I second the
Zune HD as a replacement player. The inexpensive MP3 players will always have very light options. The Zune HD currently has the most useful features: onboard FM and HD radio, HD video out, wireless syncing, sharing and purchasing (no more digging for or untangling that USB cable and being glued to a computer), and much more, including shuffling by several properties and adding to a shuffled playlist on-the-fly.
The Zune Pass is also a great way to find new music, as it let's you listen to an unlimited amount of full songs per month for about the cost of a CD, not just unrepresentative preview clips.