Archos Jukebox 6000

MP3 players are commonplace today but are hampered by their small storage capacity. 32-64Mb of internal memory is the average, limiting you to a couple of hours of music.

The Archos Jukebox 6000 is different and supplies you with a whopping 6Gb of storage space, which isn't limited to MP3s either: it doubles as a hard drive so you can store any digital media you like on it. Using a USB interface, transfer speeds of up to 1Mb/sec are possible.

Okay, so it's a little heavy, but compared to the only other similar product on the market, the Creative Dap Jukebox, it's small enough to fit into a trouser pocket, albeit with a bit of a bulge. (Is that a Jukebox 6000 in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?)

Alternatively, it can be placed in its protective, spongey case and worn on a belt.

Also, like the Creative player, its firmware is updateable to support future audio formats, although at present no support for other audio formats are on offer. Support for the MP3 successor, MP3 PRO, would be a bonus.

With the accompanying MusicMatch Jukebox software for the PC, you have all you need to create playlists and effectively manage your music collection on and off the Archos 6000.

On the downside, the Jukebox 6000 has a massive power drain. Despite the eight hours of playback quoted, we have only ever managed to achieve just over half this amount. Turning the device on is the biggest drain, as the hard drive boots up.

Still, two sets of rechargeable batteries are supplied, which should be music to your ears for all but the longest of journeys.