Sweex MP300 Clipz

Sweex MP300 Clipz

If you’re familiar with the story of David and Goliath, you’ll be aware the big boys don’t always win the battles. It’s fair to say many MP3 manufacturer’s, particularly the lesser known ones, will have a difficult time competing with Apple’s innovative iPod range, but they’re having a good go – and incidentally, aren’t making too bad a job of it.

Sweex MP300 Clipz v iPod Shuffle

Of the Apple iPod range, it’s the snazzy iPod Shuffle that the Sweex comes closest to for price and memory size. Both have a storage capacity of 2GB though with 24 hours of continuous playback the Shuffle has a far superior battery life. The Sweex however is probably best used during exercise so the 5 hours continuous playback should be sufficient for even the most arduous of trainers.

Given the price tag of the Sweex is a mere £14.77, the saving against the more expensive Shuffle (cheapest iPod Shuffle price currently £37.00) may sway consumers towards the small yet stylish MP3. It may not be as attractive as the popular Shuffle, nor does it have as many sophisticated features such as VoiceOver, but in terms of performance against cost it does offer better value for money.

The only downside to the Sweex is that it doesn’t have a shuffle feature and the track list plays in the order they were transferred to the device. It can hardly be described as high-tech, but with periodical changes to the track listing users can turn a negative into a positive and save themselves £25 in the process.

The Sweex also uses a simple 2.0 plug ‘n’ play USB to download music whereas internet access is required to download songs from iTunes to your Shuffle.

Sweex MP300 Clipz v iPod Nano

The immediate difference to note here is the price tag. The Cheapest iPod Nano is currently £97.00 compared to the £14.77 for the Sweex. Fair enough, the Nano is a very stylish and sophisticated device and with the new tap and swipe touch screen function has gone up a notch in class. But is the gulf in cost really worth the additional expense?

Granted the Nano gives you an additional 19 hours battery life and 6GB more storage capacity, but given that it’s only real advantage as a miniature PMP is for fitness fanatics you’d have to have a few weights short of a dumbbell to invest £135 just to look flash in the gym. The Sweex is the size of a bulldog clip, fastens to your clothes and with a decent pair of ear buds has excellent sound quality. If your prime consideration is value for money there really is no competition.

Sweex MP300 Clipz v iPod Touch

It’s fair to say the iPod Touch is the daddy of multi-media players. Given the number of innovative features it is equipped with, the Sweex gets lost in the dust kicked up during the mad scramble. But give the little fella its due. For a very good price you get a very good quality device. The Sweex is an ideal gift for a young child who is new to the MPM market and as a first time walkman, most kids will be happy. As long as you don’t tell them the iPod Touch has an interactive gaming options, TV and video, they’ll be none the wiser!

Cheapest-iPod Verdict

If you’re looking for something cheap and cheerful to exercise with, or even as a first PMP for a young child, the Sweex MP300 Clipz is ideal. Easy to use, good sound quality and affordable; what more do you need!