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MP3 players are letting music lovers take their collections anywhere they want.
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Buying an MP3 player? Consider this...
The iPod may be the best-known digital music player, but it is not alone in the market. And for people who are looking to buy a player, the choices can be daunting.
The iPod may be the best-known digital music player, but it is not alone in the market. And for people who are looking to buy a player, the choices can be daunting.
Here are some things to consider before buying:
Flash or hard drive: If you want to carry your whole music collection with you, some hard drive players called jukeboxes have room to store thousands of songs.
Those generally cost $250 to $500. Mini hard drive players are priced around $250 and can store several hundred songs. Flash players, ranging from $100 to $200, can hold up to a few hours of music and are lighter and less expensive.
"If you want a player that you can run with, be very active with, a flash player is a good idea," said Eric Dahl, senior associate editor at PC World magazine who writes a column called the Playlist. "I've demoed a couple of the minisize (hard drive) players and actually dropped one. They do not react well to that. The same can be said of the hard drive players."
Format: Check out this alphabet soup of audio formats: MP3, MP3 Pro, WMA, AAC, to name a few. The problem is that not all players can read all of those formats, though MP3 is available on nearly all models.
If you're interested in buying music online, for example, the iPod works only with the iTunes Music Store, and other players can't read the iTunes' format. Apple is unlikely to change, Dahl says, because it has the best-selling device and the most successful and popular music store.
"There's a synergy between the two," Dahl said. "Why would they want to cut into their business by giving more options?"
One more consideration on compatibility: While the iPod has versions that will work on Windows and Macintosh computers, other MP3 players may not work on Macs. Check before you buy.
Battery: Long battery life is a big selling point, but the type of battery is also important. According to tests by Consumer Reports magazine, batteries can power a player from 5 to 35 hours.
"Beware of players that use a nonremovable rechargeable battery," the magazine warned. "When the battery can no longer hold a charge, the player has to be sent back to the manufacturer to be professionally serviced, which can be costly if the product is no longer under warranty."
Two popular models, the iPod and Dell DJ, have nonremovable batteries. Apple started a battery replacement plan after consumer complained, and Dell offers a similar service.
Screen size and controls: Everyone likes small gadgets, but some are so small it's difficult to read the screens and use the control buttons. You might want to borrow a friend's or visit a store to make sure what you're getting fits your needs.
Software: Apple's iTunes gets raves for ease of use, but other devices have some intriguing features, Dahl says. Creative's Nomad, for example, lets him create playlists on the device without going through a computer.
In addition, Consumer Reports says, look for devices where the software can be updated, which can be important for new features or compatibility with future music formats.
