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So you are ready to purchase one of the most, if not the most, popular electronic devices available today, whose sole purpose is to entertain us whenever and wherever, we choose. Of course, I'm talking about one of the lifelines for the younger set, but also some baby boomers as well. It's called an MP3 / MP4 player, and in addition to the cell phone we all know and love, it is transforming our lives and how we listen to music, watch video, listen to the radio etc.
Many of us have MP3 or MP4 players or a combination of the two. However, a good portion of the world has yet to partake in the excitement and fascinating possibilities that abound when you can listen to any song or watch any video you choose with the click of a button without putting in a clumsy cassette tape that can get chewed up, a CD which can get broken or a DVD that can get scratched. We're talking about digital music and video that is precise, compact, portable and can be downloaded or played anywhere…even under water.
Now comes the million-dollar question. Which brand MP3, MP4 or combination player should you buy? You probably see advertisements all over the place for brand name players, but if you buy these brands, you are also helping to pay for their massive advertising bill. Therefore, it can make the brand name player more expensive. You are also paying for the prestige of owning a brand name player and the name recognition that comes with it. If you can get a brand name player at a good price, by all means consider it. However, with manufacturers using the same parts these days, don't overpay for a brand name MP3 player.
Something interesting began occurring about fifteen years ago. Electronics started becoming more of a commodity to be bought and thrown away after a few years rather than being purchased and expected to last 10 to 20 years like older electronics. A change occurred in the early 90's when component prices kept dropping because of demand and technological advances. It was suddenly more profitable for electronics manufacturers to make electronic devices with cheaper, less durable parts and price them to appeal to more people's “buy” price point. They figured with luck, some electronics would last as long as people expected and for those who weren't lucky, the cost to purchase a new device was not prohibitive, and was usually less than what they had paid a few years prior. This game continues today with most electronics, including portable MP3 players and MP4 players.
Therefore, if you aren't married to a distinct, proprietary system, you should look at purchasing the least expensive MP3, MP4 or combination player available that meets your requirements and expectations. It just may turn out that brand name players are as competitive as the generic brands in some cases, but more likely than not, your choice may be a generic brand you have not heard of before. The way electronics are made these days, (to last 2 to 5 years) you are better off going generic since the cost is often much less. Certainly brand name MP3 or MP4 players at the same relative price point are fine, but there is no sense paying $100 or more for the more recognized names when the manufacturers of these electronic devices are all using the same parts.