If you've pined for a PC version of the dazzling Apple iPod, the Archos Jukebox Recorder 20 gets you halfway there. It's a 20GB MP3 player, portable hard drive, and personal voice recorder for the PC or Mac. Downloads are blazingly fast, thanks to the USB 2.0 connection: 1GB of music (250 songs at 128 Kbps) transferred in just 2.5 minutes (versus 19 minutes using USB 1.1). The missing half includes design (Apple wins, hands down), ease of use, legible display, weight (12.3 ounces versus the 6.5-ounce Apple iPod), and size. Still, Archos gives you 20GB (up to 5,000 tunes) for $150 less than the iPod's 10GB maximum.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.