Now we have entered another age…the age of the digital music player. These devices are often called MP3 players after the name of the most common type of music file. Portable digital music players have many advantages. They have no moving parts, so they don’t skip if you’re walking, running, or exercising. Music can be downloaded to the player from your computer. If you own a lot of CDs you can transfer the music from your CD to your computer and then put it on your music player. You can purchase new music online without having to travel to the mall. You can also purchase and listen to only the songs you really like rather than having to buy and listen to an entire album.
When you’re ready to take the plunge into digital music, your first step is to purchase a music player. There are many different players. So how do you decide which one to buy? Here are a few things to look at.
Price
MP3 players range in price from about $60 to $500. For the most part, you get what you pay for. More expensive players are generally smaller, have more storage, longer battery life, and extra features. Don’t make your decision based solely on price. Determine what features are important to you and then see how much a player with those features will cost. If you are on a budget you may then have to make concessions, but you will still wind up a happier purchaser.
Weight and Size
The size of the music player is very important. Smaller is not necessarily better, but in some cases it is important. Determine when you will use the player and how you will carry it. Will you wear it on a belt or put it in a pocket? See if the device comes with a belt clip and/or carrying case, if you think you will need one.
Battery
Check the player’s documentation for the advertised battery life. Remember that it is always a pain to have to recharge the battery often, so the longer the battery lasts, the better. Also see if the battery is easily replaceable. If it is not, when the battery dies you may have to replace the entire unit.
Storage
The player’s documentation will generally tell you not only the size of the memory in megabytes, but will also tell you approximately how many songs it will store. A good rule of thumb is that one minute of MP3 music takes up about 1 megabyte of storage space. So a 128MB player will hold approximately 2 hours of music. This will differ if the player uses a different format to store its music.
Some players have removable storage cards, so that you can have additional storage. This is a great feature if you want expandability. You may also want to keep music of different genres or moods on different storage cards. The type of memory card used can be important if you feel you may want your digital camera, PDA, or other device to use the same kind of storage card.
Screen
The size and clarity of the screen may be important to you. This is where you will see what music is playing and make your choice as to which song(s) you want to hear. Some players like the iPod Shuffle have no screen. They just play all the songs on the player in a random order. Some folks like this type of player. Others consider it unacceptable.
Buttons and Navigation
The simple, easy to use controls on the Apple iPod contributed to the iPod’s immense popularity. Be sure to choose a device that you can understand and easily navigate. Also, make sure you are happy with the size of the buttons and their placement.
Sound Quality
Most digital music players have good sound quality, but the only way you will know if it sounds good to you is to try it out. Even if you will be purchasing your player online, it’s a good idea to trek over to a brick and mortar store to actually try it out first. By doing this you can also assess the headphones that come with the unit. If they are poor quality or don’t fit properly in or on your ears you may want to invest in a better pair.
Compatibility
Make sure that the player you purchase is compatible with your computer. While iPods can be used on either a PC or Mac, some other players are PC only. Also check out the type of connection that the device uses. Most MP3 players use the USB port that is available on all computers made in the last four years or so. Those that use older connectors like the parallel or serial port are much slower when transferring music. Some players use a FireWire connection, which is faster than USB. FireWire ports are standard on all Macs but not found on many PCs.
Also be aware that different music players use different software for uploading and downloading music and may be tied to different music sites. For instance, with an Apple iPod, you can only purchase music from the Apple iTunes music site. If you will be interested in purchasing music online, find out which sites the player is compatible with.
Extras
Some music players can play FM Radio stations. Some can even record from FM channels. Some can store pictures and have appointment calendars and other functionality. If you like to make notes to yourself there are even music players that double as voice recorders.
With all the different brands, styles, and extras in digital music players, you will need to do some investigating before you make your decision. Popular Brands include Apple, Archos, Creative Labs, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and SonicBlue. Check them out and do a little homework before you make your decision.
