Even though many of us have ditched our
MP3 players in favor of
cell phones or
tablets that can play our digital music, the dedicated portable media player (PMP) market does still exist. It might not feel like it, though, since Apple's iPod line has
evolved dramatically in the ten years since its inception, and enjoys the lion's share of that ever-shrinking market. If you're dead-set on an Apple player, this
iPod comparison can help you pick the right one. But an iPod isn't an automatic choice for everyone, and there are still some worthy competitors to consider. Whether you live in the
iTunes ecosystem or not, this article will help you choose your ideal PMP.
Capacity: Flash Memory or Hard Drive?
While there are few models available these days, hard-disk-based players offer the highest storage capacities. They're ideal if you want to carry
all of your media in your pocket, or if you want your player to double as an external hard drive. Most people don't need that much storage, however, and hard-disk players have a serious disadvantage: They're far more fragile than their flash-memory-based counterparts. While Apple still currently offers the iPod line in hard-disk and flash-memory flavors, most other companies have phased out hard-disk devices altogether, though you might still find an older Archos or Creative player from a third-party online retailer. The largest, major-brand flash players available currently top out at 64GB, and have been stuck there for a couple of years, but if they advance to 128GB, it will likely kill the hard-drive player altogether. If you're looking for maximum capacity right now, your best (and possibly only) bet is the 160GB
Apple iPod classic.
Design and User Interface
It's not all about how much music or video you can tote, it's about toting the actual device itself. What are you going to use it for? If you want to work out with your player, it's best to look for a smaller model that you can strap to your arm or clip to your shirt. Also, you probably want a more durable player to exercise with. The
iPod touch, with its sprawling glass screen, might not survive a drop on the pavement during your morning run. Controls are important, too: Do you want to put some music on your device and just listen? The tiny
iPod shuffle will do the trick, offering minimal physical controls and no screen. Or do you want to be able to see what's playing and visually move around the user interface? Then you need a player with a display.
Screen Size and ResolutionIf you plan on watching movies or TV shows, keep in mind that not all players with screens handle video, most notably the
iPod nano, which has a tiny one-inch display that only shows album art. If a device does support video, screen size is important. The 3.5-inch 960-by-640-pixel Retina display on the latest iPod touch is stunning—but it's not the only beauty on the block. The
Zune HD, which
has been discontinued by Microsoft but is still available widely available online, features a super-sharp 3.3-inch 480-by-272 OLED touch screen. Archos players also generally have big, beautiful displays, but as many manufacturers concede to Apple's iPod touch in the premium PMP market, fewer competitors remain, and the focus seems to be shifting instead toward tablets.
File Support
If you own a lot of protected content—be it audio or video—you'll want to make sure the file types you have will work with the player you choose. If you opt for an iPod, you don't have a lot of choice, but there are also file formats common to, ahem, some "sharing" sites that won't play on every device—such as XViD for video, or the audiophile favorite, FLAC, for audio. If you're counting on loading a device up with FLAC files, you'll want to make sure your device actually supports it first. (iPods don't support FLAC, so you'll need to either go a with a different player or first convert your files with a program like XLD.)
Special FeaturesMany MP3 players do a lot more than just play music. The
Sony W Series Walkman, for example, builds the player into a pair of high-quality, gym-friendly earphones. The
SanDisk Sansa Clip Zip integrates Rhapsody support. And the iPod touch, with its excellent built-in apps and access to another 500,000+ third-party apps and games is basically a mini-computer that happens to play music. Just keep in mind that more features tends to mean a higher price tag, which leads us to...
...The Most Important Part: Price
One feature everyone wants? Affordability. While some players will cost you an arm and a leg (the 64GB iPod touch isn't cheap at $400), inexpensive options abound. And if you do some smart online shopping, you can score a real bargain—even on a discontinued, but perfectly useable, player.
Before you buy an MP3 player, check out our
recent reviews. And to amp up your listening experience, ditch those bundled earbuds, and read the
Ultimate Headphone Buying Guide.
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