and 8GB versions are out, but we can expect a 16GB (and hopefully a 32GB) soon. If that’s not enough for you, memory can be expanded with MMC/SD cards up to 2GB.
Aigo E868 – Rs. 9000 (2GB)
The aigo E868 may look a bit plump but it's quite light. It has a brilliant 2.5 inch display that sports 16 million colors. It’s well equipped with plenty of features, including provision for external memory through SD or MMC cards. The device also has a TV-out feature if you prefer not to watch a video on the small screen. The earphones may look a bit like Apple iPod ripoffs, but they work well. The E868 also has an e-book reader and the navigation wheel makes it really easy to scroll through menus and files.
Mitashi MWI-4GA – Rs. 7,000 (4GB)
The Mitashi MWI-4GA has a 2.5 inch, 320 x 240 pixel resolution display and support for external memory via miniSD cards. One thing that I disliked about this player is that fact that it has a 2.5mm earphone socket (WHY?!) Nevertheless the audio quality was great. Video conversion is very simple and quick with the provided converter. The 4GA also has an e-book reader and a few games to entertain you.



