Portable media players (PMPs), or
MP3 players, to use the commonly accepted moniker , are more or less ubiquitous today. Most of us are on our second or third player already—which is as much a comment on the physical durability of these devices as it is on the frustrating planned obsolescence of their firmware. Apple's iPod line has evolved dramatically since its inception and through it all has held the top spot in the PMP market. But to assume the iPod is the only worthy device on the scene is potentially to rob yourself of the ideal player for your lifestyle. Here are some things to consider before you buy.
CapacityOne of the more important factors to consider when shopping for a player is capacity. Hard disk–based players still offer the highest capacities on the market—currently the Apple iPod classic and the Microsoft Zune are both sold in capacities exceeding 100GB. Larger capacities can be useful for audiophiles who prefer lossless codecs or want to use the player as an external hard drive. Most folks don't need that much storage, however, and hard disk–based players have a serious disadvantage: They are far more fragile than their flash memory–based counterparts. Both the Zune and the iPod lines offer hard disk and flash memory players—the largest flash players available currently are 32GB—but most companies, like Creative, have started to phase out hard disk–based devices altogether. By this time next year, we may have 64GB flash-based players on the market. After that, the next step up capacity-wise for flash memory players should exceed 100GB, which will likely be the death knell for hard disk–based players. If you're looking for tons of storage right now, check out hard disk players from Apple, Archos, Cowon, and Microsoft. If a smaller player—both in physical size and storage capacity—is more appealing to you, a flash-based device is the way to go.
Design and User InterfaceStill, it's not all about capacity, and the easiest mistake to make when buying a player is not getting to know it first. Many players are beautiful on the outside but have convoluted user interfaces that cause enough annoyance to outweigh the sexiness of their design. If you can, test out a player in a store. How many clicks of the main button does it take to get from the main menu to the Now Playing screen? Is there a dedicated button that brings you back to the main menu, or do you have to press the back button a million times? If it has a scroll wheel, does the wheel seem overly sensitive, making it hard to select options without overshooting them? Anything that annoys you slightly in the store will annoy you ten times more after just a few weeks of ownership.
File SupportIf you are planning on buying protected content—be it video or audio—you'll want to make sure the file types you purchase will work with the player of your choice. If you own an iPod or a Zune, these choices are pretty much made for you, but there are also file formats common to the, ahem, "sharing" of the Internet that won't play on every device—such as Xvid for video or FLAC for audio. Some players, like the Cowon A3, are known for their excellent file support—a claim the iPod cannot make. If file flexibility is what you seek, it's worth exploring beyond the iPod and Zune realm and looking at the A3, as well as the iriver Spinn and Lplayer models.
Screen Size and ResolutionIf you plan on watching videos, keep in mind that not all players with screens can play videos, so that's the first thing to check. Aside from that, screen size may be the most important issue. The screen on the iPod touch is stunning—and it's a touch screen, to boot—but it's hardly the only beauty out there. Archos players generally have excellent screens, and other manufacturers, such as Cowon and Samsung, have tried to compete in the large-screen player market as well.
Screen resolution is also an important consideration: Your screen should be a minimum of 2 inches diagonally, with a minimum resolution of 320 by 240 pixels. Ideally, resolution will increase with screen size: 320 by 240 wouldn't look very good on a large screen like that of the Archos 5, which has a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels for its 4.8-inch display.
Special FeaturesSpecial features can be alluring in the PMP market. Sony's NWZ-S738F Walkman comes with built-in noise cancellation, the Apple iPod nano will switch to shuffle mode if you merely shake it, and the Zune can wirelessly sync to your home computer (provided you have Wi-Fi). These extra bells and whistles are quite fun—for a little while. You'll be better off in the long run, however, buying a player based on the core values listed above and not because of these gimmicks, which are very much the icing and not the cake. That said, there are some "specialty" players worth noting: The Pioneer XMp3 records and stores content from XM satellite radio, and the Haier Ibiza Rhapsody offers full, on-the-go access to your Rhapsody account. The Finis SwiMP3v2 is geared toward swimmers who want to rock out during their laps.
PriceOne feature that everyone wants? A tiny price tag. If a truly cheap player is what you seek—forget the iPod shuffle and check out options that have screens and more features but don't cost any more, like the Creative ZEN Mozaic or the SanDisk Sansa Fuze.
