The choice of mp3 players is growing before our eyes. Their generations replace one another, the devices become smaller and smaller in size while their memory expands. The recipe for dream player is actually simple, but it requires the professional approach: a minor mistake may spoil the entire product. Blend voice recorder, radio set and audio file player (the more formats it supports the better) and then add as much built-in memory as possible on “never too much of a good thing” principle. Pour the mixture into small spiffy moulds and sprinkle it with buttons and connectors.

Now that we know the ingredients for the stuffing we can examine some crucial points. The increase of memory capacity presents some challenges as to compatibility of players with USB 2.0. Active lifestyle requires some kind of time management, and one just cannot spend hours waiting for half gigabyte file to upload to player.

Do not forget also about convenience delivered by handy controls and standard USB ports. It is really inconvenient to carry all those connection cables with you, so you may want to choose the model with either standard USB slot or Mini-USB.

When choosing a player one should take into account some factors that are crucial to its performance.

Certainly, the first important factor is playback quality. It does not differ much in various pocket mp3 players offered today. However, some models perform better than others. Remember also that audio quality depends to great extent on the headphones, and not only on the player itself.

The second characteristic to be taken into account when selecting an mp3 player is the menu friendliness and available settings. It is important that user can change settings on the move.

Multi-purposeness and command processing speed are also of great importance. It would be ideally for user to upload and copy the files using one player.

Lastly, additional functions and value for money criterion should be assessed. Not everyone needs FM-radio or voice recorder, so why pay for the functions you are not going to use?