Roundup of MP3 players
MP3 players -- gadgets that can store hundreds of compressed music files and play them back to us -- have been selling like hotcakes lately. IDC what is IDC? forecasts that, by 2007, the market for MP3 players will be growing at an annual compound growth rate of 30 percent. CNET what is CNET? has counted more than 200 different models and makes that we can choose from.
MP3 players come in a wide range of configurations. Almost all new VCD and DVD players now also play MP3 CDs. Today's car audio systems will no longer be considered complete if they do not have the ability to play back MP3 files. Even Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and cell phones can now store and play MP3 music. However, it is the fast-declining price of high-capacity, flash memory devices that has really driven consumer acceptance of portable MP3 players.
What is the advantage of portable MP3 players as opposed to a Discman, for instance? You may still remember how annoyed you were at not being able to jog while listening to the music from your Discman. The main problem with a portable CD player is skipping, or failure of the laser pickup beam to read the next sequence of bits because you shook the reading mechanism inside the gadget as you jumped around.
Some earlier MP3 players also used hard disks to store the music files, and some still do today. However, hard disks are expensive and very prone to shocks. The flash memory is the ideal alternative, as it is not affected by shocks. It basically solves the problems of earlier MP3 players.
MP3 is actually the weird abbreviation of MPEG (Audio) Layer 3. MPEG is the standard created by the Motion Picture Expert Group, which compresses an audio and video file so that the required storage capacity can be reduced. If you watch a lot of VCDs, you must know that they use MPEG files. In other words, MP3 is actually the audio portion of the MPEG files in your VCDs.
Why has it become popular? With the compression, the file size can be reduced significantly without loss of its sonic quality. The smaller file size makes it possible to swap music files -- both legally and illegally -- over the Internet. As to sound quality, it is very subjective. Some hardcore audiophiles claim that they can detect the difference between the sound of a compact disk and an MP3 player.
Which are the popular MP3 players today? Apple's iPods are definitely the ones a lot of digital music lovers crave. A number of different versions are available, including one with 20GB of storage capacity and another with 15 GB. Sonicblue Rio is another popular MP3 player. It can hold 64 MB of music, but you can expand the capacity with a SecureDigital (SD) or a MultiMedia Card (MMC) card to a total of 256 MB. Much smaller than the 10GB iPod, but enough to hold hundreds of songs at almost one-third the price.
How do you choose the right MP3 player? First of all, how would you like to carry it around? Would you prefer a belt- clipped model, a pocket model or a player that you can carry inside your handbag? Creative's Nomad Jukebox, for example, will not fit your shirt pocket. Due to its size and weight, you may have to carry it inside your shoulder bag.
Once you know the form factor that you want, choose the player that works with your personal computer. If you choose the iPod but have a PC, make sure you buy the Windows version of the player.
Do you also listen to FM broadcasts a lot? Then choose one with an integrated FM tuner. Digisette Duo AR-200 has a cassette housing that allows you to insert it into the cassette player of your car and turn the system into an MP3 system.
Other compressed music file formats are used, including Microsoft Windows Media (WMA), RealAudio and Liquid Audio. You can ignore them, as MP3 is by far still the most popular format.
Finally, test drive the gadget before you hand your credit card over to the store attendant. Check whether the software is easy to use. -- Zatni Arbi
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