New MP3 player takes aim at iPod Mini

• Apple's IPod used to be the benchmark for portable MP3 players, but now everyone seems to be gunning for the IPod Mini.
• Joining competitors like the Rio Carbon and the Creative Zen Micro is IRiver's $280 H10.
• The highlight of the H10 is an attractive 1.5-inch display that, combined with an improved hardware-and-software interface, makes the player a joy to use.
• Navigating your music library is easy with the touch-sensitive slider control, and IRiver has wisely abandoned the oversimplified folder structure that it used on previous hard drive players.
• Now you can easily browse by artist, album, genre, or song title.
• The player lets you add individual songs (but not albums or artists) to an on-the-go playlist called QuickList.
• I imagine that most people will prefer to create playlists on their PC and sync them to the device.
• The H10 does more than play music: You can also listen to and record FM radio, record audio with a built-in microphone, display text files, and even view JPG photos.
• Since the H10 lacks a video output, you can't display those images on a TV as you can with the IPod Photo; and if you want to move the photos to another PC, you'll have to carry around the proprietary USB and power connector.
• The H10's battery is replaceable and rechargeable (IRiver offers an optional second battery for $40 more).
• The company rates the battery's run time between charges at about 12 hours.
• Rounding out the package is an exceptionally functional case that protects the unit's elegant finish (it's available in silver, blue, red, and gray).
• The translucent, rubbery case has a great feel and fits snugly around the player while leaving the screen visible and all the player's controls accessible.
• So how does the H10 match up to the IPod Mini?