Bargain Alert: "IPod Killers" That Didn't

Visit any Web site or blog about consumer tech and there's a good chance you'll find a headline that reads, "The new Brand X MP3 Player—an iPod Killer?" The answer, inevitably, is no, and more often than not the would-be killer drops off the face of the earth. Or does it? The intrepid editors at MP3newswire.net did some poking around and found several of these over-hyped (if still feature-packed) players on eBay—many of them in mint condition, and at serious discounts. Bargain hunters, read on.

MP3newswire.net found several high-profile iPod competitors from a two or even three years back that ended up on eBay, often for well under $100, making for some pretty tempting bargains considering their features. These aren't battered players that are on their last legs, either—nope, we're talking "new in box" specimens, or at worst refurbished players that have been repaired and tested for quality. Even better, these are name players, including the Toshiba Gigabeat F40 (a 40GB player from 2005 with a QVGA display, photo-displaying capabilities and a sleek, brushed-aluminum shell, going for about $80 or $90), the Rio Carbon (a snazzy, compact 5GB player selling in the $60 range), and Virgin's well-reviewed VM-500 (a 5GB player with a monochrome screen, selling for about $40 to $50). MP3newswire.net also found an impressive personal video player: the 40GB Archos AV700, which comes with a seven-inch widescreen display and a dock for recording TV shows, with auctions closing around $180.

The site wisely points out a few important caveats before you start bidding; for example, some of the manufacturers of these players (such as the Rio Carbon) are no longer in business, so don't expect a warranty. Also, watch out with battery life—the rechargeable li-ion batteries in most MP3 players begin to lose their charge after a couple of years or so, even with devices that have never been used.

Related:
iPod Killer Graveyard: Failures Equal NIB Bargains [MP3newswire.net]