[NOLA MPx Fan]

Of course every one here is going to say Meizu ;-)

I like them both. I recently added a nano to my collection, and it hasn't let me down yet. Of course, I've also been an iPod user since the earliest of days (firewire connection to a mac only). I own several "no brand" players and like one of them enough that it travels with me. A lot. But when I saw the nano with video at $149, I knew that was a great choice on Apple's part. The price is competitive with quality off brand players, it has the solid pedigree built on years of working, non hacked firmware, and it has a warranty that means something.

The key difference, really, when you strip away the anti-Apple sentiments posted by some folks is this: Meizu has a bigger screen.

As for the rest:
FM radio? I'm carrying my music with me. Why would I want to listen to the commercial laden pap on FM?

Needs iTunes? Nah! I've been using YamiPod for some time, as iTunes is becoming too large on the CPU needs side.

The cable? A cable is a cable. My mini USB usually has something attached to it, so I need another one anyhow. At that point it makes no difference what it is.

The price? If this isn't a "must have by Christmas" thing, give it a couple weeks and I'm sure the first of the returned nanos will show up on the Apple.com online store in the deals section for under $100. ;-)

Skinning? Please, if that's the only reason you buy one product over another then all is lost. OK, not all, but it should be a tie breaker, not a deal maker. You can get a $10 hacked Actions player if all you want is to make it look a certain way. It won't play worth a darn, but it will look pretty...

My advice? Play with both before you buy. Go to a local shop and plug in your earphones to a nano, then do the same with a Meizu (if you can find one). Ultimately, what we have to say means bupkis, as it is you who must be happy with it.

...and as for local stores, remember CompUSA is going out of business. If your local store isn't already picked clean, you can get some decent discounts. Our local store has 30% off mp3 players including nanos right now, 30% off accessories including earphones. YMMV as this is rolling through regions at different speeds.