Digital-Music Player

The world is your jukebox, your karaoke club, your own blockbuster movie when you carry your personal soundtrack with you. This year's digital-music players hold more music in smaller packages, making them the carry-everywhere solution to all your listening needs. Oh, yeah -- they make great gifts for others, too.

• Best New MP3 Players
  Make way for the latest crop of portable MP3 players packed with plenty of features.
  
• Tiny MP3 Player Showdown
  They're new, they're small, and in their own ways they kick major butt.
  
• Best Low-Cost Portable MP3 Players
  Get the hottest deals in the portable MP3 world.
  
• Digital-Audio Players for Fitness
  Best portable digital-audio players to get fitness freaks into the groove.

Apple iPod G3 and Accessories

Now this is a Big Deal. Apple's iPods work with Windows, letting every PC user experience the jaw-dropping storage capacity and slim form factor that make this digital-music player one of the best. It doubles as a hard drive, too.

• Apple's Third-Generation iPod
  World's finest portable digital-audio player undergoes major makeover.
  
• IPod Accessories
  These add-ons are useful and stylish, just like the iPod.
  
• iPod Opponents
  New storage-heavy portable audio players challenge iPod's supremacy.

Rip 'n' Burn

It's not enough to have an extensive album collection. These days, everyone wants to mix their own. Give the control freak on your list the power to create, manage, and organize her tunes just so with the right copiers and burners.

• Multiformat Burners
  Forget the disc format. All you have to worry about is the best drive.
  
• Nero 6: One Sweet Suite
  Extras and performance enhancements make Nero 6 well worth the hefty price tag.
  
• Alcohol 120%
  Back up your copy-protected CDs.
  
• Apple's iTunes for Windows
  New jukebox and download service for Windows rocks, especially if you own an iPod.

Online Music Services

Stream it, like it, buy it. Online music services are the schnitzel this year, with options ranging from unlimited downloads for a monthly fee to individual songs for about $1. Hint: These make great last-minute gifts that don't require wrapping. Just remember to cap the amount, or else your next Visa bill might have a thousand 99-cent charges.

• BuyMusic.com vs. iTunes Music Store
  New, reliable BuyMusic.com offers hundreds of thousands of tracks, but coveted Windows market still up for grabs.
  
• First Look: Napster 2.0
  Big launch party hypes tons of new and familiar features in revamped music service.