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Why Won't It Play?!?

How high is too high? How cold is too cold? To solve the winter-weather mysteries of paralyzed digital music, refer to the "Pop Quiz" from Outside magazine's December 2004 "The Wild File".

With the profusion of the iPod, we were left asking: Is there another option? But before we offer an answer, allow us to pose a more leading query: What, exactly, do you plan on doing while blasting the latest (legal?) downloads? How you answer that will direct you to your own digital-music mecca...

Shake, Rattle, and Roll
If you aim for non-stop action, forego the traditional mp3 player and opt for one with flash memory, like Creative's MuVo Micro N200 ($99; www.creative.com). Unlike hard-drive-based mp3 players, which employ a buffer to prevent skipping but can't take rigorous movement, the MuVo, like other flash-based players, offers uninterrupted, skip-free playback whether you're sliding off a rail, pounding through the bumps, or accidentally falling off the chairlift. One AAA battery provides up to 15 hours of playtime, and the player is also equipped with an FM tuner, voice and FM recording, and "line-in" encoding that lets you connect to a CD player or any other music source to refresh your cache of songs. Its ultra-slim profile makes it an easy stowaway, and a 0.8-ounce weight will keep it from flopping about mid-trick. The downside—as with all flash-based players—is storage capacity. Memory sizes vary (as do color options), but the MuVo tops out at 1GB (400 to 500 songs). Not ideal for marathon treks into the downy backcountry, but well suited for daylong daredevil hucksters more concerned with reliable playback than access to their entire music library.

Record-Breaking Sound in an E.P.-CD-Sized Player
For the rest of us (read: the sane skiing and 'boarding set), Creative's Zen Micro ($250; www.creative.com) will inspire a snow-eating grin. The player's stats tell the tale: a 5GB hard drive with a storage capacity around 2,500 songs (the iPod Mini tops out around 1,000); a 12-hour rechargeable battery; an integrated FM radio with 32 presets; a built-in microphone for voice and FM recording; the ability to play mp3, WAV, and WMA files; and an address book, calendar, and to-do list that synchs up with Outlook. In short, the Zen Micro offers much more than you'll ever need while on the slopes, but its features definitely make this the go-to mp3 player for active-minded weeklong trips. As implied by the name, the Zen Micro is a 3.8-ounce, featherweight player, and its 3.3-inch-tall, 0.7-inch-thick body lets you clip it onto your belt or slip it into an upper-arm pocket for play-it, stow-it, forget-it freedom. A 20-minute buffer stores music to prevent in-action skipping and the collection of custom play lists, play modes, and a unique auto DJ function offer a wide array of playback options. The player comes in ten different colors, should you want your mp3 to match your ski parka, and the hi-fi headset provides some of the best sound I've ever heard coming out of a pair of ear-bud headphones. One snow-specific caveat, however: the vertical touch pad—an intuitive, pressure-sensitive navigation system—requires some serious dexterity if you're wearing gloves.