Review of Rio MP3 Players

Below you will find some useful information and comments about a few of the most popular MP3 players by Rio, including the Nitrus, Carbon, Cali, and Forge. None of these MP3 players are perfect, but each offers a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that should be taken into consideration before you purchase any one of them. Be sure to compare price, usability, and the overall performance of each.

Rio Carbon 5 GB MP3 Player

Manufacturers Description: The Rio Carbon is capable of holding up to 80 hours of MP3 (160 hours WMA) music, and with up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, music lovers need not worry about running out of juice.

Sporting an ultrathin and tapered design and with 25 percent more memory than iPod Mini, this tiny MP3 player--about the size of a business card--will slide into any pocket, virtually unnoticeable. The Rio Carbon is capable of holding up to 80 hours of MP3 music (160 hours of WMA), and with up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, music lovers need not worry about running out of juice. Supporting USB 2.0 and a host of file formats, users can download music efficiently and easily from most of their favorite online music sites. The Rio Carbon also includes voice recording and provides seamless integration and support of both the Windows and Mac platforms.

Features:

- 5 GB of memory stores up to 80 hours of MP3 music or 160 hours of WMA music

- Plays MP3, WMA, and Audible audio formats

- Built-in microphone for voice recording

- Easily drag and drop data and music files onto your player

- Rechargeable battery offers up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge

- USB 2.0 for faster downloads

- Charge from USB or the included power adapter

- Windows and Mac compatible

- Includes Rio Music Manager, the most intuitive way to create and manage your digital music library

Comments: Users tend to agree that this is one of the best mp3 players Rio has developed. It's really quite small and slim, and can actually fit in your pockets. 5GB of memory really doesn't sound like all that much any more, but I think most new user will find that that is plenty of space. The long battery is nice (20 compared with iPod's 12), and the interface is easy enough to work with. One little dissapointment is the inability to hit any buttons on the device when it is in its carrying case. Also, it does have some compatibility issues with Mac music programs like iTunes. If you really love Mac, you may want to consider iPod or Shuffle instead (this goes for all Rio products).

Price: $230

Rio Cali 128 MB Sport MP3 Player

Manufacturers Description: Wrapped in grippy, protective rubber, the Cali 128 is built to play hard. Solid-state electronics carry over 30 songs with no skips -- ever. Comfortable Sport Clip earphones, case with armband, and integrated stopwatch with lap timer make the Cali a functional sport accessory. 5-band adjustable equalizer gives more control over your sound than most players. Onboard FM tuner means you always have something to listen to. An empty expansion slot allows you to add up to 512 MB of additional SDTM or MMCTM memory. Simple menus and intuitive controls make for easy one-handed operation.

Features:

- 128 MB of memory plays back over 2 hours of MP3 or 4 hours of WMA music (over 30 MP3 or 60 WMA songs)*

- Expansion slot to add up to 512 MB additional memory using SD or MMC cards (sold separately)

- USB 1.1 connects to almost any computer

- Transfer content between multiple PCs

- 18-hour continuous playback using one Energizer AAA Battery

- 5-Band adjustable equalizer with pre-sets

Comments: Anyone considering buying this device should be aware of some odd functional issues that may be frustrating. First of all, when changing memory cards, many users have had to actually take out the batteries in order to get the device to recognize the new memory card (another note: some users have had problems getting the device to accept 3rd party memory cards). Also, it seems that the player may not be able to play regular mp3 formats you may have on your pc hard drive. Rio admits that these mp3 files need to be converted through their own software in order for them to work. These, and other odd quirks, undermine this particular player quite a bit. On the positive side, the device has good battery life, plays clear, crisp music, and has a good radio feature as well.

Price: $120

Rio Forge 512 MB Sport MP3 Player

Manufacturers Description: The Rio Forge series is our latest generation of flash based sport players. The Rio Forge was designed for people that like to play hard and use music to play even harder. The new design integrates the grippy, protective rubber from previous models with a new shiny stainless steel face plate for added durability. Up to 20 hours of battery life allows you hours of non-stop work out time. Comfortable Sport Clip earphones and a newly designed case with armband keep your player and music secure and accessible. Simple menus and intuitive controls make for easy one-handed operation. Stopwatch and Lap Timer make the Rio Forge the ultimate gym or running companion. Plus, the new FM record feature allows you to record radio content onto your player to listen to at a later time.

