How to Buy an MP3 Player

The digital revolution has caught up with the venerable Walkthing. An MP3 player is the perfect tool for people on the go who have moved their music collections onto their computers. Because they're digital-- some with absolutely no moving parts--MP3 players don't skip or warble if you're running, skiing or biking.

Instructions

1. Shop for price. MP3 players range from $60 for a bare-bones RCA Lyra to $500 for the top-of-the-line Apple iPod. Other popular brands are Creative Labs, SonicBlue, Archos, Samsung, Sony and Panasonic.

2. Get a player with as much storage as you can afford. The more storage, the more music it can hold. One minute of MP3 music takes up about 1 megabyte (MB) of memory, so a 128 MB MP3 player can hold about two hours of tunes. Unlike computers, memory and storage are sometimes used synonymously in MP3 players, since the storage in smaller devices (under 128 MB) is usually made of Flash memory chips.

3. Make sure any potential purchase works with your computer. Many MP3 players don't work with Macintosh computers, though that's improving.

4. Try the controls. Less-expensive players often have control panels that can charitably be described as "minimalist." Make sure they make sense to you.

5. Pick up the unit to gauge its size and weight. Would it be comfortable in your pocket or on your belt? How about when you're moving around?

6. Check out the player's advertised battery life. Manufacturers' claims aren't exact, but they can be used for comparison.

7. Choose a unit with USB or FireWire, rather than a parallel connection to your computer. USB and FireWire are fast and flexible.

8. Look for a player with an FM radio receiver. Some models can record music from the radio, and will identify the artist and title the next time you connect the player to your computer. Some also double as digital voice recorders.

9. Look for expandable storage, especially on units without much built-in memory. CompactFlash, MemoryStick and SecureDigital media are common choices. Newer models with more storage have internal hard disks that can store computer data.

10. Have a listen. MP3 players use standard stereo headphones. If you don't like the headphones that come with a player, there are a variety of styles you can purchase.

Tips & Warnings

• A few high-end MP3 players have built-in FM transmitters to send music wirelessly to a car stereo. You can do the same with a pocket-sized FM transmitter; if you don't mind wires, use a cassette-on-a-cable device from a portable CD player car kit.

• Some MP3 players double as portable CD players, so you can burn your MP3 files to a CD and pop it in the player.

• The legalities of MP3 music-swapping are constantly changing, but please respect the work of the artists: Make sure they get compensated for their work. See How to Buy Music Online.