Thinking of Getting a New MP3 Player

I have been needing a new mp3 player for a while now. I currently have an ipod nano 4g 16gb which I am fine with but I need much more memory because I have closer to 30gb of music.

Things I am looking for in a mp3 player:
-greater than 16gb of music, 32gb might do but more is better
-not an ipod, I really don't like itunes and I prefer a mini usb to the ipod cable
-sd card slot, expandability is nice but not necessary at all
-compact size, I run with my ipod so I prefer a smaller mp3 player but a physically larger mp3 player would not be the
end of the world
-I don't want a touch screen or unnecessary apps, but again not the end of the world if it has them
-I really don't want a hard disk mp3 player because it seems less reliable
-best performance for the price of course

I am planning on buying a new mp3 player on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday depending on prices and what is available. I can't really say what my budget is because the sales will change everything, but I prefer to spend less but am willing to spend more if it is worth the money.

Thanks for any suggestions.

The current Sonys are very nicely made, simple to use and support folders. Battery life good too

I have one of the cheapos and I'm impressed having used players by Philips and Apple before. Sony are determined to win back the crown they once held in portable players and seem to have realised that Apple's weak point is the detestable iTunes.

So no more nasty proprietary systems with Sony. Now, if they'll just get rid of the proprietary connector.

How about an 8Gb Sansa Clip+ and a 32Gb Micro SDHC card? You could save some money by just getting a stack of 8Gb ones and swapping out when you want a change. I just picked up a 4Gb one for £25 and an 8Gb card for £7. The 8Gb Clip+ is about £37 and places like mymemory are doing 3 for 2 deals on cards.

It's not a Cowon but it's super small and the sound quality is really rather nice.