Last night, at a full-capacity CNET Networks Arena, the Apple iPod (20GB) and the Creative Zen Touch (20GB) battled it out in pursuit of that most celebrated title among MP3 Players: The Heavyweight Champion of MP3.com. This division is comprised of hard drive players that hold anywhere from 10GB to 60GB of music. Since they're the biggest players in terms of both size and capacity, we call them "heavyweights." This highly anticipated match features two titans that both weigh in at 20GB (the most common capacity among hard drive players these days).

The Zen Touch stepped into the ring looking tough (and heavy), while the svelte iPod remained cool and confident. This was a tight match; however, only one player remained standing in the end. For the blow-by-blow breakdown, check the ratings and commentary of our panel of expert judges. If you want to skip the mumbo jumbo and find out who won, scroll to the bottom.

Let's get ready to rumble! Ding ding.

Here judges rate the players’ size and hardware, such as headphone jacks. Our individual judge ratings are based on a 0 to 5 point scale, which results in a final score of 0 to 15.

Here's where we examine the menu navigation, ID tag management, playlists, and volume-control accessibility.

In round 3, we ask ourselves "How cool do I feel with this player?" This is where we focus on the players' design.

This is a subjective take on its compatibility with software and music services we like to use.

This round considers its cost. This is for its individual value, all things considered.

In this final round we measure the internal workings such as sound quality, battery life and any other wonders of science.

The Zen Touch took some hard hits in the early, design-oriented rounds. Although it earned high points in terms of cost and compatibility, the judges commented that its bulkiness and overly sensitive scroll pad were the detrimental factors. In the end, the iPod lived up to the hype and took the title by a mere 3 points… And, therefore, it currently holds the MP3.com Heavyweight Championship belt.

Total points:
Apple iPod: 72
Creative Zen Touch: 69

Winner: Apple iPod

This was a close match indeed. In retrospect, this match could have gone either way, which shows us that the competition for the iPod is not far behind.

For more information on these players, check out our full reviews here - iPod and Zen Touch. Stay tuned for our Flash Player Bout... Coming soon to a computer near you.

Let's meet the judges...

Eliot Van Buskirk has reviewed MP3 players for CNET since the first one came out back in 1998. His book of digital music tutorials is called Burning Down the House: Ripping, Recording, Remixing, and More!. His last story was Free MP3s from the Creative Commons.

Jasmine France is an Assistant Editor for digital audio at CNET. Of the seemingly endless array of products that pass through her hands, only the strong survive. Her last review was for the M-Audio Oxygen8.

Peter Gavin is an Associate Editor at MP3.com. When he's not reviewing digital music and MP3 players, he produces his own tunes under the alias of Moped. His last article was Player Bout: iPod Mini vs. Rio Carbon.

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