Melbourne, Dec 5 : No matter how much hype surrounds a gadget, consumers’ opinions of the device would not be affected by the claims made by its creators, reveals an Aussie survey.

The survey conducted by PC Authority magazine involved 20,000 customers and ranked several hyped items last for reliability and service.

The survey, which lasted for a year named Sony mp3 Walkmans as the best music players, followed by iRiver and Samsung units.

However, despite all the hoopla surrounding Apple''s iPod range, it did not feature in the top three consumer favourites.

Apple had launched a massive marketing campaign promoting the 4th generation iPod nano, but still Sony''s mp3 players, with forgettable names such as "NWZE436FR", were favoured for their cheaper prices.

PC Authority editor Zara Baxter said the latest iPods were rated highly for reliability, but consumers were cunning enough to realise that other music players could do the same job for less money.

In fact, Apple''s much-hyped iPhone also missed out on the best Smartphone/PDA award, which was in turn given to Asus, followed by the BlackBerry the runner-up.

However, Apple was applauded for its MacBook laptop and PC range, with consumers happy with customer support and reliability.

Nikon won the award for best digital cameras, followed by Panasonic and Canon.

The best internet service provider award went to the relatively unknown Westnet, followed by Internode. (ANI)