Features:

- Holds 16 hours worth of Music

- Storage capacity may be upgraded up to 1 GB

- Durable Stainless Steel Face

- 512 MB of storage

- Stopwatch feature for work-outs

- Up to 20 hours of battery life

Comments: This latest generation of sport mp3 players by Rio is perhaps the best so far. What we really liked about this device is the easy to use and intuitive user interface and clear LCD screen. The one downside is the 512mb upper limit in storage (although technically you can upgrade to 1GB), which is a little low compared with the market average. Even so, the features like the FM tuner and stop watch make this a really cool little sport mp3 player. It's about as durable and user friendly as they come, plus the battery life is friendly for those long work-outs. Thumbs up on this one.

Price: $180

Rio Nitrus 1.5 GB MP3 Jukebox

Manufacturers Description: The revolutionary Rio Nitrus packs 1.5 GB into a stealthy, razor-thin design. With the ability to carry over 375 songs, never before has this much capacity been offered on a player this small. Fast USB 2.0 connection loads the player quickly. Simple menus, thoughtful controls, and a clear display make navigation instinctive. A 5-band adjustable equalizer provides a custom listening experience. Quality components throughout yield a player without compromise.

Features:

- 1.5GB HDD plays back over 25 hours of MP3 or 50 hours of WMA music (over 375 MP3 or 750 WMA songs)

- USB 2.0 for fast transfers

- Transfer content between multiple PCs

- 16-hour continuous playback with the rechargeable LiIon battery

- 5-Band adjustable equalizer with pre-sets

Comments: This is an overall fairly solid mp3 player with a few design and engineering defects that should be mentioned. First, the buttons are not quite as easy to use, or as well laid out as some of Rio's other players. Specifically, the volume buttons are smaller and closer together than they should be. Another thing is problems with the battery life, some users getting significantly less time out of their batteries than they are supposed to. And you really can't expect to get the full 16 hours. Also, the scrolling feature doesn't seem to help much. On the plus side, the device is big enough in storage size (1.5GB), and small enough in physical size to appeal to alot of potential consumers. The sound is also quite good and just about every volume level.

Price: $175

Bradley James is a senior editor at SciNet.cc, a website containing many helpful consumer electronics review articles. For more information on Rio mp3 players, please visit our Rio mp3 webpage.

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How to Buy an MP3 Player that Works for Your Life

If you've just decided that the time is now right to buy an MP3 player then you might well feel completely confused about the choices you have to make. It doesn't matter whether you have a big budget or whether you want to keep it cheap and simple - there are a bewildering number of different players out there to choose from. Like any purchase if you buy the right MP3 player then you'll spend your money wisely - buy the wrong model and you'll end up having to spend more money in the long run.

The key thing to think about first of all when you look to buy an MP3 player is the type of player that will suit you best. There are two primary choices for you here. The first type of portable player you can look at is one that uses Flash memory. Players that use Flash memory have no moving parts - they work on an embedded memory chip. So, these models will be small and won't skip or jog even if you're training for a sprint or working out at the gym.

The downside here is that you won't get a huge memory capacity with a Flash player - but, if you're only using the machine to listen to music for short periods while you exercise or while you are out and about for a few hours then this won't be an issue.

The second type of MP3 player to consider is one that works on a hard drive principle. These machines hold their memory in a hard drive just like a computer - so they can hold more memory as they will have larger capacity than Flash drive models. Nowadays it's perfectly feasible to buy a player with a massive 60GB of built-in memory which is enough to keep the keenest music fan happy for a long time!

This does mean that these kinds of players will be larger than Flash based models - but with today's technology this won't mean a huge increase in size. And, you will find that a player with a hard drive is that bit more fragile in terms of skipping/jogging. Basically these models are not designed to let you listen to your audio while undertaking strenuous exercise!

Your choice here really comes down to what you want to buy an MP3 player for. If you have a vast CD collection that you want to rip to a player or hanker after using a download service to build up your music collection then you'll probably end up opting for a player with a hard drive to get a decent memory capacity. But, if you simply want to take your player out while you exercise or while you commute to work then you may well opt for a Flash based player instead.

It is vital to get this choice right as - if you get it wrong - you'll probably find you end up upgrading sooner rather than later. You cannot add memory to the majority of MP3 players - you have to buy a new one if you need more capacity as time goes on. There are however some players that come with memory card capacity slots which could be an alternative solution but this won't allow you to store all of your music on the player and you'll have to keep a library of memory cards as well.

