Scott K asked:




So you’ve decided that you want a portable MP3 player to take your music collection with you. You hop online and search for MP3 players and discover that choosing an MP3 player is going to be more difficult than you thought. There are a myriad of options out there. First, the iPod which is the most popular option, second, the other brands of mp3 players that compete with the iPod (some well, some not), and then there’s phones and PDA’s that play mp3s. If you feel like you’ve gotten in over your head choosing an mp3 player, relax. I will give you 5 great tips to make choosing an mp3 player easy.

Choosing an MP3 Player Tip 1: Hard Drive vs. Flash Memory

The first thing to consider when choosing an MP3 player is the type of memory you need. Hard drive players store files on small hard disks just like your computer. The advantage to getting a hard drive player is the capacity is very large. MP3 players with 20, 30, 80, or 160 gigabytes (GB) can be had that store up to 25,000 songs! The disadvantage when choosing a hard drive MP3 player is that the hard drive has moving parts, whereas flash memory does not. These hard drives will war out faster than flash players (although hard drives will still last you several years), and they will skip if you bounce the player when using the player during jogging or other physical activities.

Flash memory players, as mentioned, do not have moving parts so are safe for workouts. They have smaller capacities than hard drive MP3 players, but they can be had cheaply with 1 GB of memory which can easily hold about 250 songs. The flash memory is also more compact than a hard drive, so flash players can be made much more compact and thinner than a hard drive player. When your choosing an MP3 player, consider size, amount of memory, and durability before you buy.

Choosing an MP3 Player Tip 2: Music Options

When you are choosing an MP3 player, you need to determine how you are going to get music on to your player. There are 4 major ways to get music onto your MP3 player:

1. Music software that comes with your player, including iTunes or the Zune Marketplace. You can buy songs online and add them to your player all in one convenient software package.

2. Independent music stores such as Amazon.com. You can buy songs at these stores and download them to your computer, where they can be added to your MP3 player.

3. Subscription music such as Rhapsody or Napster. For a low monthly fee, you can have unlimited music downloads. Some players do not support this, so make sure yours does.

4. Rip music off of CDs you already own.

When choosing an MP3 player, make sure your preferred method of getting music is supported.

Choosing an MP3 Player Tip 3: Photo and Video Options

If you want to watch movies or view photos on your player, consider choosing an MP3 player with a large color screen. Even a small increase in screen size on a compact device can make it alot easier to view photos or videos on your player. Also, if you like movies, choose a hard drive MP3 player because movie files are very large.

Choosing an MP3 Player Tip 4: User Interface and Other Features



It is very important to take a look at the user interface when you are choosing an MP3 player. Try to pick up the player and navigate the menus to get a feel for how easy it is to find your songs or media. If you are buying online, try to read some thorough reviews to get a feel for how easy the player is to operate. This is a major source of customer dissatisfaction, so don’t overlook it.

MP3 players also come with many extra features, such as Wi-Fi syncing or FM radio. When you are choosing an MP3 player, shop around to get a feel of what types of features are offered.

Choosing an MP3 Player Tip 5: Integrated Devices

Some phones, PDA’s, satellite radios, and even GPS units can play MP3 files. Playing music is not their primary purpose so you will have to make some compromises if you choose to go this route. The advantage is you only have to carry one device.

Choosing an MP3 player doesn’t have to be complicated. Just remember these five tips an be sure to shop around for a player that meets your needs in your price range.

Arthur

Stephen Ahlfeld asked:




Do you currently have an mp3 player or an mp4 player? In your personal opinion,which do you think is better and more beneficial.This has been an ongoing debate for some time. It’s quite obvious that mp4 players are superior to mp3 players. Well that’s my view anyway, although I am very sure that a lot of people will also agree with me.Mp3 players were obviously first to enter the market back in 1997 and have been a major success since then.Because of their small size they are very convenient, not only for people to fit them in the smallest of compartments or pockets but also utilise them when they do exercise at the gym,ride a bike,travel to work or simply just for recreational usage.

