As the iPod continues to be enhanced, and storage capacity increased, we had a look at the latest from Apple.

Once installed and detected the iPod integrates with the bundled MusicMatch JukeBox, allowing for MP3 ripping, ID3 tag editing, proper creation of playlists, and so on. It also acts as a removable hard drive, allowing copy/paste operations through Windows Explorer.

Supporting both FireWire and USB2.0 connections, file transfers to the iPod are damn fast, compared to the long wait times when bulk uploading to USB1.1 devices.

Sound quality is very good, but perhaps not as good as the Creative Nomad, which is also included in this roundup. By comparison, the iPod sounded a little hollow. It doesn't quite have the warmth and depth of sound that the Nomad provides, but was still clear, sharp and loud. When testing with the non bundled Sony headphones, the sound improved a little, but was noticeably high in treble. Scrolling through the preset EQs, of which there are 22, allowed us to find the best sound depending on the style of music we were listening to. Comment: The iPod, and in fact most players, could benefit from a custom equaliser control.

The touch sensitive buttons and dial mechanism are easy to master, and remarkably sensitive. There is a 'hold' switch, which prevents accidental changing of settings or tracks, once you settle back to listen. Playback controls, and navigation through your file storage and menu system is straightforward and there are playback controls also located on a wired remote.

The display is large and clear. It doesn't present any data about the tracks, however, other than the song name, the artist, the track length and time. Perhaps a future firmware upgrade will enhance the amount of displayed information, such as bit-rate, genre and other file attributes.

iPod sports a few features not found any other player in this roundup, such as a Contacts list created by exporting vCards from Outlook, Outlook Express or Palm Desktop. The iPod can display text files, and also sports a Calendar, with a 'To Do' list. The only problem with these features is that they can not be created or edited from within the iPod itself, so it isn't going to replace your PDA anytime soon.

The world continues to rave about the iPod. For all its sexiness, it is still just an MP3 player, albeit a very good one. Once again, who knows what future updates may hold.