Unless someone is selling a solid gold brick at $200, then no unit is competition for the iPod. There simply isn't any other company in the game right now with the same marketing clout as Apple.
The creative unit looks decent, but it's no iPod. It may very well have a number of bells and whistles over top of the current market leader as well as a longer battery life, but you have to admit obvious copy-cat traits. One thing they're a bit behind on is the fact they're still copying from the OLD iPods in at least one area. USB connection on the top... Yuck.
It's all about a multi-function docking connection on the bottom. That's one thing that makes the current iPod so accessory friendly.
Bruno