Walk around any busy town, airport, or gymnasium and you will see people with wires coming from their ears. It is obvious that the phenomenon of digital music players has reached epidemic proportions. And why not? It is fun to listen to your favorite music or talk shows while you're waiting in the doctor's office or when you are on the move. Yet, even some of the savviest shoppers are a bit confused when it comes to purchasing a digital player.

Some of the confusion comes from the digital music player terminology. The term "MP3 player" is often used to describe them. Yet the term "iPod" has become almost synonymous with digital music players. In reality, all iPods are MP3 players, but not all MP3 players are iPods.

 MP3 is the most popular music format and just about every digital music player is able to play music in this format. So digital music players are often called MP3 players. "iPod" is the name of Apple's wildly popular music player and although the term is sometimes loosely applied to other music players, it really applies only to the music devices made by Apple.

The iPod is the most popular music player because it's signature round scroll wheel is easy to use and because the free iTunes software makes it easy to hook the player up to the computer and load it with music. The newest iPods come in luscious colors. Many can display videos as well as play music. The iPod classic comes with up to 160GB of storage. That's enough to hold about 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video. The iPods are pricier than many other music players. The classic with 80GB costs $249. The 160 GB model will set you back $349.  If you plan to take a large music or video collection with you, the classic may be right for you.

For the most exciting new technology you will want to look at the iPod Touch. With 8GB and 16GB models selling at $299 and $399, they are not cheap, but it can do more than the classic. The touch has a gorgeous 3.5" display and a really cool touch screen. It also has built-in Wi-Fi so you can use it to surf the Web as well as watching videos and listening to music.

When shopping for an MP3 player, you will also see devices by Apple competitors, including Microsoft, Samsung, Sandisk, iRiver and many others. They come with names like the Zune, Sansa and Clix. You will find that some of these digital music players are as expensive as the iPods. Many of them play videos as well as music. Some like the new Samsung YP-P2 even have a touch screen like the iPod touch. Yet, you will also find many with fewer bells and whistles, but much cheaper than the iPods.

An important thing to be aware of is that some of these players have features that the iPods don't have without additional hardware. Some have the ability to play FM radio. This can be useful if you like certain radio shows or your gym transmits the audio portion of their exercise room televisions over the FM band. Some non-iPod players also have built-in voice recorders - a boon for those of us with short memory spans.

One of the biggest differences between an iPod and another music player may well be the software that you use to put your own music on the portable device. While all iPods use the iTunes software and the iTunes music store for purchases, no other devices can use iTunes. Instead they come with their own software or use the software that is already installed on your computer. They also come with suggestions for websites where you can purchase music online to add to your collection.

If you are in the market for a digital music player, be sure to budget a little for the accessories that you might also want to purchase. Most of these players, including the iPods come with hard, somewhat uncomfortable ear buds. You may want to purchase some that are more comfortable, or if you are an audio aficionado, some that have better sound quality. You may also want to purchase an arm strap or carrying case. Don't miss the FM transmitters that allow you to listen to your music player over the car radio. You can even find a variety of radios and speaker systems which you can use to play your digital music from your MP3 player at home. Remember that many of these accessories are made specifically for the music player that you purchase. So make sure they will accommodate your device.