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The cheapest thing we found that could be classed as an MP3 player is the Freecom Beatman Mini CD for £35.19 from PC-hardware.co.uk. It's certainly portable and plays MP3 format tracks, but is in fact a mini-CD player - the media for which holds about three hours of music.

Richer Sounds has the sleek Philips KEY003 for £39.95. It offers 64MB of memory and you can transfer music via USB.

Add £10 and point your browser at Amazon and you can pick up the Yakumo Hypersound128 for £49.99. As its name suggests it has 128MB of memory.

For £54 you can get the Mercury iXA 321i Red that, along with 128MB of memory, also has an FM radio too - from Pixmania. It has a dictafone function too.

Yakumo appears to be the new name on the scene, as it pops

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up with the cheapest 256MB player we ran into. The Yakumo Hypersound256 costs £69.99, again from Amazon.

Simply, however, puts all this in the shade, with the Creative Juke Box 2. Its massive 10GB is yours to fill with days of music for £155.99.

Its more petite and certainly more stylish Creative MuVo 2 sibling has a not umimpressive 1.5GB capacity for £149.99 from Amazon. A 4GB version is £174.99 from the same company.

10GB still not enough, you say? Then grab the 20GB Archos Gmini 120 for £179.89 from Amazon.

If style rules over substantial capacity then you've probably already heard the call of Apple's iPod. Microwarehouse is taking orders for the 4GB mini version at £205.57, although it isn't due to ship in the UK until July.

Back to size again, and the 30GB Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra is yours for £217.89 from Amazon. The 40GB Asono HD500 costs £219 from Advancedmp3players.co.uk. And the 60GB Creative Jukebox Zen Xtra is £245.58 from PC-hardware.co.uk. Finally, the 80GB Archos AV380 costs £589 from Advancedmp3players.co.uk.

The high capacity 40GB iPod is £390 from Pixmania.com, while Carphone Warehouse has the 20GB version for £274.99.