MP3 mini market heats up

Creative's current offering is the 5GB MuVo2 FM, and like the iPod mini is available in a range of appealing pastel shades.

It's successor, to be called the Zen Micro, will also boast 5GB disk space, but will feature 12 hours battery time giving it a slight advantage over the iPod Mini in terms of memory and 50% extra playing time. The price point is also on a par with Apple's, although Creative's new offering will be available in bright colours. Units are due to ship 18 November.

Dell's Pocket DJ5, meanwhile, is another 5GB unit but will retail in the USA at $50 below the iPod Mini, at $199 and will ship around the same time as the Zen Micro.

Clearly, consumer electronics manufacturers see mini-MP3 players as the must-have product offering in the short- and mid-terms. The Walkman brand drove vast revenues into Sony in the 80s and 90s and the potential for MP3 players is even greater, considering the growing trend towards music downloading - an activity that marries perfectly with the product concept of these players.

However, those companies looking to break into Apple's territory in this field are clearly looking to compete in the following areas: price point, memory, battery life, download interface (eg iTunes) and design.

With the iPod establishing itself rapidly as a design classic and brand awareness growing by the day, the likes of Creative and Dell might have to be a little more adventurous in their search for a competitive edge.