Now that the iPod mini has been released, reviews of Appleis new music player are starting show up. And the reviews are generally positive.

A review from Micheal Felberbraun of the Associated Press , appearing in the Holland Sentinel concludes:

If youire looking for a small, lightweight MP3 player to carry around with you to the gym, work, or anywhere you please, take a serious look at the mini. It offers a great amount of storage space in an adequate size -- I certainly donit have 1,000 songs that I listen to on a regular basis.

TechTVis James Kim, in his review of the iPod mini, says:

Like a $1,200 Chanel purse, the $249 iPod mini, in any one of its five colors, oozes posh. Its anodized aluminum body weighs 3.6 ounces and measures 2 inches wide, 3.6 inches tall, and only half an inch thick. While it may not look it at first glance, this baby feels so much smaller than big daddy iPod. Itis silky to the touch and fits wonderfully in your palm, the main reason for the premium price tag.

Price seems to be the biggest complaint about the iPod mini, so much so that, after listing all of the features he likes about the iPod mini, Mike Langberg, in his review titled Ipod Mini price detracts from benefits, wrote:

My only big complaint with the Mini is the price.

Appleis 15-gigabyte iPod sells for $299, offering almost four times the capacity for just $50 more; the 20-gigabyte model is $399 and a 40-gigabyte model is $499. My digital music library is now 8 gigabytes, so it wouldnit fit in the Mini. But it would fit in the 15-gigabyte model with lots of room to grow.

Competitors are pushing the price barrier even harder. The 15-gigabyte Dell Digital Music Player, for example, was on sale last week at $224, down from the regular $249. Creative Labs sells its 30-gigabyte Nomad Zen Extra for about $250.

And PCWorldis Alexandra Kranse offers a similar consensus in her review titled, First Look at Appleis IPod Mini:

At a mere 3.6 ounces and with 4GB, the $249 Mini is two ounces lighter than the 15GB model of the IPod. Itis also about a half inch shorter and thinner. Unfortunately, while it costs $50 less than the 15GB model of the larger IPod line, itis a bit pricey considering that with the larger IPod you get a much bigger hard drive for the money.

Still, by many accounts, the iPod mini was a hit this weekend. No doubt, more reviews will echo the sentiments expressed by the early reviewers: The iPod mini is very small, very cool, but could be cheaper.