The market for flash-based MP3 players with higher capacity is heating up, as the price of solid-state memory drops after the successful launch of the iPod Nano. While they might not offer the huge capacity of hard-drive based players they do benefit from a complete lack of moving parts, which makes them great for active use.

Both players being reviewed here are 2 GB versions - the Sansa e250 and the Samsung YP-Z5Q - and one can also get models in 4 GB and 6 GB configurations. Both machines are also recent releases, both debuting in the second quarter of 2006. Does anything else separate one from the other?

Sansa E200 Series

When it comes to gadgets such as the Sansa e200, first impressions are important; this is a good looking player, so they're largely positive. The only aspect that is a letdown in this regard is the clear plastic navigation wheel on the front of the machine, which looks extremely tacky. A titanium alloy back inspires confidence that the unit can survive a few knocks, but the screen is located a couple of millimetres under the plastic cover making it a weak point to be aware of.

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