Looking For An Mp3 Player But You’re Not Sure What To Look For? Don’t Worry, The Guide To Buying An Mp3 Player Is Right Here!

Buying an Mp3 player can be a daunting task because of the large number of players available. This article will explain the options and help to guide you towards the Mp3 player that best suits your needs.

Firstly there are two basic types of Mp3 players - flash memory and hard drive. Choosing between these two will be your major decision in an Mp3 player purchase. Previous articles in this series have examined the pros and cons of each type, but in a nutshell, flash players are great for exercising, while hard drive players have the capacity to be used as portable hard drives and provide lots of storage space for videos.

Don't be put off by the seemingly small size of flash memory players. Each gigabyte of memory can hold about 250 songs, so a 4 GB Mp3 player has a storage capacity of 1000 songs, more than enough for the most ardent music fan. And don't forget, you can easily change the contents of an Mp3 player if you get tired of listening to the same songs. So even at 250 songs with a 1 GB player, you have plenty of music to listen to.

With a large number of songs on an Mp3 player, the navigation system becomes important for finding individual songs. The navigation system should be easy to operate, require relatively few button clicks to reach your destination, and ideally should be customizable to your own preferences.

Further along in this article we will be talking about several important features in an Mp3 player that should affect your decision on what to buy. These features include:

When you are trying out various Mp3 players for their navigation, here are a few things to consider. You should be able to hold and operate the Mp3 player with one hand. Some Mp3 players have a clumsy layout of buttons, placing some of them on the sides of the player and some on the front face. All of the controls should be under your thumb.

The display should allow you to identify your position in the directory structure so you can move up and down the directory tree easily. You should also be able to create directories at any level in the structure. Finally, there should be a search function allowing you to locate songs by different criteria such as song title, artist or album.

Batteries

It is inconvenient to have to frequently recharge the batteries in your Mp3 player, so pay attention to the specifications regarding playing time. This figure can vary widely from 10 hours to 36 hours. It is affected by the type of batteries as well as the features that are included. Quite simply, the more features that an Mp3 player has and the more you use them, the shorter the battery life.

Rechargeable batteries are the best option for an Mp3 player. Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular but players which use AA or AAA batteries can use Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) rechargeable batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are usually enclosed in the case of the Mp3 player. With some players (notably the Apple iPod) the battery is not accessible to the user. This means that batteries cannot be swapped, and it also means that at the end of the battery life the whole Mp3 player has to be replaced.

Lithium-ion batteries have a recharge life of about 500 cycles. After that, they must be replaced. Since the iPod battery is not accessible, you have to send the entire iPod to Apple to have the battery replaced.

Displays

There are a few Mp3 players which have no screen, but they are a rare breed. Most Mp3 players will have at least a small LCD display that shows you the current song being played. Larger displays are necessary for Mp3 players which have larger memory, because you need to be able to navigate through the file structure to find individual songs.

An easy-to-read screen is essential. If it is too small to see clearly, or cannot display an adequate amount of information, it is next to useless. If you are going to use your Mp3 player at night, the display should have a backlight for viewing in dark conditions.

Displays can be either monochrome or full color. Color displays are included in the more expensive Mp3 players, and are necessary for players which have photo and video capabilities. The bigger the display the easier it is to read and more information can be shown at one time, but bigger displays also draw more power, thus shortening the battery life.

Misc. Features

Some Mp3 players have built-in microphones, FM radios, stop watches and personal managers. The value of these features is an individual choice. If you need to make verbal notes or record meetings the built-in microphone is a handy feature. Stop watches are useful for the athlete who likes to have a music background during workouts. FM radios? You don't need them for the music, but they are useful for getting weather and traffic reports.

Several Mp3 players have personal managers which can be synchronized with your computer address book or calendar. This is a great feature for people who are on the road and need a handy way to have their schedule and contacts close at hand.

Other useful accessories include a case to protect the player from scratches, an armband or belt clip for hands-free listening, a remote control, extra batteries and a power supply for indoor stationary use.

For those who plan to use the Mp3 player in the car, an adapter that allows the sound to be heard over the car audio system is very handy. These come in two types - an FM transmitter that sends the sound to the FM radio, and a cassette adapter that allows you to use the cassette deck to listen to your Mp3 player. Don't forget to get a car power adapter at the same time.

Mp3 Player