There are tons of players out there for the mac and PC.
The one reason why my player, despite being ancient, is the only portable DAP player I can tolerate.
iAudio's X5 will work on a mac and a PC. It has better sound quality since it does not have the bass rolloff iPods do into low impedance headphones. Here's a
graph of the iPod's response into a 25 ohm load - pretty ugly. Not trying to bash, but since we're here, we probably share the desire for well designed hi-fi equipment.
The iAudio can also play videos. It has a radio, and tons of other features.
I like the Rio Karma for its gapless playback. Its rio DJ which will play music in order from most played to least, from least played to most, stuff I haven't heard in a week, two weeks, stuff I used to listen to a lot but haven't listened to recently, etc. It also has a parametric EQ in comparison to the iPod's dismal presets and every other brand's typical EQ. Not to mention the scroll wheel makes seeking through songs easier than I've had it with any other player.
The iRiver H320, while having its flaws(bad database in spite of nice file-tree browsing), has one of the prettiest screens I've ever seen, and can also play videos.
The iRiver H320, iAudio X5, and Rio Karma all support Ogg Vorbis, and the X5/Karma support FLAC: a better lossy codec, and a lossless audio codec for the purist nuts out there.
The Rio Karma has some pretty easy software. That in combination with a
good GUI and interface would make it good for a newbie to DAPs.
I hope this makes the decision easier.
