Samsung YP-S2

At 1.7 by 1.6 by 0.7 inches (HWD) and a pebble esque 0.5 ounces, the device has smooth contours that call to mind the ZEN Stone. A color coded light on top of the S2 tells you what the player is up to Blue stands for repeat all mode, green to blue to magenta means random, and magenta signifies that the S2 is running through a playlist.

The controls are on the bottom panel, with each button serving different functions depending on how long you press it and what mode you're in.

Power and play/pause occupy the same button, volume up and down buttons double as add song to playlist controls, and there are skip forward and backward buttons as well.

The S2's earbuds stay in place well enough to qualify as gym friendly, and the cable has an integrated neck strap, as well as a loop for a lanyard.

Not everyone will love the around the neck design of the ear buds (they look a bit like a necklace), but you shouldn't have any trouble keeping them in place, whether you're working out or just commuting.

Less convenient is the fact that instead of using a cable, the computer connection is achieved with a small adapter that connects the player's 3.5mm headphone jack to your PC's USB port. Folks with crowded USB areas may not like having it there, since the player may block other ports on your computer while it charges or loads content.

The S2 offers support for WMA, MP3, and OGG files. Though this isn't an overwhelming collection of formats, I am glad to see that the Pebble plays nice with OGG tracks. Of course, the lack of a screen means no photo or video playback�the Pebble is simply a music player.