Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Choosing Your MP3 Player

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.

There are many iPod knock-off brands out there, especially at smaller local stores and gift shops. These are typically to be avoided however. They might be cheap, but their lifespan is usually comically short. And obviously they will be sorely lacking in features.

Another thing to think about is the battery life. Most of the cheaper models will use triple As, which fade out quickly. In today's world most of the models will use rechargeable lithium ion batteries. What it will come down to is whether or not you want to purchase batteries every month or just recharge the unit.

One of the most important, but overlooked MP3 player basics is the durability. People will often flock to a new product because it has a certain feature, but they will not wait and see how it holds up to user tests. This can often result in buying a fragile product that can be damaged very easily. Replacing your player in two months is not something you want to have to do because of poor craftsmanship.

You don't see durability issues often with major name brands, but the smaller, less expensive companies try to cut corners whenever they can. In order to stay away from this trap, it's recommended that you do your research before actually making your purchase. The Apple iPod is a great example of how they are sent through test after test in order prior to being released to the public. Keep in mind you can still break it, but it won't happen from just turning it on and using it appropriately.

One final MP3 player basic to consider before buying is the button layout. On very rare occasions you may find a basic player that has no buttons other than play or stop. I'm not joking; these do exist, although they aren't sold at very many outlets. These are the very bottom barebones models that are cheap, and often fail within a month or two.

Before you go out and buy any type of player, remember to look at all the functions, check the battery life, and anything else that would give you a clue to its overall quality. Course if you don't want to go through the hassle of lots of research and testing, you can always just purchase an Apple iPod. They're considered the best on the market for a lot of reasons. An iPod Nano is good introductory buy, the Classic is great for users that demand more features and a larger screen, and a Touch will give you internet wherever there's open Wi-Fi. If you want to save some money, get an older generation iPod - there's usually not much different in practical features you'll actually use, and you say save 10% or more on the price.

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