iRiver Clix gen 2

Remember when the click wheels found on portable media players were innovative and unique? Yeah, now they're about as exciting as 3.5-inch floppies. Thankfully, the second generation of Iriver's Clix foregoes this clichéd control scheme with a clickable (not touch) screen for easy menu navigation. Clix 2.0 is sleeker, half an ounce lighter and features enhanced video playback at 30 frames per second. And its beautiful 2.2-inch LCD screen has been replaced with an even sharper active-matrix organic LED display. Combined with unbelievable sound quality and up to 8GB storage space, the Clix may cure the reflexive circular motions you make whenever someone hands you an iPod-shaped object.

WIRED Click-screen navigation makes scrolling through menu fun (seriously!) über-slick user interface. Customizable SRS WOW HD settings for remarkably crisp audio, even at painfully loud volumes. Supports MP3, WMA, OGG, Audible books and some subscription content (URGE, Napster). Good TXT viewer. JPEG image and Flash Lite 2.1 support for games. MPEG4 and WMV videos. Records radio with FM tuner or voice with built-in mic. Can switch to vertical display orientation.

TIRED Video software is PC-only and won't convert Quicktime movies. External buttons difficult to press. Drive gets formatted when switching from mass storage device mode to Windows-only MTP mode. Spotty music subscription support - consistently crashed Rhapsody when synching (Iriver claims a firmware upgrade on the way).

• Style: Audio
• Manufacturer: iRiver
• Price: $200
Release Date: April 12, 2007