But lets face it, the mp3 player basically only plays audio songs and besides that it unfortunately does not have much more to offer to people.This is where mp4 players have take over and have the extreme upper hand.Along with Mp4 players came the introduction of video playback and recording functions which were previously not available with the origional mp3 players.But this is only the beginning.Lets look at the Mp4 player features and factors to consider:

1.The size of the MP4 player .There are different sizes of mp4 players. Some have larger
screens than others, the inclusion of video playback capability, hard drive and others.The
LCD screens commonly come in sizes of 1.8″,2″,2.5″ and 3″.Once again the bigger the LCD
screen on the MP4 player,the better.the price,however might tend to shoot up a bit.

2.The next factor we will talk about is AV/IN and AV/OUT capabilities with Line in recording. This feature is common but it is important to make sure the MP4 player you wish to purchase supports at
least one or both of these ports. It should also support both NTSC and PAL.This feature will obviously allow you to playback video images or movies from the MP4 Player to your TV screen
and alternatively allow you to record TV programs or movies onto your MP4 player.

3.Mp4 players may have other features such as an FM tuner ,audio recording capability, small notebook functions etc.

4.USB connection speed to the PC, which affects the rate at which you can upload movies,images and audio mp3’s from your PC to the MP4 portable device.The latest mp4 player models today commonly support high speed USB 2.0 transfer. Others also support Firewire.

Apart from all the above factors you can also watch any movies and other videos on you small
LCD screen , it also offers other useful and handy features such as the ability to do voice recording,notebook functions for storing data,alarm clocks,calendars to mark important dates,simple games like the ones on cell phones and the use of memory card ports for those who need to utilise more memory.The best function is the ability to encode and playback your favourite movies or music videos on the mp4 player itself.Some mp4 player also give you the ability to playback the video from your mp4 player to you Television screen.Now clearly the mp4 player is slightly bigger than the mp3 player due to the fact that it has an LCD screen.But once again that should not affect your decision.

So you be the decider of which one is more useful and easy to use.Mp4 players are clearly a thing of the future but I’m sure there are al ot of folks who would rather be happier with an mp3 player.

Phyllis

Farah N asked:




MP3 is a tremendous electronic invention. It is a little device that offers numerous functions and benefits. However, still there may be many people who are totally unaware about this electronic device. Maybe they know this item just by name but not well understood about its functions and benefits. If you are really one among them then obviously this piece of writing will help you. Go ahead and read it.

MP3 is a great invention of current day world. Basically, it is a small sized device which can be kept and stored in a pocket. This electronic tool stores audio files and play your favorite songs at any time while you are in your college, with your friends, outside the home or on the way. You can take it with you anywhere while you are travelling.

Nowadays, there are dozens of manufacturers producing this item. It is a great luxury for young generation. MP3 players are roughly categorized in three main types including Hard Drive, Micro Hard Drive and the Flash Based Players.

Hard Drive is the first type of MP3 players. These players are usually heavy and large in size if we compare them with other two varieties. However, an advantage linked with these players is that they have more storage space. These players can add more data and files as compared to other two.

Initially, MP3 players had the maximum capability of storing the data up to ten GB. This was pretty enough and the positive feature of this tool. So, the users may have stored their entire play lists easily. Currently, there are millions of users of this device worldwide. Moreover, with the passage of time, MP3 players are available in small sizes with increased and additional storage space. Nowadays, latest devices up to 30 GB are also available. Beside audio files, you can also store video files without any difficulty. Currently, some more advanced devices also offer the capturing of any image you desire.

Lance

Farah N asked:




Buying the electronic equipment is never too easy. You must be well informed about all the options available in the market. And so is the case of MP3 players. People get confused of and they are not sure what is good for them and what should they avoid. There are many types of MP3 players available in the market but the issue is finding the exact thing according to your requirement.

