It seems like every few months there is another mp3 player available for purchase. How on earth should you decide which product is right for you? Having a basic understanding of the similarities and differences between the major products is an important first step to choosing the best one to suit your needs.
It is important before you begin looking at specific models to understand the types of mp3 players that are available, and the pros and cons to each type of device.
Hard drive-based players
Hard drive-based players come with huge storage. For the average user, it would be hard to run out of space, even if you have every song you have ever ripped from a CD or purchased from the Internet and downloaded to the player. These players have at least a 20GB hard drive, and larger players, such as the Apple ipod, come with 80GB of storage, which, according to Apple’s Web site, equals about 20,000 songs, or even the 160GB iPod, which stores around 40,000 songs. Microsoft’s Zune is also a hard drive-based player with a large storage capacity up to 80GB.
The best part about these players is they store all your music on one device, plus they usually have the most features, larger screens and are the most intuitive to use. The higher storage capacity is usually the best value for your money, but your choice should not be made solely on this. The worst part of these players is they are heavier and are not ideal for exercising with them. You may also need to have the battery replaced in a few years, and you cannot do this repair yourself. These players also contain moving parts and are therefore susceptible to breaking.
Micro hard drive-based players
These players fall somewhere between the full-sized, hard drive player and compact, flash-based players. Their aim is to give consumers a little of both worlds by using a much smaller hard drive that in turn holds less information. The iPod Nano and smaller Zune players fit into this category.
What are they good for? Since they hold less music and video than the hard-drive based models, they are smaller and lighter and perfect for the user on the go. The downside is you get a lot less storage space for your money, as well as the same issues with the rechargeable battery that may need to be replaced in the future and the moving parts.
Flash-based players
These are the original mp3 players with no moving parts and are known to be shockproof and very compact. They have much smaller storage, ranging from 512MB to 8GB.
The pros to this player are simple. They are tiny, plus with no moving parts, their batteries last longer and there is less risk of damage when using them during a higher impact activity. The worst part of these players is also simple, they hold a lot less music and video.
For most players, there are software applications available to rip music from CDs you already have, as well as downloading music online. The Apple iPod requires users to use their music download platform iTunes to put songs onto the iPod, as it uses a different file format that iTunes will automatically convert music to.
MP3 players are one of the most useful advances in technology today. They allow consumers to listen to music on a relatively small device, as well as watch movies, TV shows and other videos on the go. With careful research and evaluation of your personal needs, finding a mp3 player to suit your lifestyle is easy.