I'm going to attempt to defend the iRiver here. Its early though so this might jsut sound like a pile of gobble-de-gook in the end.
I bought my iHP-140 about a 9 months ago, i was planning on getting a 40gb iPod, they didnt have any in stock, so they suggested I tried out the iRiver, if I didnt like it they would of traded it in for the iPod.
iRiver iHp-140 cost me Ģ280
iPod 40gb (at the time) would of cost me Ģ400.
The iRiver supports more than people think including ogg format. Which i do like, yet not many people use. You can record on to it in either mp3 or wav formats. It has upgradable firmware, the sound quality in my opinion is excelent. Also you can read txt document on it (yet i haven't worked out how or even why you'd want to on a 2 inch green screen)
Yet there is 2 down sides as people have mentioned, its extremely fragile, I have had it freeze on me 3 times since i've had it. Also it seem the reset button is very tempromental, so when it freezes i have to drain the batteries and recharge it again. Also the battery life is just obismal, your lucky to get 12 hrs constant play with it, they claim it has 20 hrs, yet i havent seen it yet.
Beyound those 2 little problems, I'd happily stick to iRiver products..
Thats my 1.1 pence