MP3 players give us the chance to have our own private soundtrack as we go about our day. Thanks to new technology, they also play movies, videos, podcasts and act as personal organisers, too. But how much should one cost? What size is big enough? And where is all the music to be found?

Cost

An entry-level MP3 player now costs less than €30, while the top-end models cost almost €400. For €30, you will get a small device with no screen and room enough for about 150 songs. For €400, you will get a choice of a touchscreen gadget that has a web browser and a movie player, or a non-touchscreen device with enough room for about 30,000 songs.

Storage and space

MP3 players range from 1GB to 160GB (at the time of writing). 1GB has enough space for between 150 and 200 songs. 160GB is enough to hold up to 30,000 songs.

Compatibility and music formats

MP3, AAC, WMP, DRM-free: will all of these formats play on your MP3 player? MP3 is a catch-all format that will play on any portable machine, from an iPod to a mobile phone. WMP is a Microsoft music file format. It will play on most MP3 players, but not, crucially, on iPods. AAC is the format favoured by iPods and Apple’s online music store, iTunes. A basic rule of thumb is that iPods and iTunes are interlinked and that neither of them will synchronise smoothly with anything else. All other formats usually play on all other MP3 players.

Where can I buy music online?

Although CDs can easily be transferred onto an MP3 player by copying them on a computer and transferring the songs digitally, most people associate MP3 players with downloading music from the internet. The biggest online store, by far, is iTunes. With very few exceptions (The Beatles being one of them), every major singer, band and artist is available here. Individual songs cost either 99 cents or €1.29, depending on whether they can be copied. (However, iTunes will only synchronise smoothly with iPods.) There are about a dozen other online sites to download from, including eMusic.com, Bleep.com, Music.Eircom.net, and 7Digital.com. (A full list of download sites can be found on irma.ie.) These websites have more limited selections than iTunes, but use formats that can be played on a greater variety of MP3 players.

Which model to buy?

Here are four of the latest MP3 players worth considering:

iPod Nano
iPods represent over 70 per cent of the entire MP3 market, as any cursory look at the number of accessories available for MP3 players — which are all geared toward iPods — shows. The Nano is the latest player to receive a high-tech upgrade. Alone among iPods, it includes a radio. It can also act as a pedometer. And it has incorporated the ability to shoot (modest resolution) videos with an onboard video camera. The only drawback is that it comes at a significant price premium over its rivals.
Price: €140 (8GB) or €170 (16GB) from retailers nationwide and www.apple.com/iestore

Archos 2 8GB
This may well be the best-value MP3 player on the market. With enough storage (8GB) for about 2,500 songs, photos and a colour screen, it ticks almost all boxes for a portable music gadget. It even has a microphone to record voice memos.
Price: €50 from Peats

Creative Zen 8GB

Creative’s 8GB MP3 player packs more features into a budget MP3 player than any of its rivals in the same pricing bracket. Not only will it play music (about 2,500 songs) and video, it also has a radio on board. Superb value for the price.

Price: €75 from www.elara.ie and retailers nationwide

Sony A820 (4GB)
Sony has really upped the quality of its MP3 players and is now a top-notch alternative to an iPod. This model, an entry level 4GB device, gives superb sound and has Bluetooth built-in (so you can use wireless headphones). It also has a colour video screen and Sony MP3 players play all audio formats now, unlike the restrictive earlier versions.

Price: €100 from Peats and Sony Centres

* Adrian Weckler is the Technology Editor of the Sunday Business Post

Tags: Adrian Weckler, Ipod, MP3 players

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