Buying Guide to MP3 Players

In the arena of MP3 players, the reigning champion is the Apple iPod series. In order to fulfill consumer needs, Apple has come out with an array of iPods over the last couple of years. There is the Apple Nano, which has a 1 GB (gigobyte) storage capacity, translating to roughly 250 songs. The Nano is a portable, lower cost ($60-70) option for those who want to put only their favorite hits in a portable form. For those seeking out multimedia options, Apple has put out the iPod Video, which has a small screen to show music videos and other imagery. This particular iPod has a 30 GB capacity, with the ability to hold up to 7500 songs and a 14 hour battery life. With a wider range of options, however, comes a higher price tag in the range of $270 to 300. Apple does provide easy payment options and certainly the ubiquitous nature of the iPod makes it a consumer favorite.

The competition for the MP3 market is starting to become more diverse, however, and other electronics companies have provided alternatives to the iPod. Napster, the music download company that popularized peer-to-peer downloads, has MP3 players that hold 128MB and 256MB of music, putting it at a disadvantage capacity-wise to Apple. However, it does provide a similar bit of service with a two month trial subscription to the huge music library that Napster has, as well as ten free downloads on top of unlimited downloads during the trial period. While the capacity may be smaller, Napster does provide a strong product name among younger consumers and a large library of songs to choose from.

Other providers include Toshiba, Creative Labs, iRiver, and Philips. Philips’ Go Gear HDD6330 is a great MP3 choice at 30 GB capacity and 16 hour battery life, but it also has an FM radio tuner and voice recorder within a small package. Toshiba’s Gigabeat MP3 player allows video viewing of programs recorded by Tivo, as well as interactive gaming with your Xbox 360. While the Gigabeat is pricy, topping out near $400, it blows away much of the competition with its various media options.

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