Mp3's: Don't Leave Home Without Em!
Jun 04 '00
With the rise in affordable portable Mp3 devices, the availability of Mp3 trading software, computer based players like WinAmp and especially applications which can covert Cd-Audio to Mp3 the portable Mp3 player is going to be a must have item in the near future.
Like the rise of the Portable Cd-Player, lead by Sony's Discman, Portable Mp3 players can already by found in several forms.
The main difference in Portable Mp3 devices is the storage medium each type provides. There are 4 main types of storage devices being utilized today.
First the popular Smart Card or Memory Sticks(Sony). These credit card, or smaller, sized memory modules allow the user to store anywhere from 32 to 128 megabytes of data in a Solid State format. Solid State means there are no moving parts involved in reading or storing the data. Players like the Nomad from Creative Labs and the e-Go I2Go, utilize this technology to provide portable devices that offer precision in reading and writing data to their storage medium.
The next storage medium in use today was pioneered by IBM. IBM's Microdrives can support higher amounts of data storage, even up to 340 megabytes of data, with Microdrive storage amounts increasing day after day. These small drives come with one additional drawback. Microdrives have moving parts and are not solid state. The possibility of dropping you player or drive and having it break is increased with the addition of moving parts.
Another increasingly popular medium for Mp3 storage is the CD-ROM. Cd's can store between 650 and 800 megabytes of data depending on the type of Disc. Some soon to be released players from Pine and Creative Labs offer Mp3 as well as CD-Audio playback in a portable Cd Player.
Still another growing medium for portable devices are Standard Hard Drives. Hard Drives, just like those on you computer can store upwards of 30 to 40 Gigabytes of data. These drives can be found in a growing number of Car-Audio based systems where a slightly larger storage medium can be allowed. Although slightly less portable, these devices will easily get the most usage out of any if located in a regularly used vehicle.
Of all the storage mediums for portability, reliability and stability I would highly recommend Smart Cards. Their solid state logic allows these devices to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.
The Medium for storage capacity regardless of size the answer is Hard Drives. You could drive for close to days and days without ever hearing the same song twice listening to media stored on a 40 gigabyte drive.
I like the increased storage size MicroDrives offer, but the moving parts in a micro format make these a difficult choice to reason, if the device you're purchasing may get used and moved a lot.
Overall though, the popular choice for the future will easily be Cd-Rom based devices. With the proliferation of Cd-Recorders and the ease of use which they offer, not to mention the ability of these devices to play standard audio Cd's, these devices will become as popular and well known as today's standard cd-player.
Overall research the players your interested in, and pay attention to their storage format. I'll be reviewing several players in the future, so keep a watch out for those reviews. And keep on ripping those Mp3's!
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mjr1138
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Location: Connecticut
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