While thinking about different options available in the market, there are 3 common types available. These are flash player, hard drive and MP3 CDs.

Flash players are very small in size and are mobile. One can use them anywhere. They are portable and have built in chip. It is perfect while exercising, jogging or sports activities. There storage capacity ranges from 32 MB to 2 GB but the problem is these types of MP3 players are very costly and affordability rate is very low.

Hard drive based MP3 players have 1.8 inches of hard disk which can store 1000s and 1000s of music files. It has the capacity ranging from 2 GB to 20 GB and more. This means more capacity than flash drive. It can keep heavy amount of traffic. However it is not movable. One cannot listen to music while playing sports. These drives come with micro chip hard drive which is small but larger than the flash drive and apple iPod is one of the famous hard drives in this category.

Mp3 Player is another good option and there is a reason to choose it. If you are looking for the devices which can keep large amount of music in one unit and burn MP3 from your computer to the disc, then MP3 player is the right choice for you. You can easily arrange 150-200 mp3 files on MP3 disk and then place it to encoded disc.

I guess now you are well informed about all the categories which are available in the market. Now it’s up to you to find best suited options just to avoid post purchase blues. I hope you find this article helpful in your buying.

Cindy

Vikram kuamr asked:


Technically, an MP3 player is categorized as a DAP or digital audio player. DAPs can do three main functions, which are to store music files, organize them and then play them for the user. The name MP3 player is the nickname for DAPs.

If the MP3 player can play videos or view images as well, then that DAP is termed a portable media player. People who want to use their MP3 players can usually listen to the audio through earphones that are connected to the MP3 player via a 3.5 mm jack. To power the MP3 player, the device may rely on rechargeable batteries.

Your DAP can be further defined as either a Flash-based player, a Hard Drive-based player, or as an MP3 CD player. The Flash-based player type of DAP relies on either removable memory cards, or on internal flash memory to store your music files. The Hard Drive-based player type of DAP uses a hard disk drive and may store a higher volume of music files compared to the Flash-based player type. This type of MP3 Player is sometimes called a Digital Jukebox. The last type of DAP which is the MP3 CD player basically works by reading MP3 files that are burned into a CD.

On the other hand, the new type of MP3 player is the one that utilizes wireless headphone technology. MP3 players that rely on wireless headphone technology allow users to enjoy the convenience of wireless technology yet still hear audio whose quality is equal to that of CDs. At the same time, such MP3 players can run on as much as 10 hours of battery life at one time, using this wireless headphone technology.

Why are MP3 players so popular nowadays? One reason is that the advances in MP3 technology mean that current MP3 players have audio quality that is almost as good as that provided by CDs. For this reason, many people feel that MP3 players are a good investment. Another reason people buy MP3 players is that they offer users more portable ways to store and bring with them their music collection. For instance, a person with 10 CDs has to lug around more weight than person who uses MP3 players to store the same number of song titles contained in those 10 CDs. So people who dislike being saddled with so many discs to listen to in a day may choose MP3 players instead as their preferred audio medium or storage facility.

Now what about cheap MP3 players, are they any good? Should you invest in cheap MP3 players instead of the high end ones? Well, if lower cost alone is what you are seeking, then the cheap MP3 players might fit the bill for you. However, like any other electronic gadgets and items, the price you pay may determine how many features you can get from the cheap MP3 players you buy. Generally, the lower cost MP3 players have less reliable functions because quality costs money. And although there are cheap MP3 players that may pass the quality standards, you as a user would have to determine the features and the benefits of buying and using the cheaper MP3 players.

Lastly, paying a little bit more for quality makes more sense than trying to be content with a less costly but less reliable gadget. So if you had to choose between cheap MP3 players and the more reliable MP3 players, take time to evaluate the gadget first and look for reliable testimonials if you are to use a cheaper MP3 player.



