KEY FEATURES
Storage
This is really critical for those of you who like their quality in large quantities. Hard drive-based players have maximum storage—60 GB. Flash-based players provide around 8 GB memory and the affordable options offer about 1 or 2 GB.
File managementMP3 players use the ID3 tags through which embedded information such as artist, song title and album is provided to the player. However, different players organize this data differently. Since most players come with an in-built LCD screen, solving the mystery of data organization won’t be too difficult.
Transfer speed/port type
Most MP3 players use the USB 2.0, which is much faster for download and transfer of audio files. Most MP3 players require you have a PC with a USB 1.1 or 2.0 port.
FM RadioMost MP3 players, except iPods from Apple come with an inbuilt FM Radio and some with FM Recorder as well. There are also players which come with Voice Recording facility.
SoftwareAll MP3 players come with bundled software that allows you to download songs from a PC. However, there are players that work with a variety of other programs as well.
LCD screen
How important is an LCD screen for a music player? Very Large screens helps you to organize and look for the audio file you want to play more easily than players with puny screens.
Before we wind up, a few key buying tips to refresh your choice of a player.
Look for players that have:
- Decent size-capacity combo
- Easy-to-use interface
- Variety of file format support
- Good display to find files easily
- Additional frill such as FM tuner (in flash players)