There are many different types of MP3 players out on the market today.  Before you buy a new MP3 player, you should review this article so that you know what to choose.  These music players come in many different varieties and it would be a tragedy if you chose one that doesn’t work for you.  So without further adieu, let’s look at the three major types of players.

Hard Drive MP3 Players

Hard drive players are the most common type sold in stores today.  These are the most heavy and largest of MP3 players and offer large amounts of storage.  If you’re someone who has tons and tons of music and love to watch movies on-the-go, you’ll be most interested in these hard drive music players.  Popular players that fall into the hard drive category include the Apple iPod and Microsoft Zune.

So if you’re giving an MP3 player as a gift or buying one for yourself and know you have a large collection of music, photos, videos, and data that you want to carry around with you, you’ll find hard drive players to be the best.  But due to these convenient features, hard drive MP3 players will use a lot more power which will make them only last about 20 hours.  As you do more advanced functions like playing games or watching movies, you’ll cut the battery life to around 6 hours.  Finally, the major disadvantage with this category of music players is they can be prone to skipping.  So if you’re into exercising, you may not be suited for hard drive based players.

Advantages of Hard Drive MP3 Players:

• Largest capacities for songs, videos, pictures, and games.
• Multimedia monsters–you can do just about anything with these players.
• Typically have large screens which are great for watching movies while in the car or bus.
• Comparatively inexpensive for the amount of hard drive space.

Disadvantages:

• Usually large and bulky (there are some mini-hard drive models out there which are pretty small).
• Not good for people who like to exercise or run.

Flash MP3 Players

Flash memory MP3 players are the smallest and lightest players you can buy.  But with that compact size, you’re very limited in the number of songs you can put on the unit.  However, there is a major advantage with flash memory music players:  they can never skip.  If you’re an athletic person and like to run or exercise while listening to music, you’ll find these players to be an optimum choice.  Flash MP3 players also have really good battery life and get you up to 28 hours per charge.

Advantages of Flash MP3 Players:

• Smallest and most portable of the MP3 players.
• They don’t have moving parts which makes them the BEST choice for people who like to exercise because they never skip during playback.

Disadvantages:

• Can be very expensive if you want a lot of hard drive space.
• Not great for watching videos or viewing pictures because of their smaller screens.
• They are very easy to lose if you’re a forgetful person.

MP3 CD Players

While the technology for CD players are almost completely obsolete due to the superior power of flash and hard drive based players, there are still a few on the market today.  Basically these players work by using CD’s burned with MP3 and other music files.  A typical CD can hold about 10 hours of music.  The major advantage with CD MP3 players is they are very inexpensive to buy and operate.  All they require a computer with a CD burner and you’re on your way.

Advantages of MP3 CD Players:

• Very inexpensive to purchase and operate.  A spindle of CD’s for about $15 can get you about 1,000 hours of music.

Disadvantages:

• They are big, bulky, and require you to carry CD’s around with you if you want a wide range of music.
• If you exercise a lot while listening to music, these players will skip during playback.

Now that you know the basic three types of MP3 players, it’s time to start browsing the site for the player that works best for you.  With so many different MP3 players out there, you’re guaranteed to find the one that has the features you need and is friendly to your wallet.

The best MP3 players for under $75 are those that allow the MP3 player to do exactly what it is designed to do: have thousands of songs at your fingertips wherever you go and make personalized play lists to call up your songs in the order you would like to hear them. Portability is the big selling point for MP3 players, since most can fit in a pocket or purse and weigh less than one ounce. In a tight economy, however, price becomes an important competing feature. Buyers want affordable devices that give them just as much memory and access as the pricey models.

Many upscale players on the market run about $250 to $300. The most upscale player was commissioned as a piece of jewelry by Russian-Canadian billionaire Alex Shnaider. Designed with diamonds and a chain, and case in 750 ct gold, the device is valued at $20,000. It was made by German audio company, TrekStor.

This kind of gadget is beyond luxury for most consumers. Many would probably not purchase a $20,000 device even if they had the expendable cash. Therefore, many manufacturers have release some budget conscious models that are a bit more reasonably priced. A look at six of the best MP3 players for under $75 should give a good indication of where to start shopping.