IAN

lost asked:


i am getting ready to buy an mp3 player. any suggestions besides ipod? i looked on amazon and have the choice of hard drive or flash. what does that mean? i know what a hard drive is.

CARY

Perry Corman asked:


If you don’t own an mp3 player, and even if you do, you should check out all the new stuff that’s going on. I’m hoping this article will give you some ideas of what kind of mp3 player you want and some guidance on what to look for in an mp3 player.

Maybe you are going to the gym and need something small and skip-proof for running or lifting. Maybe you have an 10 hour (or even longer) plane ride when you go on a business trip and need to pass the time. Maybe you want a new one just for the sake of 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 movements, 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 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 side, you may want to store all 16,000 songs in your collection on your player so you never 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) player, but that is not a concern if you just want to sit and listen to good music. And they are still far more portable than the old CD player.

Torn between a small, light, solid state 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 normal hard drive players, and hold more songs than the average solid state mp3 players. (Did I mention the iPod Mini comes in blue, green, gold, and pink?) That is the main differences, but here are some more issues you should look for when making a purchase: battery life, with or without a radio, voice recorder, an easy to read screen, and compatibility with your computer.

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DWIGHT

steve alfred asked:


Lets face it,back in the day the idea of a having a portable audio device which was capable of storing hundreds if not thousands of audio tracks, as well as being small enough to fit in anywhere was a distant dream. We think back to when the only option we had for listening to music was the use of those big 2 speaker audio cassette tape systems.But since then we saw a reduction in the size of the these audio devices. Over the years as electronics evolved with the introduction of the mp3 audio format, the need for cassette tape systems diminished greatly. People were now able to satisfy their needs throught the use of an MP3 Player portable audio device .Ever since MP3 players first entered the market, they have clearly become one of the most popular consumer electronics devices around. Due to their huge popularity it is very common nowadays to see people utilising theses devices while doing many activities such as running, going to work, traveling, buying groceries as well as other tasks.

lets look at the following useful tips to consider for those of you thinking about purchasing an MP3 player.

Firstly, the internal memory size of an mp3 player is obviously an important factor. This will determine the amount of mp3 songs the mp3 audio device will be able to store.Mp3 player come in sizes ranging from 256MB to 10GB. The bigger the storage the better. Also some models may the have the option of flash memory.

Secondly, The battery life is also a very important feature, because it determines the amount of time the mp3 player will function properly. Always make sure that the mp3 player comes with an AC/DV adapter which will allow you to recharge it quickly. Most MP3 players today come standard with these adapters.

The size of the MP3 player is the next factor.There a lots of sizes of mp3 players. Some have larger screens than others, the inclusion of video playback capability, hard drive and others.Once again the bigger and better they are, the higher the price will be. It’s worth paying a bit for a quality MP3 player, even if it burns a small hole in your pocket.

The next factor is USB connection speed to the PC, which affects the rate at which you can upload MP3’s from your PC to the MP3 portable device.The latest models today commonly support high speed USB 2.0 transfer. Others also support Firewire.

You should also be aware that Some mp3 players have the capability of supporting other audio format besides mp3, such as WMA and OGG. Be sure to check the specification manual to see if these featues are included.

Even with the sole purpose of Playing music, mp3 players may have other features such as an FM tuner ,audio recording capability, small notebook functions etc. It might be worth your while to again check the MP3 player Specs.

So at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you Purchase the MP3 player that suits your needs. If you only need it for listening to music, don’t go and buy a more expensive one which has unwanted capabilities as the prices can stretch very high.



BOOKER

Roberto Sedycias asked:


The idea of a having a portable audio player dates back many years ago, when the option then was a fairly big cassette-tape-playing two-speaker audio system. Eventually these devices got smaller and back in the late seventies a hand size cassette-tape audio player was made available. Now as electronics evolved and with the mp3 audio format, one can satisfy his needs for a portable audio device thru the use of mp3 players.

