These days mp3 players are all the rage and consumers are lining up to take advantage of this latest evolution in music technology. But there are already lots of portable mp3 players on the market and many don't understand what to look for when they buy an mp3 player. So here are a few things you need to understand before you buy:
Essentially there are four kinds of mp3 players on the market, and they are most easily grouped by their ability to store the digital sound files. Also keep in mind that "mp3" has come to represent all digital sound file formats, and the most common is the WMA format. But here are the various kinds of mp3 players available:
1. Flash memory mp3 players - These tend to be the smallest and lightest of the bunch. They use flash memory to store songs with 128MB on up to 1GB of storage. Basically 256MB can hold about 60 songs, so flash memory players are best for folks who will use their player on short trips or excursions. They are also great for joggers and exercisers since there are no moving parts that can get damaged by the constant movement.
2. Micro-drive mp3 players - These use very small hard drives to store song data, and they usually come in around 4GB to 6GB in storage space. Because they use a hard drive they can be damaged if dropped, so that is a consideration, but they do offer much more storage capacity than the flash memory models.
3. Hard drive mp3 players - These tend to have the highest capacity, but also the largest size of all mp3 players. Since they have 20GB to 30GB of storage space they can hold unusually large amounts of songs, perhaps even a person's entire song collection. The trade-off is the size and weight, although it is not a major consideration. However, keep in mind that hard drives can be easily damaged if handled roughly.
4. CD players with mp3 capability - CD players have been around for quite a while now and most people are very familiar with them. Many newer models now have the ability to play mp3 files that are recorded onto CDs from your home computer. They have no storage capacity of their own, but they can play mp3 files on your own CDs. They of course are limited in size by the CD itself, but can provide low cost mp3 listening if someone is looking for very cheap portable mp3 players.
Any of the above choices will let you listen to clean, clear, digital sound files. The main differences have to do with how you plan on using the player to listen to your music, and how much music you want to have available at one time. You should now understand what kind of mp3 players are available, so a good strategy would be to check with some of the best mp3 player reviews online and choose the one that will most likely fit your needs best.
Maybe you work out and need something small and skip-proof for running or lifting. Or maybe you have an 4 hour (or longer) plane ride when you go home and need to pass the time. Maybe you want a new one just for having a new one. Whatever it is, this article may help you select.
First, for those of you who want something for working out: The two most important things to look for are size/weight and RAM, things CD-players don't have. You want something that you can clip to your shorts or strap to your arm that won't interfere with your training, and you want it to be so light that you don't even notice it. (Tip: Get a lithium ion battery to save even more weight.) To be sure that your player will not skip if you move too much or too fast, get one with solid state internal Flash memory, which has no moving parts so it can't skip. These are available as 1GB to 16 GB models, with a 1 GB model holding several hours of music. Prices typically range from $20 to $600.
On the other hand, you may want to store all 16,000 songs in your music collection on your mp3 player so you don't hear the same song twice. In this case you need a hard drive based mp3 player, commonly known as an mp3 jukebox, for which you could pay up to $800 . It will be a little bigger and heavier than and not quite as durable as a RAM (flash RAM) mp3 player, but that is not an issue if you just want to sit and listen to your music. And they are still far more portable than the old CD player.
Torn between a small, light, flash RAM mp3 player and a hard drive based player that holds thousands of tunes? Well, the iPod Mini may be your choice! The iPod Mini is just one model in a breed of small hard drive mp3 players. They are a little lighter and smaller than other hard drive players, and hold more songs than the average flash RAM mp3 players. (Did I mention the iPod comes in several color variations?) That's it for the main differences, but here are some more issues you should look for when making a purchase: battery life, an FM tuner, voice recorder, an big screen, and compatibility with your computer.
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