mp3 player choice

MP3 player choice

Finding the perfect MP3 player is harder than you'd think. Considerations of size, color, capacity, features, price, and
compatibility, all need to be weighed before making a decision. Unfortunately, there's no perfect MP3 player for everyone.
Even the most popular MP3 player option, Apple's iPod, is offered in a dizzying amount of colors, sizes, and configurations.

In this buying guide, we'll broadly define the two types of MP3 players on the market, and spend the following pages
explaining what features to look for, different uses to consider, music compatibility, and the kinds of accessories you may want
to purchase in addition to your music player.

First, let's look at the differences between hard-drive MP3 players and Flash-based
models.

Hard-drive-based players

Most likely, a high-capacity player can accommodate every song you've ever purchased or ripped from a CD. Hard drives run
from 20GB on up, and large players such as the 120GB Apple iPod Classic can hold about 30,000 songs.

Hard drive MP3 players such as the Microsoft Zune can hold a luxurious amount of music and video.

Pros: They store all your music on one device. They also tend to have more features and larger screens and are overall
easier to use. High-capacity players give you the best bang for your buck in terms of price per gigabyte (for example, $250
120GB iPod versus $200 for 16GB iPod Nano).

Cons: These players are usually built around a 1.8-inch hard drive; thus, they are larger and heavier than the others. Also,
hard drives have moving parts, so these players aren't ideal for strenuous physical activity. Finally, most use rechargeable
batteries (usually lasting 9 to 45 hours per charge) that you can't replace yourself, so after several years, you might have to
pay for a new model or pay to get the battery replaced.

Flash-based players

The original MP3 player design, these have no moving parts and are known for their shockproof operation and ultracompact
dimensions. Devices range in capacity from 512MB to 32GB. SanDisk's MP3 line, for example, includes exclusively flash-based players.

Flash memory-based MP3 players such as the iRiver Clix have exploded in popularity in the past few years.
Pros: Flash-based players are tiny. They also have no moving parts, so their batteries last longer, and you can jog, snowboard, or
bungee jump with them without causing skipping or damage. Many flash players include lots of extra features such as voice and line-in
recording.

Cons: The aforementioned extras can make flash players a bit harder to use, and they have the highest per-megabyte cost and max
out at 32GB.