Mp3 players became very popular and it is very common to see people using it while doing many activities such as jogging, commuting to work, traveling, buying groceries, computer related tasks and others.

For those who intend to purchase an mp3 player, one might consider the following tips:

1 - The internal memory size of an mp3 player will determine the amount of mp3 songs the device will be able to hold. Some models may even have an internal hard drive to store songs, however the size and price may go up a little bit and it is not recommend to be used by someone doing intensive physical activities. Also some models may the have the option of flash memory.

2 - The battery life is a very important feature, because it will determine how many hours the mp3 player will function properly. Make sure the mp3 player comes with an AC/DV adapter for quick battery charge.

3 - There a lots of sizes of mp3 players. Features such as a larger screen, video capability, hard drive and others, all add up to a bigger size. And price too!

4 - The way an mp3 player connects to a computer is a also very important feature. Latest model may support high speed USB 2.0 transfer. Some others may even have Firewire support.

5 - Some mp3 players even may accept other audio format besides mp3, such as WMA format. Check the player’s specification if this feature is going to be used.

6 - Also mp3 players may have other features besides of mp3 playing. Features such as FM tuner and audio recording capability, may be of some interest to some users.

7 - As for the price just make sure the mp3 player you are buying has just the features you are looking for. Why pay more for features you are not going to be using anyway? Mp3 players can be purchased for prices from fifty up to several hundred dollars. Brand name players will cost even more.

Portable mp3 players have become a must have product of desire among the younger population. After all almost everyone has one of them. So if you don’ have one yet, it’s about time to keep yourself updated with modern time.

Roberto Sedycias

IT Consultant

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author´s name and all the URL´s (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.



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Jim Johnson asked:


Portable mp3 players are taking the music world by storm. They offer convenience, portability, and ease of use, all in a small, feature rich package. There’s not much to not like about them. But mp3 player models are constantly changing. Therefore it’s a good idea to know what features are most important when you are trying to choose a portable mp3 player for your own use. Here are some tips to consider:

* Consider how you plan to use your mp3 player before buying it. Will you be using it on very long trips where you have no access to your computer song collection? If so, you may want to opt for a portable mp3 player that uses a hard drive to store songs as they can hold thousands of songs at a time and you can go for a long time without hearing the same song twice. In many cases you may be able to have your entire song collection on your mp3 player that way. However, most people will probably be using their portable mp3 player just for a few hours at a time on shorter trips. In that case a flash memory player should work just fine. They can usually handle 50- 75 songs at a time and that may be all you need.

* The best portable mp3 players also allow you to be able to upgrade the operating system of the unit whenever needed. This can be very important as the mp3 player equipment is changing constantly because it’s still a relatively new technology. So you want to be able to keep up as advancements are made, and newer file formats or compressions are introduced. Otherwise you could wind up with an obsolete player very quickly.

* Before you buy any portable mp3 player be sure that you personally physically inspect it. This is especially critical for smaller players as they can be so small and compact that some folks with larger hands have a difficult time operating the controls. You also want to be sure that the display will meet your needs too, as some players display more information at a time than others do, and some are more readable even in low light situations than others.

* The best portable mp3 players conserve power well too. This can be an important issue as you will most likely not have a permanent power source when you are on the go, so your battery is all you have to power the unit. Some players can go for days on a set of batteries and others can only go a few hours. So make sure that the player you choose will fit the way you intend to use it. Also be aware that some players use a battery that is rechargeable but also can’t be removed, and so must be sent back to the factory for an expensive battery replacement. The best portable mp3 players use batteries that are easy to find and change, such as AA or AAA batteries.

Since mp3 players are still fairly new to the marketplace, many people are not as familiar with them as other pieces of electronic equipment like CD players. So it’s good to understand what features are important in the best rated mp3 players in order to make the best choice. Hopefully, the tips above can help you make the best choice.



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