The first new release, Rio Nitrus, looks like a real contender. Like Apple's player, the Nitrus stores tunes on a small hard drive. The Rio is more compact and runs longer on a single battery charge. And its sound quality is excellent.

But Nitrus doesn't recapture the music player crown for Rio. The sleek black gadget is too pricey, its software lackluster and hard drive too skimpy for the price. It simply doesn't offer as much bang for the buck as the iPod, which itself isn't cheap.

At just 2 ounces, Nitrus is slightly easier to handle than the 5.6-ounce iPod, and, shaped roughly like a wedge, it easily slides into a pocket. Still, button placement on the iPod is easier on the hand, while those on the Nitrus seem randomly scattered on the sides and front.

Rio has always had one of the most intuitive and clean user interfaces. The Nitrus is no exception '” once you figure out the gadget's button scheme.

Once the music was loaded, the Nitrus ran continuously on its rechargeable battery for 13 hours '” three hours shorter than advertised but about five hours longer than the latest iPods. Thanks to a 16 megabyte memory buffer, it never missed a beat, even at the gym.

Five years ago, Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. invented the portable digital music player with its Rio 300. The recording industry failed to bring it down with a lawsuit. It survives today despite the mismanagement and neglect of its former parent companies.

Now, its new owner seems serious about reinvigorating the brand, and a half dozen more Rio models are slated to be launched in the coming weeks. The Nitrus is a good start and would be a competitor if its software were more fully developed and its price cut in half.