For many of us the MP3 player of choice is the Apple iPod. This player has become a 'must-have' fashion accessory as well as a great MP3 player. There's nothing wrong with going with an iPod because it looks good and you'll score some points with your friends - but, if this isn't so important to you, then do shop around and look at other models before you make your final choice. Many manufacturers have made great moves to make their players look just as good as Apple's products (take a look at the Creative Zen Micro range as an example) and many will even give you features and benefits that you won't get from an iPod.

Many of us buy an MP3 player on impulse but this really isn't the way to go. If you want to make the right choice for your needs you should do dome research first and the easiest way to do this is to go online and read some reviews or guides - ideally those written by other consumers like yourself as well as the official literature produced by the manufacturers. These kinds of consumer reviews will give you a great idea of how a digital player will actually work 'in the field' so you'll get an instant feel for the best player for your needs.

For example, if you read reviews on particular players you'll learn all kinds of stuff that you wouldn't otherwise be able to find out without buying and using a player. There are all kinds of issues associated with finding the right player that don't get covered elsewhere. A good review, however, will tell you all about stuff such as:

Software issues

Most MP3 players come with their own software to help you manage your audio ripping and downloads. If you take some time to look at reviews you'll get an idea for how the software works and how useful it actually is from people that have already used it.

Sound quality

One of the biggest issues with MP3 players is the sound playback quality of the players. A good review will tell you what you need to know here.

Downloading compatibility

You may be able to find out if the player you favor works with specific legal music download services or not. Don't assume that all players work with all services as this isn't the case.

Battery life

Some players have a built-in battery that you need to recharge and others work on standard batteries. In either case you need to get a feel for how long a battery charge will actually last - if your batteries only last a couple of hours then your player will be expensive to run and not as truly portable as it should be. The actual battery time can be a lot less than the time quoted by manufacturers in their marketing literature.

Ease of use

All MP3 players are not equal and some are not as easy or as convenient to use as you might think. Again, quality MP3 player reviews will give you an insight into this.

Finally, the best way to buy an MP3 player is to make sure that you get it at the cheapest cost possible. Prices in the sector are extremely changeable and it's always possible to get a good bargain if you shop around a little. Online price comparison sites are always very good at digging out the lowest cost with major stores both on and offline and could help you save a lot of money.

By Carol Finch of http://www.mp3-players-n-reviews.com

Carol Finch is a regular contributor to MP3 Players N' Reviews, a website built by MP3 player lovers FOR MP3 player lovers. Find everything from un-biased product reviews and tips here: http://www.mp3-players-n-reviews.com

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An MP3 Player Sandisk Could Be Your Answer

Anyone venturing out in public these days sees people of all ages sporting handheld MP3 players with ear buds dangling from their ears, walking to school, to work, or just hanging out. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, check out an MP3 player Sandisk for yourself. While there are many brands and models

of MP3 players out there, many of them cost hundreds of dollars. An MP3 player Sandisk is a user-friendly model MP3 player that won't break your budget while offering optimal play features.

What is an MP3 player? An MP3 player is a device that is designed to play compressed audio and files. A basic MP3 player, like the MP3 player Sandisk, gives users the opportunity to download thousands of their favorite tunes. Some types of MP3 player Sandisk models also allow users to download digital files of

newspapers, books, magazines and radio programs. An MP3 player Sandisk model also comes in a convenient thumb drive design that allows for one-handed use. MP3 player Sandisk has partnered with Rhapsody for music downloading, as well as Audible for downloading non-music digital files.

An MP3 player Sandisk model can run anywhere from $60 to $90 on average, at lease a hundred dollars cheaper than other MP3 models, and yet, the Mp3 player Sandisk models have just as many features as the more expensive models. The most popular MP3 player Sandisk models are the Sansa e100 series,

which profiles the e140 and the e130 MP3 player. Playback time on the MP3 player Sandisk Sansa e130 model is about eight hours for the MP3 files and double that for Windows Media audio files, which works out to about 120 to 240 songs respectively. The Sansa e130 MP3 player Sandisk model holds about 512 MB. It's brother (the e140 MP3 player Sandisk model) allows roughly sixteen hours of playback time for MP3 files and thirty-two hours for Windows Media audio files, or about 240 to 480 song titles, respectively.

