MP3 players for $50 or less

It may be hard to believe, but you can actually find a decent MP3 player for around 50 bucks. In fact, we may see more and more devices start to hover near that price point if flash memory costs continue to fall the way they have been over the past couple of years. Of course, there's no sense in dropping even $50 on a complete piece of junk, which is why I've scoured the site looking for some worthy options.

As you might notice, SanDisk rather dominates this category: there are definitely some advantages to manufacturing your own flash memory. At the most basic level, there's the Sansa Shaker, a simple and fun screenless model that's perfect for the kiddies. Next is the older--but still people-pleasing--Sansa m250, which offers 2GB of memory for as little as $40. (You can also find the 512MB version for as little as $20.) Finally, we have the more recently released Sansa Clip, which comes with an FM radio and a handy, built-in belt clip, making it ideal for fitness freaks.

For those who demand high-quality audio, Creative and Samsung step up to the plate. The Zen Stone is dead simple with a cute, pebble-like design (and it's available in a variety of colors). The Samsung YP-U2 offers a handy plug-and-play design and desirable features such as voice recording and an FM radio. If you don't mind dealing with a funky user interface, RCA's Pearl is another reasonable option with its built-in USB interface and 2GB of internal memory that's upgradeable via a microSD card slot. Best Buy's Insignia Kix, with its fun, interchangeable USB covers and Rhapsody DNA integration, is also a suitable choice for bargain hunters.