Samsung YP-Z5 "nano killer" reviewed

We've been eagerly awaiting the first reactions to Samsung's 2GB and 4GB attempts at dethroning the iPod nano, and now Anything But iPod (whose name indicates no bias whatsoever on this topic) has taken the YP-Z5 through its paces (and also taken it apart), finding several drawbacks but overall declaring the flash player "simply a treat to use." As we're well aware by now, Samsung tapped iPod veteran Paul Mercer to design the Z5's user interface, which gets praise from ABI for being intuitive as well as visually pleasing. Equally impressive are the hardware features, especially the scratch-resistant screen and brushed metal exterior (sometimes it pays to keep your eye on the first-mover), along with the large tactile buttons and multi-directional touchpad. All is not perfect in Sammyland though, and several aspects of this device may send some prospective buyers looking elsewhere, including its struggle to drive larger headphones, use of MTP instead of the drag-and-drop UMS file transfer protocol, and lack of OTG playlists, FM radio, and manual EQ. Still, at $200 and $250 for the two and four gig versions, respectively, it sounds like you're getting a solid player here, but maybe one without all the polish of the nano.