The SanDisk Sansa e260 is a seriously sexy MP3 player that represents a very strong effort on SanDisk's part to compete in the premium market against Apple's iPod nano. The e260 is a 4GB flash-based player (also available in 2GB and industry-first 6GB configurations) with tons of extra features, a microSD slot, an impressively stylish design, PlaysForSure support, and a user-replaceable battery. The e200-series players are also a bit cheaper than their Apple counterparts. The Sansa's drawbacks have to do with the controls and playlisting features, and although it is technically capable of connecting to both Macs and PCs, the cross-platform experience isn't one I can recommend. The e260's combination of features, style, performance, ease of use, and price make this the best non-Apple player out there. But the overall user experience—meaning navigation, cross-platform software/hardware integration, and ease of use—isn't quite as smooth as that of its chief rival.