Portable music players, also known as PMPs, are what get many people through their day. That person you see on the train every morning with their headphones firmly planted may be what they call an audiophile; a music fan who is interested only in the best sound quality that money can buy. That person likely has a PMP with numerous bells and whistles that could set most peoples’ heads spinning.
If you’ve been thinking about purchasing your own PMP, there are as many options out there as there are ice cream flavors. But choosing a PMP isn’t as difficult as choosing what to put on your cone. All you really have to know is when you most frequently consume your music.
If It’s About Simplicity
If you only want some kind of distraction while you do something else, such as while you are out for your nightly walk with the dog or using the treadmill at the gym, then something in the low to mid-range price will probably suit you best. The iPod Shuffle is definitely compact, just 2 inches square if you’re lucky. Other players will offer tools like a pedometer to help you during your workouts, such as the Apple iPod Nano. Sony’s Walkman Z is quite a lot larger than the Apple offerings, but allows for other media activities, such as connecting the device to television.
The options above are great for those who want to transfer an existing music collection to a device. But what if you don’t have a lot of on your computer? You do have many options, you’ll be happy to know. If you want to access music in the form of radio stations, devices like the Sandisk Sansa Clip offer an FM tuner in addition to storage for digital music you may want to enjoy.
There are also devices which feature internet radio station services that you control. The Slacker G2 allows you to either select pre-programmed stations, or go through the selections that you’ve programmed yourself. The Zune, put out by Microsoft will let you download and listen to as much music as you wish for the price of a Zune pass.
If It’s About Style
The iPod received a lot of hype in anticipation of its release. In today’s world where even our phones can be status symbols, our music players can be as well, and this is what the iPod definitely delivers. But it’s not the only pretty PMP on the market; the Zune HD and Sony Walkman also offer nice aesthetics combined with a number of features to make your favorite music enjoyable as you do what you do. Most stylish players will allow you to both load your own digital music onto them, or grab some fresh music from places like iTunes. But beware; these nice-to-look-at devices can also come with a high price tag.
If It’s About Getting the Most for Your Money
Those who want it all may find it, but not where they think they will. Some of the highest-value PMPs are available in those brands which you may not hear a lot of, also called ‘second-string’ brands. Coby, Creative, SanDisk and Cowon are good examples of this brand type, but the products they offer are quite sturdy and long-lasting. And when you purchase them on auction or classified sites like eBay or Kijiji, you can get an even better deal on an almost-new device.
Read Reviews
Doing your homework about different music players can definitely help you to choose the right one. User reviews can be a great way to find out which devices will last you the longest. And another good place to look for opinions are device communities, such as the SanDisk Sana Clip community.
Citations:
Guest author Barbera Shepherd enjoys writing about a variety of topics, particularly related to technology. You can check out some of her work on how to locate internet providers in San Diego.
