How to Pick the Right Portable Media Player

There are several considerations you must take into account before purchasing your portable media player. There are many players out in the market; all of which present unique features and capabilities. In order to make a informed decision, you must have some basic knowledge about media players. This article will provide this basic information. We will look at three main categories: storage capacity, battery life, and functionality and aesthetics.

Storage Capacity:

Every media player has some sort of data storage drive. There are two types: hard disk drives and solid-state drives. Hard disk drives have larger storage capacities than solid-state drives and are significantly cheaper. Solid-state drives are expensive, but offer quicker transfer speeds and lower power consumption. In general, if you are looking to store a lot of data get a hard disk drive.

Battery Life:

There are a number of variables that affect battery. The first factor is the battery type. Battery technology is quickly advancing with more power-efficient batteries coming out all the time. Depending on the media player you purchase, the battery can last anywhere between a couple hours to a couple days of nonstop use.

Another determinate of battery life is the operating system. The actual computing code can be oriented toward lower power consumption. Although it may not seem like this is a significant factor, battery life can be improved well over 20% depending on how drastically the operating system has been altered.

The last significant variable of battery life is the data storage type. As discussed, solid-state hard drives are the best for limiting energy use. Compared to hard disk drives, solid-state drives have been know to stay on over 50 percent longer.

Functionality & Aesthetics:

First and foremost, you should base your purchasing decision on functionality and later its physical appearance. From a functional standpoint, you need to consider compatibility. Not only should you consider the compatibility of file types(such as .wma, .m4a, and .mp3), but also the compatibility to sync on your computer's media player application (such as Windows Media Player, iTunes, and Winamp).

Portable media players are evolving from just a music player to both a music and video player to now a personal manager, music and video player, and an internet device. Identify your needs and pair them with portable media player that will fulfill those needs.

After these functional decisions have been made, then you can look at the aesthetic appearance. Ideally choose a player that fits your style and persona.