The shuffle is the smallest and is good for things like going to the gym and running but doesn't have a UI and has limited storage. The nano is also nice and is rather small as well, but has a nice screen and 4GB or 8GB of storage. The classic has the most storage with up to 160GB of disk space. For the latest and greatest in features, the touch is similar to the iPhone and has a cool interface and 8GB or 16GB of storage. The prices for iPods are rather fixed and don't vary too much from place to place. You might find them for $5 or so less than MSRP. Just check Apples site for all the prices: http://www.apple.com . For a general purpose mp3 player, I'd get a nano unless you need a ton of storage, then get a classic. If you want to do other stuff with it, like browse the web, then get the touch. Sorry for all the info, but the best one for you depends on how you are going to use it.

I'm not sure if you asked to recommend any mp3 player or just an iPod, so I'll assume you meant any mp3. Depending how much space you need you should look into an iPod, as previously mentioned, or a Zune because both of these brands have a great range like 4gb, 8gb, 40gb, 80gb, etc. The new Zunes are beautiful and they're a refreshing change from the iPod. I plan on buying the 80gb Zune in the near future. I don't think the iPod touch is a good investment because it's way too expensive, it's the same as the iPhone EXCEPT YOU DON'T GET THE PHONE!!! Mind as well buy the iPhone and unlock it.

The difference between them is the amount of space (4gb, 30gb) nowadays they come with color (more money). Then its the features; do you want video/movies capability? Iphone has everything. Real internet, 8gb is enough space for me, music/movies/video/Utube. Even Touch comes with most features. If you dont need all the bells and whistles just go for a nice $20 mp3 fm radio player that should hold a gig of memory. Shop around.

The shuffles are like $100 new, if you can find a bigger one for that much it's a good deal. (assume you're looking at ebay and stuff?)