by Royce Radcliffe

Created on: June 17, 2008   Last Updated: June 20, 2008

If you are ready to buy a new MP3 player there are a few important factors to keep in mind. Due to the wide variety of models available you might be amazed at the sheer number of choices before you. It is a balancing act between how much you want to spend and what capabilities you desire. Knowing what to look for before even entering the store is the key to transforming a potentially overwhelming decision into a simple one.

The least technical thing you need to worry about is the size of the MP3 player. When it comes to MP3 players, size truly matters. If you like to workout you will want a smaller model. The only problem here is that these models usually do not have the storage capacity of the bigger MP3 players. The more powerful MP3s are very bulky by comparison and can inhibit freedom of movement, though they balance this out by having many more features. If you plan on exercising with your MP3 the key is to check out the size of the model and decide if you can carry it without it becoming an issue.

The type of content you are planning on downloading should also influence your decision. If you have a computer at all I recommend a MP3 with a USB port in it. Then there is the issue of the format downloaded media must adhere to for each device. The two main file formats I have encountered are iTunes and Windows Media Player. A lot of people have issues with iPods because the only music or movies you can download have to come from the iTunes browser. Even though this is the largest single library available it does not have everything, expecially really niche stuff. Most other players use Windows Media Player which allows them to access media from a number of different sources with no real limits.

Storage space is also vital. Most MP3 players come with at least 10 Gigabites. A good reference for measurement is that ten gigabites will hold around three thousand songs. I recommend getting one in about the 20-30 GB range because video files take up more space. This should cover all your musical and video needs. If you want to save files other than music and video, such as work files and data transfer you might want to invest in a higher storage model. The highest I have seen was 60 GB but I am sure there are some that are even higher by now.

There are two types of memory capacity: the hard drive system and the flash system. The hard drive system has the capcity to store much more than the flash system, which is limited to between one and thirty five GBs, while the

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