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MP3 Players and You
-By Shawn �the girl� Murray
Nothing beats the satisfaction of hearing your favorite song, no matter what it is you�re doing. With the technology of MP3s, you�re no longer limited to the physical space CDs take up in your book bag. So which platform do you use?
Bigger is Better?: The large capacity Jukebox design appears to be the most well known, and the most expensive. This would cover Apple�s iPod, Dell�s DJ, and a few Rios. When you compare models of the same capacity the number of songs do not match up, with the Rio being on the lower end, followed by the iPod. Moreover, the DJ appears to come with more physical accessories (case and travel charger), while the iPod comes with more features in the unit itself (calendar, address book, games, etc.) and the Rios come with just little more extras than a running arm band. Truly it comes down to your opinion and your budget. In this case, the Dell DJ wins usually coming out $50 less than its iPod counterparts with the Rio wavering in-between sometimes being more, and sometimes less than its counterparts.
Size Matters Not: Just about any electronic company seems to be scrambling to make these tiny music machines. RCA with their Lyra, Rio, and even iPods are coming in versions not much bigger than a pack of gum (the 25cent kind). Before the iPod�s Shuffles, the best buy was the Rios. Now for twice the price of a Shuffle you get half the memory. The only downfall of the Shuffles is their lack of a screen. You cannot view what is on it or what is playing (except when you hook it to your home PC). If this doesn�t bother you, then hands down, the Shuffle beats them all in Capacity vs. Price.
Things to Keep in Mind: To keep you on the right track while purchasing your MP3 player, consider the following. 1) If you use Windows Media Player to make MP3s from CDs, then make sure your player can read WMA files. Typically this is how Media Player will save your files. 2) When a player says you can upgrade, see how much it can upgrade too. Some are limited. 3) Keep in mind, if the player is not limited that most memory cards only get as big as one gigabyte and the cost is $100. Perhaps you can get something better for the cost of a card and the player.
Well, that�s all from me this time. See you again when I explain wireless networking!
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While Apple's iPod is the most popular MP3 player, is it the best for your money?
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