Far from dying as a fashion fad, MP3 - the 'renegade' digital music format which makes solid-state music possible through heavy compression - goes from strength to strength. All kinds of new devices keep popping up, including those storing music on fixed or removable disks instead of memory cards.

Going back to moving disks might appear a retrograde step, but mechanical drives still offer a much higher byte per penny ratio than any form of solid state storage. A CD, for example, can store around ten times as much as a typical memory card-based MP3 player. That's around 80 tracks...

As well as new forms of storage, the other recent development is a rival for the MP3 format itself. Microsoft, always one to get in on any new act, has developed the Windows Media Format (WMA). The compression in WMA files is even greater than in MP3 and the recording industry likes it more, as it incorporates copyright protection. Although it goes against the 'free music' approach of MP3, it's a strong competitor and portable players need to support it - along with other new formats in the wings - to stay useful.

Here we look at five new players, some using cards, others using disks or even hard drives, which offer the facility to store a lot of music for little outlay. Click the 'NEXT' link below to find out more.