While at one time solely engineered for the geek, technology has evolved to a point that virtually anyone can use it. That being said, portable MP3 players are all the rage right now. The problem however is that there are so many MP3 players out there, and one might be hard pressed to actually choose one. There are a few things that you will need to take into account before you actually purchase any portable MP3 players and they are typically the following:
• Response Time: Some portable MP3 players have a terrible response time in the menus. As a rule, LED displays work much faster than LCD, but LCD is clearly the better choice. The most important thing here is to find something that works well, responds quickly, and has a high level of functionality. Not always the easiest thing in the world, but it certainly can be done.
• Screen Size: The screen size should always be something that you are comfortable with. This may be much more difficult than it sounds as it is difficult to know just what you will like without using the MP3 player for some time. The best way to remedy this situation is to try out several at the store and see which is best for your needs.
• File Format: MP3 is not the only format out there, believe it or not, and you may find that certain players do not accept certain formats. For example MP4 and FLAC are two popular formats and many MP3 players will not support them. This will typically call for a conversion, which means they are not very convenient.
• Battery Life: As you probably know, the battery life of any portable MP3 players is extremely important. There are some that will last for approximately two hours and this is not generally acceptable. Also keep in mind that some of the higher end portable players will last for around twenty-four hours.
Each MP3 player will have a different software suite installed. Some will only perform basic tasks such as music playback and others will actually provide you with more advanced functions such as web browsing, movie playback, and even file transfers between devices. Make sure you examine all of the potential features before you make your decision. Some will not need the advanced features, though others will most certainly be able to make use of them. This is fairly self-explanatory, you know which category you fall into, and it will not be long before you have the right player that will unduly keep you entertained for many years to come.