Jakob Culver asked:




If you are thinking of buying a mp3 player there are many things that you should look into. There are many different brands and types of mp3 players available to you. You will want to get one within your price range, make sure that it holds a reasonable amount of songs for the price you are paying and you will also want to look into what features the player has.

There are three categories when it comes to mp3 players. Flash based players, hard drive based players and mp3 CDs.

Flash based players are the most compact players on the market. There is a memory chip built right in and there are no moving parts. These are perfect for joggers, and other people that move around a lot. These tend to be more costly than most other mp3 players because of it is based off of megabyte and storage.

Hard drive based players use a 1.8 hard disk to store your music. The hard drive players can store a huge amount of music since most come with a 20 GB storage capacity. If you can’t seem to get enough music then the hard drive player is really good for you.

Mp3 CD’s is where you burn your music onto a disc. Instead of like a normal burn where you get and average of 15 songs you can get somewhere between 150-200 mp3′s on one disc. You have to be careful with these discs because if you should scratch or bump it then it will skip a lot and then it wasn’t really worth the burn.

This is just basic knowledge of the three categories. Take a look around online and goto electronic stores to get more information if you are seriously considering buying an mp3 player.

Kathleen

megan asked:


I’m a student in high school and our school has a rule against listening to ipods, mp3 players, etc during school time hours. I personally feel that listening to music helps me to concentrate during homework and think it would be the same for classwork. Music helps me to block out noisy people during class. What are your thoughts on this?

Julio

Lizzie asked:


I’m looking for a new mp3 player (right now I have a Zen V Plus) that has great to outstanding sound quality, long battery life, is reasonably priced, and “nice looking.” I’m looking for an 8 GB to 16 GB and would prefer to stay away from Ipod but hey who knows. So what would you reccomend?

Billy

Roberto Sedycias asked:




Mp3 player is a small sized, portable, digital audio player, which is used to play audio files. It also stores and organizes files stored in it. It can be attached to earphones for flawless listening of music for an individual and can also be attached to external speakers for group listening.

Types of mp3 players:

Various types of players are available in the market. The main types are: memory flash, hard drive based players and mp3 CD players.

The flash based players come with an inbuilt flash memory chip. They are very small, portable and are not disturbed by movements. Their memory ranges from 32MB to 2GB and the cost of the player depends upon their storage capacity. The Creative Muvo, the iRiver iFP and the Apple iPod shuffle are few very popular brands of under Flash based category.

Hard drive based mp3 players are most useful for storing tons of music as they come with a 1.8 inch hard disk drive to store music. The disks have a very high capacity of about 10 GB and more. Since the hard disk drive has moving parts, this type of player is not advisable for use during physical activities or sports as there is a chance of the moving parts getting damaged. Apple iPod is one of the most fast selling players under this category.

Mp3 players with micro hard drives are the latest trend amongst all. They come with a much smaller hard disk drive with ample storage capacity of about 4 to 5 GB. The micro hard disk drive enable them to have a more compact and handy design. Few fast selling models under this category are the Creative Zen Micro, Apple Ipod mini and the Rio Carbon.

Mp3 CD Player looks like a regular CD player. Up to 150 mp3 songs can be stored in one disk and played on the CD-MP3 player. They usually come in a large size, which is not so handy and portable.

Features of mp3 player – considerations before buying:

Storage capacity: If only few or limited songs are required to be stored then a flash based mp3 player will be sufficient, but if a whole library of songs is needed then a hard disk based mp3 player should be selected. Some players also come with expansion slots for enhanced storage capacity.

Weight and size: For sporting activities and traveling a small compact player should be preferred and for this purpose a flash based player or a micro hard drive player will be best suited.

Connectivity: Computer connectivity is a very important factor to be considered while buying an mp3 player. Compatibility to high-speed USB transfers is an added advantage while considering options before any purchase.

Life of the battery: It is an important feature while traveling with an mp3 players to places where there is no easy access to recharge the batteries. There are some flash players, which offers AAA battery support that is suitable while traveling as batteries can be replaced when they run out. Hard disk players generally support lithium batteries that are rechargeable with electric power.

