iPod Touch Alternatives

I've recently been looking for a good video and music device, that has a nice touchscreen and some cool apps, but doesn't cost the hefty £200+ an iPod touch does. It has been hard to find any good alternatives however I have found a couple of good cheaper alternatives, and some rather more expensive alternatives, that I wouldn't pick over the iPod touch 4.

+ Expensive and not worth it:

The Cowon S9

In my opinion its quite an ugly touch device, with pretty much the same functions as the iPod touch. Its got a curvy design and an ugly black back finish, which doesn't appeal, in any form. For an 8GB model it would cost you around £160-220. You can get the last iPod touch, the 3rd generation, for £150 from Argos. I really don't see the point in spending more money on something that's not from a reliable company like Apple, and doesn't have any added extras.

- Expensive but no where near as worth it:

The Sony X-Series Walkman

I'm sure everyone knows Sony, and I admit they produce some of the best phones. However when it comes to music players and fun devices, I think there still stuck in the 90's. It used to be the thing to walk around with your big walkman, but its not know, and Sony still haven't updated their products. I wouldn't pay £140 for this X-Series Walkman, because I could just as well fork out an extra £60 for the iPod Touch 4. It has pretty much all the functions, but it lacks the Apps, which I would pay an extra £100 for.

Same price and worth it:

The Zune HD

The Zune HD is just a classier version of an iPod touch. Its quite a beautiful gem in all honesty. On the degree of functions is pretty much the exact same as the iPod touch, however in looks and style its a notch above. The Zune HD also comes with FM Radio, which I love. For the same price as the iPod touch 4 8gb (£200), you can get the Zune HD, with all the same functions, and 16gb of space. If I wanted to spend £200, I would chose this as my iPod touch alternative.

- Expensive and very much worth it:

The Archos 28, 32, 43, 5 or 7

These devices are all touch screen pieces of class. First lets talk about the Archos 28, which you can get for under £100. It has music, video, and its an Android run internet tablet, with apps. Its a pretty nifty little piece of equipment for what it costs. You can move up in size, and the Archos 28, has a relatively small 2.8 inch screen. So if you want a 3.2 inch screen (the closest to a iPod touch which is 3.5 inches), add another £15. If you want a 4.3 inch screen its £180 with a 16gb hard drive. The Archos 5 which has a rather big 5 inch touch screen, will set you back just over £200 for a 500gb hard drive, yes thats right, 500gb. You can even get a whopping 7 inch Archos home tablet, for £130, however it lacks many features like 3D games and other key elements. The Archos 7 inch internet tablet costs around £230-260. These are all pretty remarkable devices, depending on what kind of thing you want, they are all deals. I think for what they cost, you get a lot more than you expect, I see them as the next best thing to the iPod touch, and although theres not facetime on most of the Archos devices, if you move up to the Archos 10, you get calling, which is pretty cool.

The Archos 28

The Archos 32

The Archos 43 next to an iPod Touch 4

The Archos 5 on Google

The Archos 7 Home Tablet, which lacks some features, like 3D games and a Flash Player

The Archos 7 Internet Tablet

The Archos 10 Internet Tablet

I think if I'm looking for a cheaper alternative to the iPod touch, I'm going to head over to Archos.