Nitrus, hands down.
I don't rip my CDs at a high bitrate because I listen in noisy environments: on my Nitrus at the gym, walking down the street, on the subway, etc., and for MP3 CDs. in the car. So I value size, weight, convenience, and battery life over capaciity.
Face it, Apple i great at marketing, but the iPods have horrendous battery life. The Nitrus, with a smaller battery, get tice the real-world battey life. I rip my files not at low-quality VBR, which gives me a butrate around 100, and I can get all my Pet Shop Boys CDs (about 20) on my Nitrus with room to spare.
The Nitrus has two drawbacks:
- The LCD is a bit dim, with lower contrast, and it's imposible to read scrolling text.
- It doesn't charge through its USB connection.
But it's sturdy, it fits easily in any pocket, it'd close to unnoticeable in gym clothes, it handles playlists, it's easy to use, the menu system works well, etc.
Even though I do love it, I am sorely tempted to upgrade, to the 4GB version. How much more space do you really need?