Specifications regarding files supported: It is advisable to check the specs regarding support to variety of music files such as WMA and OGG Vorbis.

Built in FM tuner and recorder are other options available with the mp3 players. While all the considerations are important, the price and usage consideration has to be taken care of in all the options.

Cory

John Dow asked:




MP3 players come in many different shapes, sizes, and features. Every major manufacturer usually has multiple models that are designed to highlight some special purpose or particular use. And then of course you have the color coordinated and designer models. What started out as a simple way to take your music with you has turned into an industry.

The amount of models and price ranges are staggering. After the major brands you have as many or more knock off brands that try to emulate the big sellers. These knock offs and me too models look the same but may not have the quality or the reliability of the name brands. But for half the cost, many are willing to take the chance.

One of the most popular uses of an MP3 Player is while people exercise. There are many models and accessories available to attach the units like arm and wristbands, clips, and belt holders. Earphones come in all shapes, sizes, and styles to help hold them on when you are exercising. But some manufacturers take it to the next level with specially designed models.

One of the best I’ve seen for exercising with some special features is the HHS1A-2G sport by Haier. It comes with a built-in pedometer and heart-rate monitor, water resistant design, and workout and calorie tracking software. The Haier player comes with 2 GB of memory, armband, earphones, and USB cable. It retails for around $50.

If you don’t want or need the pedometer or heart rate monitor and still want a small rugged MP3 player for exercising Sansa has a great one too. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is very inexpensive and a built-in belt-clip, a MicroSD card slot, a voice recorder, an FM tuner, 2 GB of memory, and weighs less than an ounce. The Sansa Clip+ retails for around $40.

There are also MP3 players that have special features that outperform the basic function. People who like to listen to their favorite radio station rather than recorded music have several models that have FM tuners. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ mentioned above does and offers good reception. The Creative Zen Mozaic has one of the best FM radio setups with great reception, autofind, and 10 preselects. Plus a voice recorder, built in speaker, and photo and video support. All these features for under $100 retail and 8 GB of memory too.

Another special purpose player that also comes with a very heavy dose of “cool” is the Oakley Split Thump sunglasses that offer wireless music by integrating a player into a compact and wearable design. Very good for all outdoor activities, the Split Thumps work with both Windows and Mac plus have up to 1 GB of memory. These stylish sunglasses come in several colors, polarized lenses, and typical 8 hours of battery life. The only real drawback is the price, around $200.

One of the most unusual and high tech specialty models I’ve ever seen are the SwiMP3 v2. The SwiMP3 V2 uses bone conduction technology rather than plugging in earphones. It consists of two “earpieces,” which are attached by a cord that loops around the back of the neck or on to goggles if you wear them for swimming. You just affix them to your cheekbones where vibrations from the player are resonated from the cheekbone to your inner ear. You will get some strange looks since if you wear goggles and a swim cap these devices make you look just like an alien. Not for the bashful or easily embarrassed. The memory is only 256 Megs but how many laps are you going to swim? These units retail for around $120.

So if you have a special need or want a particular feature or function, check out some of the models mentioned above. There are a vast amount of choices for MP3 players and many are designed for specific activities or functions. So next time you’re in the market for a new MP3 player for exercising or outdoor activities, do a little research and I’ll bet you can find one that is designed for exactly what you want.

Charlene

Michael Paul Jr asked:




If you’re having a difficult time deciding on the right MP3 player for you or a family member, don’t fret. I know how you feel. And I’m here to help. I’ve put together this buying guide for MP3 players to help you decide which player best suits your needs. Over the coming days, you and I will cover everything you need to know and make the right decision for you and contrary to what my regular readers may already be thinking, that choice might not automatically be an iPod.

Before we start talking about specific models, let’s begin our discussion by covering all of the different types of players. Each type will have different benefits for you, and have its own drawbacks as well. But with the many different types of MP3 players available, you’re sure to find one to suit your needs.

One more note of interest, most MP3 players will play other formats. These formats include but are not limited to WMA, OGG, AAC, and others.