While the MP3 player Sandisk models do not have the thousand-plus song playback capacity as several other MP3 players, you'll spend way less on the Sandisk models than the others. And keep in mind that you can only listen to one song at a time anyway. All MP3 player Sandisk models play MP3 files and Windows Media audio files. Each of the models allows for easy navigation to sort and organize songs with various methods, either by title, artist or album names, just to name a few options. The MP3 player Sandisk models come in a variety of styles and colors and all come with carrying case with armband for

easy transport.

If you are in the market for an MP3 player, don't pay more for the same functions that the less expensive brand will get you. An MP3 player Sandisk model offers all the functions and options that other players of the same capabilities offer, yet at a third of the cost. When shopping, make sure to compare MP3 player

specifications and download sources. It doesn't pay to spend hundreds of dollars on an MP3 player if it's a hassle to download songs for it. If you want to listen to music and not spend hours trying to download it, an MP3 player Sandisk model is for you.

Linda Woods is a freelance writer and radio talk show host with a focus on healing, self-help and empowerment. Get all the latest on mp3 player information at [http://www.bestbuymp3players.com] Be sure to check out our mp3 player sandisk [http://www.bestbuymp3players.com/mp3sandisk.html] pages

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Secrets Of How To Buy A Cheap mp3 Player - Part 1

There is no doubt that, since the advent of the original mp3 players some years ago, it has become considerably easier to make your music or downloaded audiobooks truly mobile.

But, if you look to buy a branded machine in your local high street or at the mall, like an iPod, for example, you'll quickly discover that it is not a cheap mp3 player.

So, do you have to spend large sums of money to avail yourself of an mp3 player?

Absolutely not! It is actually not that difficult to buy a cheap mp3 player, and these articles will show you how to go about it.

If you are looking to buy a cheap mp3 player, it is safe to assume that you are working to a budget. So, the first step, way before you attempt to locate and buy a cheap mp3 player, is to decide what your budget actually is, exactly how much money you can afford to spend on your cheap mp3 player.

Now, this may seem very obvious, but often, it seems to be forgotten.

However, there is a simple reason for this, I believe.

Imagine for a moment that you are NOT in the market to buy cheap mp3 player, but are, instead, able and willing to shell out for a branded model.

Then, the pricing structure is very easy to understand. You want an mp3 player with 1GB of memory it will cost you less than a player with 2GB. Likewise, a 512MB memory machine will cost less than a 1GB player, but more than a 256MB.

At the top end of the range, an 80GB video iPod will cost more than a 30GB video player.

And so on, and so forth, ad infinitum.

Thus, it's all very logical and straightforward.

You decide the specification that you want, how much memory storage your branded mp3 player should have, whether you want video or not and so on. This points you to a certain model, and you can either afford it or you cannot.

You can afford it, you buy it. If not, you reduce your expectations, and go for a lower specification model.

If you want to buy a cheap mp3 player, however, the picture is far less clear, for several reasons.

Firstly, to buy a cheap mp3 player, you are going to have to look beyond the stores in the high street or local mall. Those stores will concentrate their efforts on selling higher margin branded models, and probably carry very few cheap mp3 players, if any at all.

Secondly, once you look beyond the high street and actually find good places to buy cheap mp3 players, you will the second problem, the problem that makes it so important to decide on your budget first.

And this is, because of the competition in the cheap mp3 payer market sector, the pricing structure is not at all logical!

Thus, Company A might offer you a 2GB player for $100, whereas Company B may only offer 1GB for the same price. So, the first reaction would probably be, go with Company A, and that could be 100% the correct decision.

But, it could equally be 100% the wrong decision, simply because, when you are in the market for a cheap mp3 player, the specifications of machines vary far more widely than seem to in the branded market.

It could be something as simple as the quality of the earphone set that comes as standard with the cheap mp3 player. It could be the warranty that you get from Company B, in our fictitious situation above, offers 12 months protection, rather than the 6 months offered by Company A.

In the final analysis, when you go to buy cheap mp3 player, you have to pay far more attention to the "small print" than you do when you buy in the local mall.

Steve Cowan is a self titled music aficionado and avid mp3 fan. Discover what his “Top 6” cheap mp3 players are, and get a unique free report “Top 99 Free mp3 Downloads” at his website a [http://www.BuyCheapMp3Player.info]

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Accessorize Your MP3 Player With One Of Many Innovative And Popular MP3 Player Accessories

The reputation of transportable sound players has created a complete sub-industry of MP3 add-ons. It doesn't make any difference the variety of machine you own, you are able to locate every sort of variety of extras for it - a few helpful, and a few not very.

