MP3 Player: Research your needs

In order to end up with the MP3 player best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.

Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of MP3 players are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in an MP3 player.

Research the market: MP3 Player essentials

The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the MP3 player market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:

Type: Micro hard drive based, flash drive based, hard drive based.

Durability: The smaller the MP3 player, the higher the possibility for damage from dropping it. Larger MP3 players tend do be more durable can withstand rougher handling. Over time, MP3 players will fail when the hard drive fails.

Screen features: Some MP3 players come with full color screens, others come with black and white, whilst others have no screen at all.

Controls: Play, pause, stop, skip, forward, backward, lock feature, menu options.

Size: The amount of memory for songs ranges from 128MB to 80GB.

Colors: MP3 players come in a wide range of colors and styles.

Volume levels: Most MP3 players will have a turn-dial or button volume control system.

How you put music on the player: MP3 players can either utilize a computer program or can be plugged into a USB port for simple loading of songs or other files from a computer hard drive.

Battery life: Because MP3 players require a battery, the amount of time that you can use the player will depend on the battery life.

Other features: FM radio, voice recorder.

Cost: Prices vary depending on the features, battery life, and storage space.

Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself

Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in an MP3 player. For example, will you use the MP3 player only for playing music or do you want to use it for audio books and video as well?

You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.

Have I owned an MP3 player before?
	If you have, work out what you did or didn't like about it. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient.

Do I have special desires for an MP3 player?
	You might want to store a lot of songs on your MP3 player or need the player to be portable for when you are out and about. If you are looking to use it when you exercise, then you will want to find one that is lightweight and easy to carry or attach to yourself.

What is my main use for an MP3 player?
	You may want to have an MP3 player for continuous music play while at work. Consider whether you will require other accessories such as speakers and headphones. You might be able to purchase a better set of headphones separately, than the ones that come with the player.

How often will I use an MP3 player?
	You might want to listen to music at your desk during the workday, and on your way to and from work; or you may want to use the MP3 player only occasionally. Determining how much you are likely to use it may help you determine what price you are willing to pay.

How much money do I want to spend on an MP3 player?
	You may want a lot of features or you can choose something simple that only plays music. The more things that you want to do with an MP3 player, the higher the overall cost will be. Generally, the newer the technology, the higher the price tag.

Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.

Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of MP3 players and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.

Video Links

Sansa Express MP3 player - Reviewed
Amazingtechproducts.com reviews a Sansa Express MP3 player. Available in 1GB and 2GB. (2m 41s)