Hard Drive based players

If you’re the type of person that has to have a manor house in the British countryside to house your collection of records and CDs (yes, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is that person), you’ll probably need a hard drive based MP3 player. Hard drives at this point in time run anywhere from 20GB up to 80GB in the current top of the line iPod model. That 80GB will let you pack around about 25,000 songs in your pocket on average, which is much better than packing around that many CDs worth of songs.

Pros: All of your music is with you everywhere you go. Many of these bigger players also offer video capability and are far cheaper per gigabyte than the smaller models. Hard drive players give you the best bang for your buck in the overall scheme of things.

Cons: Since these players have basically a laptop hard drive in them, they are bigger and heavier than the rest. Hard drives have to spin to read the information, which means moving parts, which means less battery life. The batteries for these players generally require you to send them back to the manufacturer if they need to be replaced as well.

Micro Hard Drive based players

These players are the in-betweeners. These models offer the best of both worlds by using a smaller hard drive than their big brothers with a larger capacity than many of the Flash based players. Players such as many of the Creative products can’t store as much as the big iPod, but they are a lot lighter.

Pros: Smaller and lighter than full hard drive based players. Song capacity is higher than many flash based players for the same price.

Cons: Many of the same drawbacks as their larger cousins. Moving parts make for shorter battery life than smaller, flash based players. Also, any player with a hard drive inside is not the best choice if you plan on taking your tunes along with you to the gym. You don’t want to jar that hard drive around while you’re doing that last mile on the treadmill.

Flash memory based players

Flash memory based players originated the craze. Long before the iPod, small flash based players were available from Creative, SanDisk and other manufacturers. Ranging in size from the 512MB player from SanDisk and the 1GB iPod Shuffle, to the 8GB iPod Nano. Flash players provide the most versatility in design and choice.

Pros: Tiny. Miniscule. Ridiculously small. Take a look at the newest iPod Shuffle. It’s as small as a matchbook. And forget about moving parts. There are none. These players are solid-state, so you can move and jump and hop around all you like, these guys don’t care.

Cons: Flash based players are the most expensive per-gigabyte of any player. And some of us with fat fingers and bear paws for hands have a hard time using the controls.

MP3 CD

The CD player still lives, but now you can burn a disc with MP3s and carry about 10 times the amount of songs on a disc as a traditional player. And you can still play standard CDs as well.

Pros: Cheapest way to go for most folks.

Cons: Big, bulky, ugly, totally not cool. CDs are so dull and boring at this point. Resort to this choice only if you wish to have no social life whatsoever. Just walk into a room with one of these guys strapped to your side and listen for the snickers to begin.

Clinton

HelloKitty! asked:


My little step brother has a Ben 10 MP3 player, and i’ve just put songs on it, but it doesnt show any of them that i put on. How many songs maximum can you put on them. Because it will help, seeing as i will then know whether i put them on wrong, or it just has no more room? Thanks!

Randy

Sarah Nabila asked:




There are different types of Mp3 Players, which include hard-drive based players, flash based players, micro hard-drive based players, Mp3 CD players and many others. Their separation is solely based on different features each player contain. In few players, there are built-in flash memories and few do not have. There are many players, which have options of CD playable disc and there are many, which do not have any such option. Here we will present detailed specifications of three players for you so that it becomes easy for you to choose according to your need.

In hard-drive based Mp3 player, you will find 1.8-inch disk drive in order to store music. In this player, you have many advantages like you can store huge amount of space in it. So it is best choice for those, who want to store large amount of collection of their personal choice with them. You should remember one thing in your mind while buying this player that it has moving parts so it will be difficult for you to listen music during sports. In these players, there comes another type, which is known as micro-hard drive based player. In micro drive, you will have less space as compare to hard drive player but higher than flash player.

Flash Based Mp3 Players are the minutest and compact in size players among other players. In them, there is built-in flash memory chip. It has advantage that it has no moving part and you can listen music while playing any sports. But they are expensive as compare to other players. In them, popular brands are iRiver, iPod Shuffle series, Creative Muvo and iFP series.

There is another type of player, which is Mp3 CD disk in it you can store the large music collection of your personal choice. It has the capacity to contain 150-200 mp3s, which will be placed in a CD player, which will play it. So now it is up to your choice which one player is suitable for you to buy.

Lynn