I think I kind of killed my iPod's (classic, 5th gen.) battery by waiting until the battery died to recharge it. Today I noticed that I'd only listened to it for a total of about 1 and a half hours, but the battery was already down to half.

So, I'm guessing that I need to start considering getting a new mp3 player and I'm kind of wanting to shy away from Apple now. I want something cheaper, but still good. I also want it to be able to hold at least 15GB or so.

Any suggestions?

I was in a similar situation to you a while ago, except i didn't have an iPod to begin with. A site that Bob pointed out that is extremely useful is this:

http://anythingbutipod.com/

I got an iriver clix 2, only 8GB but i like reorganizing my songs on it. Nice interface. But how much are you willing to spend? Obviously the top end is the Archos 5, but there are lots of alternatives.

I have a friend with a Creative Zen, which after playing around with, I've come to like in addition to the iPod.

http://us.creative.com/products/product.as...p;product=17811

Here's my top choices (besides all the screened iPods, which are undeniably the best )

Microsoft Zune

Pros

Good audio quality
Wireless syncing and sharing (although sharing expires withing a small designated timezone
FM radio
Large screen for video

Cons

Battery life isn't the greatest, but it'll get you by
The only audio-market option is the Zune Market (and there's a huge reason why I think iPods are the best: iTunes)

Sony NWZ-S738F Walkman (8GB, black)

Pros

Sleek, pocket-enabled designed
Good headphones
Noise cancelation button
Time machine shuffle (plays streaming songs from the radio from the suffled year)

Cons

High price ($179 for not the largest amount of memory (8GB)
Small screen

Creative has some really great players, and I especially like the bigger +3" screen ones, and the super mini ones like the stone.

You should get the refurbished 30 GB Creative Zen Vision : M. It might be not the smallest player around, but it's one of the bests .
Nevermind, for $40 more you get a 16 GB Zen X-fi with a pair of $80 earphones. You don't really need 30 GB.

my mom has a Zune that works really well

Different kinds of Zunes
they are kind of expensive if you have tons of music but you can get a "Zune Pass" and get unlimited music for only $15 a month.

With the iPod - they can be sometimes quite deceiving, I'd put it on a full charge for a day, and then just listen to it for as long as you can, they last longer than you think... You could always get a new battery.

Not being an Apple Fanboy, just choosing cheaper options.