Leander Kahney on the seductive power, the irresistible "buy me" vibes of the iPod mini:

The previous three generations of the iPod, each smaller and silkier than the last, were merely prototypes for the mini.

Who cares if the 15-GB iPod costs just $50 more? Everyone interviewed at Macworld who had seen the mini had been charmed by its glamour. The specs didn't matter; they had to have one, and the cost be damned.

That's why competing players like Dell's DJ, Archos' Jukebox or Creative's MuVo2 stand little chance of unseating the iPod as the top player on the market: None is as cool, as slick, as pleasurable to hold, use or listen to as the iPod mini.