While being the most popular player in the category, the Apple iPod offers the maximum quantity of obtainable frills. A number of of these are made by Apple, however a lot of them are offered by coat-tail industries.

The most fundamental fashion accomplice is a holder for your MP3 player. MP3 player Cases offer shelter for the player from maring and additional harm, consequently these are proving to be an excellent investment because they can be capable of extending the useful life of your MP3 player.

These in addition include a attractive aspect - the Apple iPod, for instance, is merely obtainable in black or white. Cases are obtainable in each color of the rainbow helping your iPod to position itself outside of the masses.

Speaker systems are obtainable for folks who desire to make use of their portable audio player at their house. Just plug up the MP3 player into the incorporated dock and let your music be enjoyed by your friends and relatives.

If you want to increase the speaker system into an advanced home amusement structure, extras are obtainable which adjoin FM stereo, cassette decks, CD players or yet record players. If your MP3 player is able to do video playback, you might be capable of connecting it to your TV set for presentation.

To manage the MP3 player, wireless or wired distant controls are obtainable. Remote controls are particularly helpful in the automobile since they let you regulate the player and not have to take your eyes off the road. At hand are distant controls which attach to the steering wheel and permit you to regulate the volume, look through through your music assortment or go forward to the next song.

Distant controls are in addition practical if you maintain your MP3 player on an armband or fixed to your belt. In this position, the isolated control is capable of being kept handily in your pocket or purse for rapid admittance at what time you require regulating the volume or find a new song. A number of them contain monitors that permit you to choose songs by name.

Returning to the automobile scenario, an incredibly practical fashion accessory for individuals who make use of their MP3 player while driving their car is an adapter that permits you to listen in to your music over the auto audio system. These are offered in two fundamental types - an FM radio transmitter or a cassette adapter.

The greater part of MP3 players are offered as standard with an AC adapter and a wire for linking to the PC. The two functions are able to be shared in a docking situation which can become a part of your PC workstation. Merely plug up the MP3 player hooked on the docking location and coordinate your music assortment at the same time as recharging the battery.

Given that MP3 players need a PC to offer their complete functionality; a lot of companies include ways to enlarge the assimilation of MP3 player and PC. Routers particularly intended for MP3 communication arre able to be used to transmit the audio and video from a MP3 player to all computers on a personal system.

If you're still looking for the latest in high tech MP3 player accessories [http://www.hot-deals-on-mp3-players.info/MP3-Player-Accessories.html] then try visiting http://www.hot-deals-on-mp3-players.info, a popular website that offers Apple iPod tips, and MP3 resources to include information on MP3 player cases, batteries and MP3 player features [http://www.hot-deals-on-mp3-players.info/MP3-Player-Features.html] that can enhance your iPod experience.

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All the Tips You'll Need for Buying the MP3 Player of Your Dreams

Whether you are jogging, shopping at the grocery store, working out at the gym, or working, you are constantly seeing people listening to an MP3 player. If you do not have one yet, then you are behind the times. MP3 players are the best way to tote your music from place to place, and listen to it everywhere that you go. Now that you know you must go out and get an MP3 player as soon as possible, here are a few tips to consider when you are buying one.

Price - This is usually one of the most important criteria when you are buying any item, but the price of an MP3 player can vary greatly depending on the many features that are available on an MP3 player. You should try to maximize the amount of features you can get for the best price. Prices of MP3 players usually start around $75 and go up to around $1000 and sometimes even more. You can often find MP3 players for much less, though, during a sale or promotion.

Size - The size of an MP3 player can also vary greatly. The smaller the size of the MP3 player the more expensive it is, but other things like the type of memory can also cause the size of an MP3 player to change. If you must have a very small MP3 player, then you might have to give up some features that the larger MP3 players provide.

Screen Size & Clarity - The screen is also another very important aspect of an MP3 player. The screen is where all of the song information will be displayed. Also if your MP3 player allows pictures or music videos, they will appear here as well. The more clear and larger the screen the more your MP3 player will cost.

Memory Type - The type and size of memory that an MP3 player has will determine the amount of songs the MP3 player will be able to hold. The memory type can also affect the way the MP3 player will react to movement. An MP3 player with an internal hard drive will be able to hold the most songs, but it will make the MP3 player larger, and also might skip if you go jogging, or work out at the gym while listening to it. Flash memory on the other hand will not hold as many songs, but the MP3 player will be very small, and it will not skip at all, even under the roughest conditions.