The iPod as a brand has enjoyed a reputation as one of the most coveted MP3 players on the market. The Apple iPod Shuffle 4 GB comes in right at budget at only $74.36. The 4 GB of memory enable you to store up to 1,000 songs and there is a capacity for 10 hours of extended play when the device is fully charged. A handy clip makes it possible to attach the player to a belt, purse strap, pocket or other safe transport. Touted as the smallest music player in the world, the iPod Shuffles comes in silver, black, green, pink and blue, and it is engineered to announce out loud which song is playing and which group is performing. This feature, called VoiceOver, even announces your playlists and tells you when your battery is low.

The controls for the iPod Shuffle 4 GB have been moved to the earphone cord. This comes in handy if you use your MP3 player a lot at the gym. You are not forced to fumble for the actual player in order to control the shuffle of music. You have the option of using the headphones that come with the device or shopping for similar ones made by Belkin, Klipsch, V-Moda or Scosche.

The shuffle feature of this MP3 player gives you three options: randomly play songs, play songs in playlist order or turn the shuffle off altogether. Some customers have complained about the functionality of the shuffle while they are working out, citing that the control mechanism on the earphone goes haywire without warning. This malfunction reportedly makes the iPod shift between songs after only a few minutes of play and keeps the VoiceOver feature repeating unnecessarily.

Apple has been trying to overcome this hazard by working with third-party makers of headphones, but this, of course, will come at some extensive cost to users.

The Zune 4 GB Digital Media Player allows you to store 1,000 songs, 12 hours of video or 25000 pictures. With a 1.8-inch screen and special importing feature, the Zune has a wireless Zune-to-Zune player to let you swap tracks, pictures and video. An FM tuner keeps you connected to sports and local news.

Intuitive touch controls make it easy to navigate this player, which centers its operation on community networking. The Zune Online Community is a social networking hub that allows users to create a profile, add friends, connect to people with similar music tastes and make music recommendations. In addition, the Zune Marketplace encourages subscription-based purchases or the downloading of individual songs. Zune has enabled the MP3 player to tag songs that you hear in passing and want to purchase later.

Zune, priced at about $67.99, is compatible with the Xbox 360 and lets you customize soundtracks for games. If you download compatible Zune software on our PC or laptop, you can also stream pictures, video or songs from your computer to your Xbox 360 console. The software is online, and it is a full multimedia player that can stay on your computer.

Customers have praised Zune for creating one of the best MP3 players for under $75 because of its intuitive interface, simple software, sound quality and easy-to-hold shape. The device also has excellent sound quality. Aside from a few reviews that place the earbuds as being too large and a random complaint about a lock switch being stuck, Zune seems to have won over many different types of users.

The Touch Screen 4 GB 2.8-Inch TFT MP4/MP3 Movie Music Personal Media Player ($49.99) has an amazing resolution of 320 x 240, which will make it easy fun to watch video and images. The FM radio tuner has 20 channel presets. An impressive eight-preset equalizer allows you to customize your listening experience for rock, jazz, classic, bass, pop, 3D and natural settings.

The built-in SD card slot, unfortunately, does not come with the Mini SD digital card included. You will have to purchase it separately. The player does allow you to play videos, see pictures, and listen to songs, though.

The touch screen for this player is reportedly not as sensitive as those on more upscale players. It can be frustrating having to give a command twice in order to get it executed. One customer has also revealed a problem with transferring large files or a lot of files at one time.

Apparently, the device cannot handle such large bytes of information and will permanently crash the MP4 capabilities. Other challenges to the MP4 format for this model include having only one game available to play and using an MP4 that will not take SDHC or micro cards. Mini SD cards are the only ones that work with the Touch Screen 4 GB. There is a very knowledgeable professional support team in place however, and they respond quickly to emails and help requests.

The Coby 4 GB Flash MP3 Player with FM and color display has 10 hours of playing time in an MP3 formats and can do video, photos and text. The device costs about $36.67.

A free subscription at the time of purchase allows you to test drive the music offerings before your account goes to automatic billing. This player has been a favorite for those who enjoy listening to audio books. This genre has favorable selections in the subscription download offerings.

One of the major complaints about the Coby 4 GB Flash MP3 Player has been its inability to play song in the order in which you would like to hear them. The player alphabetizes the songs, and the user is forced to listen to the order arranged by the player.

