Cowon's iAudio 9 has some useful extra features, but lacks iPod flair

Cowon's iAudio 9 has a 2in 320 x 240 screen and a capacitive touch control panel beneath it. The device itself is a tad bigger than the most recent iPod nano, but it's still only 9mm thick and weighs 40g.

It comes with a set of 3.5mm in-ear headphones, and the bundled USB cable is how the iAudio 9 receives both its media files and its charge. Initial impressions weren't great, however, thanks to the main menu system.

A fancy diagonal icon bar spans the screen, and you scroll using the corresponding diagonal touch scale beneath. The select and back buttons are tiny, and don't take you back to the menu - there's a separate button for that.

The iAudio 9 will play many file formats and has a built-in FM radio that proved unreliable in our tests. It's disappointing, and for around $20 more you can get your hands on a far better iPod nano.