Battery Life - The battery life of your MP3 player is also very important, because you want to listen to your music, not sit and watch it charging. Some batteries will last for 4 - 5 hours, while others will last more than a day for your listening pleasure. You will also want to find out if the MP3 player uses an A/C adapter to charge, or if it can be charged by plugging it in to a USB port on your computer.

Accessories - Some MP3 players have a large variety of different accessories that will make it more stylish than anyone else's. Some common accessories are headphones, carrying cases, docking stations, and also necklaces to carry your MP3 player on. Depending on your fashion sense you might want to pick out an MP3 player with more accessories, so you can make sure that you stand out in a crowd.

Whether you go for the price as point for search number 1, or for the size as the most important factor, or for the memory type, or the accessories, at http://www.discussMP3.com

you can be certain to find the new MP3 player you are seeking, and at the most discounted prices at that.

Tatiana is the owner of TakeYourFortune.com and runs Needs & Wants on Closeout and Discuss MP3 site and blog. Check out the customer reviews for help in choosing!

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Why Buy an iPod or MP3 Player?

Have you ever been driving somewhere listening to your favorite radio station and all of a sudden the station is nothing but static or fades in and out? Quick, grab your iPod or Mp3 player! Now, you have your favorite music or sport at your fingertips.

You can choose your favorite show or music on your digital media player at a touch. No more trying to adjust the radio or be distracted from watching the traffic.

With an iPod or MP3 player along, that much needed exercise, whether its at the gym, jogging or just staying home to exercise, will not seem so boring. Some players allow you to monitor your mileage while you run. The time will go faster when you are listening to your favorite music, sport or watching a video on your digital media player. Put a spring in your step while cleaning your home or shopping by listening to your favorite tunes.

Your iPod or MP3 player can brighten your day, regardless of your activity.

If you play sports, for fun or professionally, you can record your "moves", then analyze them to see if you are following through or need to make some adjustments.

What to consider before your purchase an iPod or MP3 player

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you want your iPod or MP3 player solely for music or for others things as well?

What size iPod or MP3 player do you want?

What kind of display should you select for your iPod or MP3 player?

What memory or storage capacity do you want? Do you want to only play music or store pictures and videos as well?

Depending on the investment you make in your iPod or MP3, it may be upgradeable to future formats and features.

What about battery life for your digital media player? What type batteries do you want? Disposal of batteries is dependent on the state or principality you live in.

Do you have a favorite color for your player?

Is price a factor when purchasing an iPod or MP3 player?

When shopping for an iPod or MP3 player consider sound quality, durability, ease of downloading music, cost, benefits and design.

What functions, features and accessories are available?

Features and capabilities will increase or decrease the size of your player. Digital media players are very portable going anywhere with you.

They can be as small as a pack of gum and weigh less than a car key. Depending on the capabilities will increase or decrease the size.

Various iPod or MP3 player system requirements are:

· PC: Microsoft® Windows® 98 SE, ME, 2000 or XP, Intel® Pentium® II 350MHz or AMD K6®-2 450MHz processor

· Macintosh: USB port, Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later (Mac OS X 10.3.4 or later recommended for use with low-power USB ports)

Additional system requirements can be: Windows Media Player, CD-ROM drive (for installation and import or playback from CD), USB 2.0 compatibility and Internet connection, (broadband suggested).

Large memory in your iPod or MP3 player enables you to store thousands of songs for music on the go plus thousands of photos and videos. From 120 songs to 10,000 songs, photos and videos.

Memory or storage capacity is measured in bytes. The more bytes, the more songs, photos or videos you can store. The K in 512 KB stands for kilobytes or 1,000 bytes, and 512 KB player can store around 120 songs. The G in 30 GB for gigabytes or a million, 1,000,000 bytes. A 30 GB player can store up to 10,000 songs. Below is an example of iPod and MP3 players and their song capacity. As you can see, the size of the players is as diverse as what they can hold.