Another complaint has to do with the functionality of the earpiece. It has been called hard by users and difficult to insert into the ear. Users have mostly bought their own headphones and earpieces – a luxury when it comes to compatibility, but a challenge when it comes to saving cash. The manual for this player has been reportedly less than impressive. Too little information makes this not a thorough tool. This has been solved by most buyers by locating a more extensive manual online.

The Sandisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player ($39.19) has a best feature of playtime. Currently set at 15 hours, it includes an internally rechargeable battery. One of the most lightweight MP3 players, it is a real convenience for the person who is always on the go. A voice recorder and built-in microphone even make it easy to save memos to yourself and transfer them later to your computer. Synching is a breeze with this player, as it allows drag and drop transfers or moving files via software.

Some of the general complaints about the Sandisk have to do with the clip having a weak clamp and not always fitting certain thicknesses of belts, straps or other clip-on sites. Some have also been irritated with the fact that the jack has to be inserted into its port until it snaps and no metal can be seen. Otherwise, the headphones will not work properly.

There have been some reports of defective units and durability issues. Some customers have reported extreme dissatisfaction with the way the company honors (or does not honor) its warranty offer. According to some reviews, Sandisk gives the customer the runaround rather than addressing the problem.

One customer said the company kept him on the line for 35 minutes asking exhaustive questions about the player rather than simply responding to the information given. When the customer asked why the process was taking so long, the agent said he was exhausting all possibilities before honoring the warranty. This made the customer feel as if the prolonged questioning was a way of avoiding the warranty guarantee and discouraging the customer from demanding a working product. The problem the customer had had with the player was that it played only for a few minutes and then quit altogether.

The Philips GoGear 4 GB Vibe MP3 Video Player with 1.5-Inch color screen has one of the longest lasting playback times for all other MP3 players in this category. It can play songs for 25 hours or continuous video for four hours. Most other MP3 players edge in at half the amount of playback time.

You can easily do video downloads from the internet with the Philips GoGear, and an FM radio gives you 20 presets. Rhapsody to Go has teamed with Philips to offer buyers a savvy music subscription service right at their fingertips.

The GoGear, priced at $51.82, synchs quite easily with a PC and comes with a very intuitive, user-friendly interface. Users also report an extremely high quality sound and say this is a unit that really scores well for portability.

Complaints have been logged about the too-short USB cable that is only 4.75 inches long. You will inevitably have to purchase a separate USB cable if you want some degree of comfort while you synch. If you use a small port to large port USB cord, you are able to recharge the device that way, though. The earpiece is also a bit uncomfortable after short use. This should be added to your accessories shopping list as well.

The reset button on the GoGear has given some users a bit of a problem, as well. Some report pushing the button and locking the player completely. Holding the + side of the volume control down while using the Philips GoGear VIBE Device Manager, though, might save the day. The device manager can update software and restore the original settings. Be aware that having to perform this function will completely erase any songs or other information that you have stored on the player. You will be forced to start from scratch rebuilding playlists and downloads.

There are many different price ranges of the best mp3 players for under $75. The least expensive, costing between $18 and about $27, sacrifice memory, video capacity and the ability to personally order playlists. Moderately priced MP3 players can give buyers quite a bargain for the money, since most have all the features of some high-end players, though not quite as much memory. For some users, the memory is not a real issue. Having the power to take about 1,000 songs with you wherever you do is plenty of storage.

When shopping for the best MP3 players for under $75, it is important to make sure that you know exactly how you will be using the device. If you will be listening to songs during a workout, it will be important to have a player that does not skip and has easily accessible controls. For a traveler or person with a busy lifestyle, a strong clip might be the strongest selling point. Whatever your habits dictate, the market has a right solution for you. Your right MP3 player can fit in your shopping bag for less than a hundred bucks.

If you value a budget over all the fancy features that can come with most Mp3 players, you should consider an inexpensive video MP3 player. The Coby 2GB Flash MP3 Player with FM and color display comes in black, has a 1.44-inch LCD screen, 2 GB of flash memory, an integrated FM radio and boasts an audio playing time of 10 hours. The compact design never gives this model away as a cheap MP3 player. It can play music and videos, show pictures and show text.

