These days, thinking different means eschewing the ever-so-common iPod, says the U.K.'s T3, a gadget magazine. For those who don't want to follow the crowd, the magazine offers five iPod alternatives, each with its own charms. Topping T3's list is the Meizu miniPlayer, which the Browser wrote about in May, and features "a stunning screen and pint-sized proportions."

Creative, which has struggled to gain traction in the MP3 player market it pioneered, has a potential winner in the Zen V Plus, which includes an FM radio and voice recorder. The iRiver T10's battery lasts for 53 hours, a good thing for those who don't want to keep recharging. Sony Ericsson's V630i music phone can play MP3s and also does Internet radio over its cell-phone data connection. And the MobiBlu US2 is even thinner than a Nano.

The downside to all of these iPod alternatives? None of them work with the iTunes Music Store, so if you've bought a lot of music there, you'll have to kiss those tracks goodbye along with your iPod.