Generally the Archos machines have exponentially more memory than Ipod's for the same price. Archos is generally 2-3 years ahead on features and their boxes are far more "open". The advent of paid for modules is a pain, but they have priced it all so they are still generally better deals than Ipod's. For more info visit www.archosfans.com, top right hand corner for Forums, for everything you'd ever need to know about any model and comparisons.