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.
Although the Apple iPod is the main player that many people think of, there are many other brands. There are also a variety of cheaper off brands that have copied its aesthetic look but for legal reasons cannot copy its features. These brands often do not handle many other audio formats other than MP3's. Name brands however are designed to handle audio formats across the entire spectrum and many people flock to them for this reason alone.
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.
Then of course it's important to look at the durability. Thanks to our societies "jump on the bandwagon" ways, it's the most overlooked part of the process. You need to know whether or not the product you purchase is going to last years, or a couple months. All it takes is one misstep for one of them to be damaged or simply breakdown.
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.
Oh, and we can't forget about the button layout. On some occasions, you can find cheap alternatives that only have 2 buttons; stop and play. These are actually out there, but you find these in lower income outlets. This is truly the bottom of the barrel, and if you get one of these you're just waiting for disaster to strike.
What it comes down to is you just need to do a bit of research before purchasing an MP3 Player. Whether you are looking at the functions, checking the life of the battery, or wondering about the durability, the info can be found fairly quickly nowadays. If you don't have the time or don't feel like dealing with the hassles, then just purchase an Apple iPod. The Shuffle is cheap (starts around $50) but has no visual display, while the Nano (around $140) is a great player with a natural interface. The Classic (around $230 and up) has a larger display, and the Touch ($200 and up) has Internet access where Wi-Fi is available. You can also find new units of the previous generation pretty easily, and get a 10% or higher discount on those prices.
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.
Although the Apple iPod is the main player that many people think of, there are many other brands. There are also a variety of cheaper off brands that have copied its aesthetic look but for legal reasons cannot copy its features. These brands often do not handle many other audio formats other than MP3's. Name brands however are designed to handle audio formats across the entire spectrum and many people flock to them for this reason alone.
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.
Then of course it's important to look at the durability. Thanks to our societies "jump on the bandwagon" ways, it's the most overlooked part of the process. You need to know whether or not the product you purchase is going to last years, or a couple months. All it takes is one misstep for one of them to be damaged or simply breakdown.
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.
Oh, and we can't forget about the button layout. On some occasions, you can find cheap alternatives that only have 2 buttons; stop and play. These are actually out there, but you find these in lower income outlets. This is truly the bottom of the barrel, and if you get one of these you're just waiting for disaster to strike.
What it comes down to is you just need to do a bit of research before purchasing an MP3 Player. Whether you are looking at the functions, checking the life of the battery, or wondering about the durability, the info can be found fairly quickly nowadays. If you don't have the time or don't feel like dealing with the hassles, then just purchase an Apple iPod. The Shuffle is cheap (starts around $50) but has no visual display, while the Nano (around $140) is a great player with a natural interface. The Classic (around $230 and up) has a larger display, and the Touch ($200 and up) has Internet access where Wi-Fi is available. You can also find new units of the previous generation pretty easily, and get a 10% or higher discount on those prices.
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