Help, I want an MP3 player, but I don't have a computer!

So I told them I'd give them pointers on how to choose a cheap MP3 player that would work well for them, even if they don't have a PC. Maybe you, like me, have friends who want an MP3 player, maybe as a gift? Read on...

There's a lot to choose from on the market, so let's break it down:

Any Ipod is out, unless you have one Ipod savvy friend with a computer who will regularly help you maintain your player. The reason is, that you'll need the Itunes software in order to put music on the player, and if you plug it into any other computer, the Itunes software will pretty much insist you delete everything on the player in order to put anything new on it.

So, what other choices are there?

1. Big harddrive based player (expensive)
2. Smaller, flash based player (from cheap to expensive depending on size of memory)
3. Stand alone DVD-player

The choice depends on what you want to do with it.
1) If this player is to house a big music collection, and you'll use it for pretty much everything, go with a harddrive based player, as big as possible.
2) If it needs to be cheap, or you want to use it while running or working out, choose a flash based player. Keep in mind that the biggest flash players today have 16 gigabytes of storage. The friend with the big Ipod only has about 1000 songs on hers... The big flash players are somewhat expensive, and they still don't come in 60 gigabyte versions.
3) If you only want to use it at home, check out a stand alone DVD player. But you'll need some half decent speakers to go with it, and be aware that the sound on many DVD players is mediocre, and many times the MP3 software is crap. But if you get one that accepts DVD's with MP3 music, and shuffles tracks across folders, you've got something that may work. If you've already got the speakers/stereo system and the TV, it's a cheap enough solution.

But, if you don't have a computer, not all players are a good bet. The point must be that you should be able to add music to it from any computer you run across, and you also need to be aware of different ways of organizing the files.

Basically, it must have USB Mass Storage capability. That's essentially a driver for any USB connected memory, from harddrives to memory sticks. And it means you can add and delete files from it without any additional software. Older player designs may even have drivers for windows 98! Most (if not all?)Creative and Sandisk players have this capability, in addition to being able to synchronize with Windows Media Player (which is a viable method if you have your own PC).

Different ways of organizing the files include:

1. MP3 tags
2. File names and folders

1) For instance the Sandisk Sansa players all organize the files according to MP3 tags. Which means any folders you put in are ignored. The player builds a database of tags and filenames, and knows where each file is. So in order to organize your files, you may want to think about fixing the tags of any songs you upload to the player before you do it. That requires some forethought, programs and knowledge, unless the player also has powerful song list features that you can use on the fly (the Sansas do not). The smaller the player is, the more you can get away with in terms of sloppy organization, but even at 2 gigabyte, it's getting a bit painful if you don't think ahead.
2) Creative's simpler players (including Zen Stone) tend to organize based on file names and folders. You can usually skip between folders, which means it's easy to organize the music, even if you use different computers each time, and don't have time to think about it much - just upload one more album or artist in a separate folder, and off you go. This works best on smaller players, and most of these are around 1 gigabyte (my old Creative TX is 256 MB).

Batteries:

1. One AAA battery
2. Rechargeable battery

1) Traditionally, the smaller flash based players had a single AAA battery, and some still do. It's a workable solution for those without a computer or travelling in remote areas, as long as you bring enough batteries. There are rechargeable AAA batteries available.
2) Rechargeable batteries are usually charged off the USB port of a computer these days, which means you'll either need a computer or a mains to USB adapter (usually quite cheap). Keep in mind that not all devices will charge off a USB adapter, you should test each device before buying. My Sansa E270 does, but my cell phones doesn't. It WILL charge off a Linux computer (go figure), but not a USB adapter. Also keep in mind that not all brands will offer replacement batteries, or you may not be allowed to replace the battery yourself.

Sound quality:

Basically, one sales clerk told me: The more expensive the player, the better the sound. Treat that rule of thumb with some healthy skepticism. Sales clerks shouldn't be trusted. But he might have a point. It's just that you should if possible test the players yourself before confirming.

 Next time a sales clerk tell you something like that, ask them this simple question: Have you personally actually tested that theory? If not, discard it. Ask them exactly WHAT they've tested, and under what circumstances. Also keep in mind that most men, especially young boys, would favor entirely different sound from what most women would (yes, I'm a woman). I've heard many guys rave about Koss PortaPro. I HATE the sound of those things. One word: Muddy!

Different lines of players from the same brand could have dramatically different sound quality. And the sound will be crap anyway until you replace the earbuds that came with the players. If you have the money, I'd buy the buds first, then test the players with your buds. I prefer in-ear buds, and currently use Creative EP-630. I hear Creative generally has good sounding players, and my old ones were very good for their time. The Sansa E270 is wonderful with my earbuds, but the Sansa M250 was a disappointment.

The no name players probably aren't as nice sounding as the bigger brands, but if you don't expect to use it much, it may not matter that much? I can tell you that I have used the E270 a lot more than I used the M250. The sound difference and the better controls (the wheel), really did make a difference in how much I enjoyed using it.

So, where to get the players? If you're in the USA, hit Amazon first, and check for players and prices, as well as local stores online etc. But since I'm in Norway, I'll switch to Norwegian here, for a rundown of where to get players in Norway:

Sjekk MP3 spillere på disse butikkene på nettet. De har ofte billigere (utgående) modeller, og de konkurrerer på pris:

Elkjøp, Lefdal, Clas Ohlson, Datakjeden / Komplett, Teknikmagasinet.

Sjekk deretter ut tilbudsbladene som dumper ned i postkassen for andre kjeder, og se til slutt på denne, for å finne beste pris om du bestemmer deg for å bestille på nettet: Prisguide. Men det er forutsatt at du har bestemt deg for hvilken spiller du vil ha.