by Shikha

Created on: June 17, 2008   Last Updated: March 12, 2012

Ever since we realized that listening to music gives us a high, it has been our constant endeavor to take our music with us. Cassette players with batteries were a little bulky to carry around. So it was a cassette for a while and then a compact disc. But both these required a bulky player. Even a walkman was a tad too bulky to go into a pocket without inviting a few stares.

Then came along MP3 players. Suddenly you could store thousands of songs into something smaller than your wallet. They have become our constant companions. So what would you look out for when choosing a new companion?

• MEMORY

The larger your bank of favorite songs the more memory you would require. A 1GB memory card can save up to 500 songs. When you make an investment make sure you can use it for a long time. Even if you can think of only 500 songs you want to save, it would be a better idea to get a larger memory. Otherwise you would have to buy your second player as soon as space gets eaten up. Unless your MP3 player is your cell phone, it would be hard or impossible to scale up your device's memory.

• SIZE

Isn't this what matters the most? Anyone would prefer a credit card sized player which can play a hundred songs to a handbag sized one which can play 500 songs. With sleek thin devices and small headphones, the new MP3 players fit easily into pockets or purses. So discreet that no one would even know that you are listening to music. Of course, as the size gets smaller, the price goes up.

• FORMAT AND COPYING

Before you buy an MP3 player find out the format in which the songs are stored and copied. For example, iPods requires us to install iTunes, which uploads the songs onto the iPod. If I lose a few songs from my computer and then decide to copy them back from the iPod, it does not let me do that because it is stored in a different format on the player. Whereas there are other players which lets the user copy songs directly from and into the computer folders.
Many MP3 players also provide the option of storing videos and photos. Understand your requirements to decide whether you need this feature.

• BATTERY LIFE

When you are on the move and want continuous supply of music, battery life becomes a priority. Find one which can go on for at least 20 hours.

Combine all these and you have the perfect ingredients for an infallible and engaging personal entertainment experience. But make sure you choose the right partner!

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