MP3 Player Buying Guide

Several years ago, MP3 players were seen as being radical and rare but today they are ubiquitous and their popularity continues to grow extensively. The most popular and the music player which dominates the market is made by Apple and is called the iPod. Within this product line there are numerous different standards which have been created to ensure that all consumer needs are filled. Within the iPod product range is the shuffle, nano, classic and touch. Each of these ipods can be bought in a different memory size which dictates how many songs can be held on the device.

Numerous other manufacturers also produce mp3 players including Creative, SanDisk, Iriver, Panasonic, Sony, JVC and Samsung. Despite all of these other manufacturers producing mp3 players, the clear market leader is the Apple iPod and has been for some time.

The mp3 player is a great device as it is capable of playing different audio file types including WMA, WAV, ATRAC, OGG and others. The popularity of the iPod has been so great that many people now refer to a generic mp3 player as being an iPod. Numerous different sized mp3 players are available, some are incredibly small and larger units can also be bought, although these are not usually intended to be portable.

The majority of players feature and LCD screen which shows the songs which are being player and allows the user to control the system through the screen. As the market grows even bigger, different manufacturers are incorporating different forms of media, for example FM tuners, voice microphones and cameras are being incorporated.

Panasonic has gone one step further and has included a digital camcorder with their new range of mp3 players. Some mobile phones also offer the facility of an mp3 player, with the most popular being the iPhone made by Apple.

When buying an mp3 player the first consideration which should be made is the amount of storage space which is required. Some people may only require a player with a small memory as they do not have many songs and some people may require a large memory as they have a large amount of songs. Usually, the more capacity which an mp3 player provides, the more expensive it will be and therefore buyers should bare this in mind. Many people buy p3 players to use at the gym or whilst on a run, therefore the size of the player may be important. A large mp3 player will be difficult to accommodate whilst participating in a leisure activity. Some sports mp3 players are available, these often offer extra features which come in useful such as stopwatches, meters which measure speed and distance and even water resistance against sweat and rain.

It is also important to look in to what is provided with the mp3 player, for example does it come with headphones, cables and the relevant software required.