With the whole world currently suckling at Steve Jobs’ shiny new iTeat, it may come as a shock to learn that Apple isn’t the final word in MP3 players (or phones). Here are a few alternatives that do everything an iPod will (plus or minus a few gigs of space you’ll probably never fill anyway), at a fraction of the price.

Creative Zen Nano

Like the only girl left at last call, the Creative Zen Nano might not be pretty, but it gets the job done. It’s got a gig of space, an easy drag-n-drop uploader, FM radio, voice recorder, and in-line recording, which lets you record tracks directly from its radio or a CD player.

link: Buy a Creative Zen Nano ($70.73)

Sandisk Sansa Express

Lugging around cables for your portables feels so last century, but the Sansa Express doesn’t need em. Just slip the cover off to reveal a USB nubbins for easy and quick uploading. It comes with 1 gig of memory which can be expanded cheaply and pretty much indefinitely with MicroSD memory.

link: Buy a Sandisk Sansa Express ($49.99)

Creative Zen Stone Plus

If you’re looking for something that’ll fit in your pocket (and be happy to see you) the Creative Zen Stone Plus is great. It comes with 2 gigs of memory, built in radio, stopwatch, timer, and you can even chose from six different colors.

link: Buy a Creative Zen Stone Plus ($69.99)