Digital music players continue to be wildly popular among people who enjoy having hundreds, even thousands, of songs available on a tiny device.

Although Apple's iPod may be the single-most recognized such player, there are dozens of choices, including the highly-anticipated Microsoft Zune, which will be released Nov. 14 as an answer to the iPod. Deciding which player is best for you typically comes down to how many songs you want to be able to hold and what music software program you're most comfortable with.

THE BARGAIN: Creative Labs Zen Nano or Apple iPod Shuffle

Why these: Both the Zen Nano and the Shuffle are good entry-level players for people who don't need or want to carry around more than 240 songs.

What's cool: The low price makes them a good option for kids or teens, as long as they don't lose them, and the small size makes them easy to tote while exercising.

What they don't tell you: The main drawback to these players is you can't set up custom playlists. That means that if you only want to listen to the country music songs you've put on the player and not the rock songs, there's no way to do that.

Price: Both are $79.99 at CompUSA.

GOOD BETS: Apple iPod or Microsoft Zune

Why these: Compared to their less-expensive counterparts, these players can hold far more songs -- up to 20,000 depending on the player. They also have the ability to sort music and set up custom playlists.

What's cool: The Zune and the newest iPod both store pictures and play videos. The Zune also has a wireless feature that allows users to share songs -- playable for a limited time -- by beaming them directly other Zune users.

What they don't tell you: You have to pay close attention when buying your digital music because the digital rights management can limit which devices your music can be played on. While both the Zune and iPod play MP3-formatted songs (typically songs ripped from CDs you already own), songs purchased online typically need to be in the AAC format to play on the iPod or the WMA format to play on the Zune. Different online music stores sell different formats, so read carefully to make sure the music is compatible with your player.

Price: Both are $249.99 at Best Buy.

THE SPLURGE: Archos 604 (right)

Why this one: This is one of the ultimate media players -- everything the iPod and Zune are and more.

What's cool: The device has the ability to record video from a television, can convert to a camcorder, has a built-in microphone for voice recording, has a built-in PDF file viewer and features a large 4.3-inch screen that displays DVD-quality video.

What they don't tell you: To take advantage of the video recording capability, you have to buy the DVR station separately for about $70. The power adapter is also sold separately. This device is also marketed more as a video player than music player, so it's bulkier than the iPod and Zune and probably not something you want to exercise with.

Price: $349.99 at www.wolfcamera.com and www.shoparchos.com.