Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Beginner's Guide to Shopping for MP3 Players

By Helena Enteerha

Due to the fascination that revolves around the MP3 Player, it's no surprise you want to figure out which is the best one for you. The first thing to consider is that these can be extremely confusing to a lot of people thanks to all the various functions. In today's world you can find one just about anywhere, but knowing the quality of each of them is a different matter. Some are basic while others double as video players and give you advanced audio functions. The point is you can't find too many versions that just play music anymore. To know what you should buy, you have to figure out which features you truly want and which you could do without.

A prime example is the Apple iPod. In the good old days it was simply used to play music. In recent memory they have come out with so many advanced features, most of them aren't found in other units. The MP3 player is geared for easy navigation. Even though the extra benefits are nice to some, others just want a little piece of technology that plays music. Plus, iPods usually cost a bit more as well.

While the iPod may be the main (perhaps only) brand name that first comes to mind when discussing MP3 players, there are several others out there. There's even cheaper "knock-offs" from smaller companies that are out there, but these don't offer all the benefits. Due to legalities in the industry, these companies stick with just giving their consumers the ability to play music. The bigger companies look at the big picture.

One thing to consider is the battery life - and whether it uses regular batteries at all. If you take advantage of newer innovation they will use lithium rechargeable batteries. Some models use AA or AAA batteries, but nowadays a unit that is rechargeable is becoming standard. You should be able to recharge by plugging the unit into a base, or just using a USB cord to plug it into your computer.

Durability is usually the most overlooked area when it comes to music players. Everyone jumps on the hyped up bandwagon of a new product, but most of us forget about the longevity of the product. This can lead to products that are easily damaged, break down, or simply don't live up to the durability factors.

If you go with one of the larger electronics brands like Apple or Sony, durability probably won't be a concern (although there are some notoriously breakable units out there; a glance at a unit's reviews should be enough to clue you in on whether it's solid or not). The lower echelon of companies will try to cut corners wherever they can to offer a somewhat similar product for a cheaper price, so don't be surprised when a player like that breaks down.

You'll want to take the button layout of the player into consideration. Try to avoid models from smaller companies that just have a mere two buttons - these are often bottom of the barrel products that are just asking for problems. The iPod Shuffle is a bit of an exception, as it's a quality player with a very simple interface, and is quite cheap compared to other iPods.

So in closing before buying any kind of player remember to go over the MP3 player basics. Check for function, audio formats supported, battery life, durability, and general quality. If you don't want to do bother because it's time consuming you can just buy an Apple iPod. These are one of the most sought after players on the market for a reason. If money is a concern then simply buy an older generation iPod - plenty of new units are almost always available for the previous generation, and you can find savings of 10% and upwards, without sacrificing the most important features.

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