Samsung P2 Media Player
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When Samsung announced the release of the P2 digital media player earlier this year, it initially got a lot of buzz which later faded away due to the release of the Apple iPod Touch. Since the actual release of the Samsung P2, the buzz has returned for this awesome personal media player with a three-inch touch-screen display, video support, and A2DP Bluetooth support.
The P2 is comparable to the iPod Touch in many ways, but it lacks the Touch's Wi-Fi capability. It makes up for the lack of Wi-Fi with its excellent Bluetooth capabilities, which includes stereo Bluetooth headphone compatibility and support for pairing cell phones with the P2. More on this great feature later.
The Samsung P2 is a Windows XP/Vista device, so Mac users are out of luck. They would probably rather have the Apple iPod Touch anyway, though. The P2 works well with Rhapsody, Windows, Media Player 11, and the included Samsung Media Studio 5 software. The file format support with the P2 isn't all that great, but the included software nicely converts the file to a compatible format. Here is a list of compatible file formats:
The Samsung P2 is respectably priced at about $199 for the 8GB model and $149 for the 4GB model. Both models boast flash-based memory. Looking at some comparable 8GB models, the iPod Touch is priced at about $299, the iRiver Clix at about $239, and the Sansa View at only $130. The Clix is less expensive, but it also sports a smaller 2.2" screen. The Sansa View may be the best value out of the bunch, but it also has a smallish 2.4" display, which is not a comfortable size on which to view full-length movies.
Overall, I think that the Samsung P2 is priced just right. You get good savings over the iPod Touch, and it's not much more than other comparable models with smaller LCD displays. In my opinion, when choosing between the P2 and the Touch, it comes down to whether you want Wi-Fi, which the Touch offers, or the great Bluetooth capabilities, which the P2 offers.
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