Shopping for an inexpensive MP3 player with video is not always a mission to land junk. In a tight economy or on a strict budget, high end fantasy MP3 players are not altogether practical. If your primary purpose is to just listen to music and be able to see images, you need a basic MP3 model with a cheap video player to meet your basic needs. All the bells and whistles are mostly for show, since you probably will not use them anyway.

Users who buy a cheap MP3 player and know what it is they are getting are not at all disappointed by the shortcomings of the gadget. Some reviewers for the Coby 2GB Flash MP3 Player, for example, know that one of the frustrating glitches in this model causes the playback mode to get stuck. Users have to remove the batteries and reset the player in order to continue listening to music.

Additionally, this inexpensive video MP3 player does not give you the flexibility to sequence songs and place them in the order in which you would like to listen to them. You must listen to them in the order in which they were loaded. It does not give you free will, but it does give you music.

The FM function on this Coby model seems to pick up one station. The player is also not compatible with iTunes. If you have already stored a lot of songs in iTunes, that music will be lost to you with this player. Toggling between menus also takes some guess work.

As an inexpensive video MP3 player, the Coby 2GB Flash MP3 Player does serve its intended function: playing music with just the basics. The 2GB of memory makes it easy to store thousands of music files, and the price (about $28) is one coveted feature that lets users get a moderate bang for little bucks.

Gone are the days when those looking for MP3 players have to spend upwards of $300 for a quality product. If you’re just looking for an inexpensive, portable, easy-to-use MP3 players, you have a variety of options to fit any budget. While Apple and Microsoft were once the cream of the crop, they now have several competitors with even more feature-packed players.

Sandisk Sansa Clip 4 GB

For example, the Sansa Clip comes in sizes ranging from 1 GB to 4GB, and are priced from $27.99 to $69.99. For the price, these players are perfect in size, both in terms of musical capacity and dimensions, for those who wish to use it primarily when exercising.

Pros:
-Long battery life (15 hours)
-USB compatible
-Variety of color options.

Cons:
-Voice recording is fuzzy at times
-a few users reported issues with files that are over an hour in length.

Coby 4 GB Flash Video MP3 Player

Another affordable option is the Coby 4 GB Flash Video MP3 Player. This unit includes an FM Tuner and the added feature of video support. The unit is relatively small, about the size of a third generation iPod nano, making it the perfect workout companion, and for around $40, this unit brings excellent bang for the buck.

Pros:
-File transfers are a breeze with USB Support
-Video screen is exceptionally clear

Cons:
-Charger not included
-Headphones have been reported to be poor quality

Sony Walkman 8 GB Video MP3 Player

If your budget is around $100, look no further than the Sony Walkman 8 GB Video MP3 Player. This unit brings the impressive resume of Sony with a feature-packed unit that is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating consumer. With a large screen and extremely thin design, the unit fits in virtually any pocket and has an optional arm holster for use when jogging.

Pros:
-Quick, easy setup
-Equalizer delivers superb sound quality, even with stock headphones
-Easily import and remove media
-Large, easy-to-read screen

Cons:
-Some users reported less-than stellar battery life
-No voice recorder

Regardless of your budget, a quick browse of the models above will surely help you find an ideal unit to fit your needs.

The Microsoft Zune has been the butt end of the joke for a few years running now.  But with the release of the Zune HD MP3 player and the accompanying Zune Marketplace 4.0, everything is going to change.  The Zune, or the reported “iPod killer” was a shocker when it first was released.  Thought of as a brick by most people, it was fairly large for the taste of most consumers.  If you were someone who wanted to exercise, you didn’t want to lug the first generation Zune with you.  With each iteration of the Zune MP3 player, features, style, and affordability got so much better.

The Zune HD is by far one of the coolest MP3 players out today on the market.  With all the bells-and-whistle you could ever want:  HD radio, integrated Nvidia graphics, touch screen, and web browsing capabilities, it’s something everyone will love.   With a redesigned, sleek, sexy body and integration with XBOX live and your computer, you’ll be happy with your decision to buy the this multimedia MP3 super-machine.

With Apple dominating the market, it’s about time that someone put out a strong contender.  With the advanced technologies of the iPod Touch and iPhone, very few companies were able to compete.  Now, with the Zune HD out, the world has an ability to choose.

Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace in itself is a great alternative to iTunes.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of looking at a spreadsheet when listening to music.  Anything that looks like Excel reminds me too much of work.  Music should be fun!  And Zune Marketplace version 4.0 simply achieves it–hands down with its sexy interface.  Marketplace also has a technology to help keep your music fresh and interesting.  Smart DJ is able to take artists that you’re interested in and generating a play list with songs incorporating that flair and style.  While Pandora has been around for years doing that, it’s a relief that the big companies like Apple and Microsoft are finally embracing the technology too.

The interface for the Zune HD is beautiful.

So what are the cool things that the Zune has that you can’t find with the Apple iPod Touch?

• ZunePass.  With this you’re able to download an unlimited amount of music.  It’s only $15 a month.  Of those unlimited songs you download, you’re able to keep 10 of them for free, permanently (without DRM protection).
• 720p HDMI output for high definition video.
• Sexiest looking music management software out there.  You can download it for free at the link.
• The operating system on the Zune HD is simply beautiful.  You’ll never want to switch back to anything else.
• OLED screen.  From Wikipedia:  “A significant advantage of OLED displays over traditional liquid crystal displays (LCDs) is that OLEDs do not require a backlight to function. Thus, they can display true black color, draw far less power, and can be much thinner and lighter than an LCD panel. OLED displays also naturally achieve much higher contrast ratio than LCD monitors.”  I can’t explain how awesome OLED technology is.


Zune is also refreshing its free Zune PC software with new discovery and recommendation features, such as Quickplay and Smart DJ, that help users find and play digital content.

• Free HD radio.  With the radio, you can tag songs that you like to be automatically downloaded at home.
• Integrates flawlessly with XBOX Live.
• Built in nVidia graphics card for 3D gaming.
• Listen to music “on demand”.  If you have access to the internet, you can listen to music with your Zune, even if it’s not on the hard drive.

To end, the Zune HD is a great alternative to the Apple iPod Touch.  With the built-in 3D graphics, wireless connectivity, OLED touch screen, and other amazing features, the possibilities for the future with this device knows no bounds.  While it can be a bit pricey, if you’re a techno-nerd, you’ll love this MP3 player.  I can’t more thoroughly recommend the purchase of this multimedia device.  With you have kids, this would make the ultimate Christmas present this season (I guarantee it’ll be sold out by Christmas Eve).  It really is that awesome.

Sometimes only one color will do when making an electronic purchase.  Pink is one of the most popular colors out on the market today.  You can find tons of different things in pink like laptops, backpacks, lunch bags, clothes, televisions, and of course:  MP3 players.  If you have someone on your list interested in getting a cool pink MP3 player for their birthday or Christmas, check out this guide to the best pink MP3 players.

SandDisk Sansa Clip

The Sansa Clip is the perfect companion who needs something pink to listen to while exercising or on-the-go.  Available in 5 different colors (including your favorite color, pink), you’re able to get all the sound you would ever need out this matchbox sized MP3 player.  And as the name states, you can easily clip this MP3 player to your pants, backpack, or shirt for easy portability without expensive accessories.  The pink SandDisk Sansa Clip has room for about 500 songs.  It has also has a built-in FM radio for listening to music or talk radio at any time.  If you need an MP3 player for recording classes or meetings at work, the Clip also has a voice recorder.

Creative Labs Zen Mozaic

The Creative Labs Zen Mozaic is a one-of-a-kind style of MP3 player.  Why look like anyone else when you can be completely unique with the Zen?  Available in a variety of different memory sizes, this pink MP3 scales to your music and video watching lifestyle.  The Creative Labs pink Zen Mozaic is definitely a shout out with strikingly bold appearance.  One of the coolest features with this MP3 is that is has an internal speaker for listening to music without headphones.

The Mozaic has tons of different features and makes entertainment in the car or bus much more easy.  It has about 32 hours of battery life when it comes to listening to music.   So never fear about having your batteries run out at the worst time.  It also has a bunch of other features like a built-in alarm clock, calendar, and contact manager.  You can even use it as a flash drive for moving files from computer to computer.  It also has an integrated FM radio tuner as well a voice recorder.

