I was curious as to what the situation is in other countries, because with the 4G iPod Apple has the most competitive pricing in the UK:
Rio Karma 20Gb £249.99
iRiver IHP 120 20Gb £249.99
iPod 20Gb £219.00
I think Creative with their brick like players are cheaper, but Apple seems to have finally got the concept of 'lower price=more appealing to consumers'.
Interesting also is that in the UK, the Creative Muvo 2 1.5Gb is the same price give or take a few pounds as the iPod mini.
How are things where you are?