* Easiest (of any DAP) to navigate and use - opinion, the HD5 is easy too. I've never liked the navigation on the iPod. Its not intuitive to me at all.
* FireWire connection for higher data transfer speeds, as well as USB - Firewire is fine, but everything does USB2 so who needs it. HDD is slower than the bus speed is anyway.
* Calendars - Don't care, got one on my phone if I need it, auto syncs with my PC
* Notes - such as map directions, news, weather - Wow, who cares
* Contact names, addresses, phone numbers etc - Yeah, how wonderful, I've got a phone that does all this far better, and syncs automatically whenever I'm in bluetooth range of my PC
* Alarms/clock - Erm, don't care and this feature is so totally worthless its not true. An alarm, on something that needs headphones? Okay if you have a dock, but I have an Alarm clock that cost me 50p 15 years ago (Its a Sony)
* Games - I could care less. Oh wait, no I couldn't. I don't want games, I have them on my mobile and NEVER use them.
* The best (of any DAP) software combination, in iTunes - This is just wrong, iTunes is hiedous, and even though I've tried hundreds of times, I can't get used to it. Its not as good as Winamp.
* The best integrated legal download service for music - Don't care, don't use music stores
* The best integrated legal download service for audiobooks - Don't care, music stores not important to me, would rather buy CD's than risk loosing everything.
* Use of many formats of music: AAC, protected AAC, audible, wav, as well as lossless (aiff and alac) - True, again the HD5 should support FLAC and WAV if you ask me
* Dock option for permanent connection and/or line out facilities - Don't care about a dock, I have line out so a simple cable is all I need
* Very wide range of third-party accessories - True, but I don't need much more than a remote and headphones. So, not a selling point for me
* Very wide range of third-party software to add extra features - True, big bonus over the Sony, but the iRiver's have similar support
* Colour screen - Don't care, don't need it
* Bigger screen - don't care, can read mine easily
* Optional 60Gb higher capacity model - true, but again, not an issue for me
* Displays album art while playing music - Nice, but not a huge issue
* Displays photos - don't care, got a pc
* AV port for external display of photos/album art on TV etc - nice toy, would never use it
* Can be used to give presentations - usless to me, and most people
* More stylish - although, of course, I appreciate this is only my opinion - IMHO its pig ugly.