Sony Walkman Video MP3 Player

The pink Sony Walkman sports a new compact and slim design for people on the go.  It also has one of the longest lasting batteries on the market for MP3 players.  If you’re someone who finds it difficult to find time to charge their player, you’ll love the 45 hours of battery life you get with the Walkman.  This pink MP3 player also supports all the audio and video formats you use so that you don’t need to worry about wasting time converting files.  It also has a built-in FM tuner for listening to the radio while on-the-go.  It also has a very simple to use interface for getting songs onto the player.  If you hate having to use bulky software like iTunes for moving songs around, you’ll like the drag-and-drop functionality of the Sony Walkman.

Are you looking for a cheap MP3 player that has video capabilities?  If you are, the cheapest player out there is Insignia Sport.  It has fairly good sound quality (it’s not going to win any awards by any means), has an FM radio tuner, and is pretty easy to connect to the computer for downloading music.  Also, while the navigation could be a lot better, you get used to it over time.

The Insignia MP3 player does have problems every once in a while when trying to read corrupted MP3 files.  If it comes across a file it can’t read, it simply freezes up and won’t do anything you ask it to do.  Since it doesn’t have a reset button, you ultimately end up either having to take out the batteries (which is nearly impossible) or waiting for the batteries to die completely in the unit.  It also an annoying way of sorting music.  While you can organize the files on the player in folders, it only display the MP3 music by common tags like title, artist, genre, or album.  While this isn’t too bad, it can get a bit irritating when the song you’re looking for is improperly tagged.  To prevent that type of problem, you can buy tagging software for you music to make sure your songs are all consistent.

Advantages of the Insignia Sport 2 GB:

• It has decent sound for the money.  Uses an equalizer to get your tunes to rock your way.
• Built-in FM tuner.
• Uses a MicroSD expansion slot so that you can add more songs to it.
• Good battery life.
• Simple to move songs from your PC to the MP3 player.  No weird software needed.
• Uses Bluetooth technology for connecting to speakers wirelessly.

Disadvantages:

• The video portion of the player can be a nuisance at times.  It’s difficult to find video formats that will actually play.  No big deal if you’re not wanting to watch a ton of movies with this media player.

Beyond the main disadvantage, you won’t be disappointed for the price that you pay for the Insignia MP3 player.  It’s very cheap and it gets the job done pretty well.  If you’re looking for a cool gadget to use for a stocking stuff at Christmas, you won’t go wrong choosing this player as a gift.

The SanDisk Sansa Fuze proves to be a great small inexpensive MP3 player. Compared to the iPod Nano, the Sansa Fuze has a quite a few advantages. While the actual body of the unit is the same size as the Nano, it’s screen is a bit smaller which may be deal-breaker for some people. For most people the screen size won’t make much of a difference–especially if they aren’t going to be watching any movies on it. If you are a video person, however, you may want to choose the Apple IPod Nano instead. For navigation, it uses a wheel very similar to the iPod’s except that it has a more tactile “click” to it which can be very satisfying to turn at times. Its battery life is pretty much as advertised and doesn’t score the Fuze any extra points.

If you’re wondering why you SHOULD get a SanDisk Sansa Fuze it’s: the built-in voice recorder, the micro SD card expansion slot, compatibility with Microsoft audio formats (WMA), extremely cheap price, and built-in FM radio. The expandable memory alone (besides the low cost) should be reason enough to get the player. If you find that 4 GB MP3 player isn’t enough for you later on, you can expand it later to 8 GB or more.

Advantages of the Sansa Fuze:

• While the screen isn’t as big as the Apple iPod Nano, it’s still more than big enough for watching a video on the bus or plane.
• Very simple to navigate around on the screen.  The spinning wheel is very fun to rotate.
• Built-in MicroSD card slot is awesome for adding more memory to your MP3 player when you need it.  Plus, most phones use this card too so you can swap it back and forth to share songs and pictures.
• It has a built-in FM radio tuner with the ability to record songs from the radio.
• It has a built-in voice recorder which is great for those boring classes that you don’t want to take notes for.

Disadvantages of the SanDisk Sansa Fuze:

• At times, it can be really annoying to transfer videos over to the unit.  If you have a lot of movies you want to watch on the player, you can get frustrated trying to find a format that will actually work.
• Turning the MP3 player on and off can be annoying if you have large fingers.
• It doesn’t have a lot of accessories to go along with it.  If you love dressing up your MP3 players with pink silicon sleeves and plugging it into an awesome docking station, you may be disappointed with the amount of choice available.

