portable player (wrong group perhaps?)

Dear technophiles,

This might be the wrong group to ask this question in, but i haven't found
another group to which i could post this question. please redirect me to the
appropriate NG if you believe this post belongs somewhere else.

i decided i wanted to ask for a hard-drive-provided portable music player
fpor christmas.

I initially thought of the new iPod Video 30G, which i can get for 379
canadian bucks. But i then thought to myself that this decision is certainly
inflenced by its cool looks and the overwhelming ads.... I want to free
myself as much as possible of the brainwashing to which are subjected all
westerners living in a city where iPod ads are as big as downtown
skyscrapers. I want to make a little more research and take an enlightened
decision so as to get the best "bang for my mom's buck" (is that expression
correct? i'm not a native english speaker...)

What i like about the new Video iPod: big capactiy (30G), very intuitive
interface (i really like the touch-wheel), docking station, miniature size.

What i don't like about the iPod: comes with a relatively big HD color
screen and is advertised as a music+video device, yet the video aspect of it
sucks in my opinion. It can only play uncommon video formats (.mp4, .mov --
NO DIVX, what a shame....) -- not very practical. i think i would be paying
for a HD screen that might not be very useful to me. plus it's so damn hip
it gets on my nerves.

anyway, what do you guys recommend? what's the device with best balance
between the following factors:
- storage: ~30G
- good interface
- good battery life,
- small size
- video (divx for sure) playback a plus but not necessary

thanks for your replies