Archos Gmini XS 100

The Archos Gmini XS 100 looks too small an MP3 player to have a hard disk inside, but that's what gives it an impressive 3Gb of storage space.

The disadvantage of hard disks over flash memory is that they are more sensitive to vibration, although Archos claims that this player can cope with being used while jogging.

Music can be browsed by artist, album or genre, and it is possible to listen to playlists created in Windows Media Player. The big screen includes plenty of information about the current track but it can become distracting as the text constantly scrolls from side to side if it cannot fit.

The XS 100 also carries the Microsoft Plays for Sure logo. This means it can accept music copied onto the PC using Windows Media Player 10.

The XS 100 appears to Windows as a removable disk, so it can be used for data storage, and charges its battery using the USB connection.