MP3 players are the ultimate device for portable audio and seem to be one of the must-haves today. As the market offers numerous different models and makes it is difficult to make a purchase decision especially if it is your first MP3 player ever.
On first sight an Apple iPod seems to be the most obvious choice. But it’s worth risking a second look at other portable audio products to determine whether they might offer more for your individual needs. The most important selection criteria are surely the sound quality, storage capacity, size and the functionality of a portable MP3 player. Apple iPods come from 1GB up to 160 GB and are still remarkably small. However, other manufacturers like Sony and Samsung have in their product range MP3 players with up to 30GB storage which is enough to store an entire music library on one single device. This storage capacity is recommended when playing videos or for those music enthusiasts who could not select a limited playlist from there library but need to have all their music on the go.
Simple MP3 players with less storage like the iPod shuffle are affordable, stylish and small enough to be carried with you at all time. Nevertheless, you might regret the choice soon when you get used to the comfort of having your favourite music at your disposal at any time.
An MP3 player with a medium storage from 4GB onwards is able to save about 1000 songs which would be enough for most people. But you have to bear in mind that this implicates not having videos and many photos stored on the same device as they use significantly more space on the harddrive. If you are thinking to use the MP3 player additionally for multi media purpose it might be worth investing a bit more and to increase the abilities and capacities.
Another criterion should be the duration of the battery. Especially active people who cannot live without an MP3 player anymore and use it for running, exercising, in the car and everywhere else should take this into consideration. Nothing is more annoying than running out of battery when you feel like listening to your favourite music. Whereas some Apple iPod’s last up to 20 hours without being charged Samsung recently launched an MP3 player which is promised to provide the user on average 30 hours with music on the go.
