MP3 player alternatives

The most sought after media device in the United States is the Apple iPod, and for good reason. No other device rivals its ease of use, its sleek style or its newly acquired video capability. We see the iPod everywhere, being used by people of all ages. For some, the device is actually used to its capacity.

However, there are a substantial number of college students who don’t need an MP3 player with that much space, or if they did they certainly wouldn’t need an iPod, the most expensive player on the market.

The reality of this situation is that there are actually quite a few alternatives to buying an MP3 player. After all, what are you paying for but a small portable computer?

Therefore, you are paying for the parts of a computer: hard drive space, a screen and tools to communicate with that device, such as the glide wheel on the iPod. It all comes down to one question: If you are surrounded by computers at home and at school, and that’s where you get most of your work done, do you really need something portable?

The answer for some is actually “no,” but they get sucked into purchasing MP3 players anyway. The alternative is to purchase a flash drive of up to two gigabytes and dedicate it to music. It will connect to any computer through its USB port and voila, you have music with an on-screen display to help you direct it. These are the parents of the iPod.

If two gigabytes is not enough space for you, you can dedicate an external hard drive to such an endeavor. These can be purchased for about the same price, are lightweight and can hold up to 200 gigabytes of hard drive space. You could get a bigger one, but why one would need that is beyond me. The only problem with an external drive is that you need a separate power source for it to run.

All of these things can be avoided, however, if you just get a laptop. That is the ultimate investment because you will be able to take all your media wherever you go, except maybe jogging.