Flash or Hard Drive

Based on 4 minutes per song

512MB

120 - 350 songs

1GB

250 - 500 songs

2GB

480 - 500 songs

4GB

1,000 or more songs

5GB

Stores 166 hrs of music

6GB

1,500 songs

8GB

4,000 songs

20GB

5,000 - 9,000 songs

30GB

7,500 songs

40GB

10,000 songs

60GB

15,000 songs

Some players have available expansion slots. Expansion slots are integrated receptacles for installing additional memory via a removable memory card (Secure Digital, Multimedia Card, Compact Flash, etc.). Installation is simple; the card simply pushes in and clicks into place.

Via the USB 2.0 connection from your computer, you can transfer your favorite tunes from a music website to your iPod or MP3 player in as little as a few seconds. IPod or MP3 players have a wide compatibility with many online subscription and pay-per-download music services. Some iPod and MP3 players are "PlaysForSure" compatible. When purchasing your player, look for this logo on the packaging. Any music download service displaying the "PlaysForSure" logo will work.

Display screen size is a personal choice and can be as varied as the players themselves. Screens can be as small as a 4-line graphic LCD, similar to a calculator, to as large as 3.6" color high-resolution LCD with 320 x 240 pixel resolution.

You can press a button and transfer an entire CD to your player in as little as a few minutes using the USB 2.0 connectivity from your PC.

"MP3" might be the buzzword, but it's not the only digital music file format out there. Fortunately, most online stores and digital music players support a full range of digital file formats. Here are the more popular formats in use:

· ATRAC3 which stands for "Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3", WMA, MP3, ACC (used only used by the Apple® iPod(TM)), and WAV/AIFF

· There are many additional file formats used by the MP3 and iPod industry, not all of which are listed here:

· MP3, WMA, WAV and DRM are audio formats.

· Display formats are JPEG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, and PNG.

· Image formats and AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MPG, MPE, VOB, DAT, ADF, QuickTime MOV and WMV video formats

Docking cradles, power supply, AC adapters and cables, belt clips, personal speakers, headphones/ear buds, cases, car FM stereo transmitters, lanyards, sync adapters and management software are some of the accessories available with iPod or MP3 players

Additional considerations are: digital audio, micro-photo, FM transmitter, PC compatible and voice recorder. Depending on the iPod or MP3 player you purchase will determine which options are available and work for you. Options like digital audio enhances the sound quality. Micro-photo players can take and display photo images. Some players have voice recording options while others are PC compatible. You can also get players with FM radio receivers allowing you to tune in your favorite radio station.

Some players have vertical touch pads to make navigation easier than ever. These are micro-sized and curved to fit your hand, allowing for enjoyable pure ergonomic comfort and bliss.

Removable, rechargeable batteries are used in iPod or MP3 players, some use lithium, rechargeable Lithium-ion or lithium polymer rechargeable type batteries, while others use alkaline batteries. Depending on how you plan to use your player will help you decide how much battery your will need. A 16 to 24-hour playing time is a good length of time before needing to recharge. Recharging your iPod or MP3 player can also be done in various ways, with either car chargers, wall chargers and/or the USB port on your computer.

If you get tired of your stored music, tune in to your favorite radio station with the built-in FM radio. As many as 32 preset stations are available on some iPod or MP3 players. Some players have games already loaded, while others allow you to download games for playing, as well.

Use the recording feature for multi-function convenience or record music from the FM tuner. With the built-in recorder in your iPod or MP3 player, you can record your baby's first words, the interview at the office, or anything else that is important to you. Record messages to yourself and play them back later, never again forget that anniversary gift!!

Personal organizers including daily tasks list, contact list and calendar; which easily syncs with Microsoft Outlook, are available on Ipod and MP3 players with hard drives instead of flash drives.

Make your ears happy!!! Enjoy skip-free playback, with custom equalizer and pre-set EQ settings, this lets you get your music just the way you like it - there are settings for acoustic, classical, disco, house, jazz, new age, pop, rock and vocal at the touch of a finger.

Ipod and MP3 players fit on your arm, in your pocket, on your belt, just about anywhere. Some digital media players weight as little as 0.8 oz. The lightweight of the players makes them as portable as your lifestyle demands.

The price of a digital media player ranges from $100 to $300 depending upon the features and memory capabilities you choose. Digital Media players come in a wide range or prices - the price range is dependent on what features and capabilities you get. Ipod and MP3 players' general price ranges vary from up to $100.00 to $300.00 or more.

Digital media players come in many colors and a wide variety of colored cases. You can make them as distinctive and personal as you are!

Clara Luber is writer and senior administrator for IpodsForFun.com which specializes in Ipods and Ipod information.

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