Besides its few disadvantages, the Sansa Fuze is an excellent choice for the beginning or average MP3 player user.  It’s great for someone looking for a small MP3 player with multimedia capabilities.  If you want to watch movies on an MP3 player you may lot like the Fuze because of the small screen, but other than that, it’s a great buy.

The SanDisk Sansa Clip is the ultimate solution for anyone looking for a tiny MP3 player without spending too much money.  Available in a variety of different colors, you can find the one that works best for you and your lifestyle.  The Sansa Clip works precisely as the name implies:  it clips onto your bag, belt, or sleeve of your shirt so that you can get moving.  This is a great exercise MP3 player.  If you’ve been considering an Apple iPod Nano, you may like the Sansa Clip better.  While the Clip is a bit bigger in terms of size, the cost is much lower than the Apple product.  Finally, the Sansa Clip comes with a very nice added features like a voice recorder and a FM tuner.

Advantages of the SandDisk Sansa Clip:

• Great sounding device.
• Decent capacity for what you pay for.
• Very light and mobile.
• Built-in FM tuner with 20 presets.
• Built-in voice recorder for conferences or classes in school.
• Aesthetically pleasing and a range of color choices.
• Compatible with all the major audio formats including DRM and WMA.
• Easy to move music onto the player with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Decent battery life with about 15 hours per charge.

Disadvantages of the Sansa Clip:

• When it comes to tiny MP3 players, the Sansa Clip is fairly big.
• While it’s great if you only need 1 GB, there are 2 GB models available for only a few dollars more.

The SanDisk Sansa Clip is great alternative to the overpriced Apple products when it comes to total compatibility, features, and bang for the buck.  Simply put, there are few MP3 players that beat it for the price and nothing beats it in terms of total features.  You should definitely have lots of fun with a new Sansa Clip.

This Coby MP3 player is great for someone looking for something good while on a budget. This is a very simple to use cheap MP3 player and is great for anyone on-the-go who doesn’t want to deal with watching videos or viewing pictures. For a tiny MP3 player, it does exactly as advertised.

With this MP3 player you cannot expect any bells and whistles like you would with a Zune or another fancier device.  Basically you plug it into your computer, move songs onto it like a flash drive, and then go.  It uses AAA batteries for power (gets about 13 hours per set) so you may want to purchase rechargeable AAA batteries so you don’t end up eating  wallet trying to keep it on.  But for the price, you really can’t argue about the battery power or anything like that.  The included ear buds can be a little painful after wearing them for a while, so it’s recommended that you buy a nice set of headphones while getting the player.

Advantages of the Coby 4 GB MP3 Player:

• Very inexpensive to purchase.  If you lose it, there’s no big deal.
• Decent sound quality for someone looking for an MP3 for everyday use.
• Simple interface to move songs from your computer to the MP3 player.  If you don’t want to hassle with iTunes or some other software, this player is a great choice for you.
• Delete songs on the player itself without using the computer.
• Built-in FM radio with over 30 presets.
• Very small and portable.  Great for listening to music while on a morning jog.
• Can be used as a flash drive for moving data from computer to computer.

Disadvantages of the Coby 4 GB MP3 Player:

• Poor navigational interface if you have a lot of songs in one folder.  Can be a bit annoying at times.
• Fairly cheap when it comes to the body of the unit.  Probably would break if dropped from 3 feet.
• Easy to lose cap for the USB portion of the player.
• Uses AAA batteries for power so will require rechargeable batteries if you don’t want to spend a fortune powering it.
• Uncomfortable starter headphones.  You’ll definitely want to buy some nice ones with it.

In the end, this Coby MP3 player is great for anyone looking for something cheap, easy-to-use, and able to get the job done.   For the price, nothing really compares against this player.  Besides a few of the negatives–which can be easily remedied for an extra $15–you’ll be more than satisfied with the MP3 device.  Seriously, with the price as low as it is, who cares if it breaks after a year, you can just buy a new one.

The Creative Zen MP3 player is a great choice for people looking for something small, compact, and powerful. It’s one of the best MP3 players for the price when it comes to its size and multimedia capabilities. With the 32 GB model, you’re able to store just about anything you need for a smooth road trip or a year’s worth of music while exercising. Another awesome feature that the Zen has is its expandable SD card slot. If you happen to run out of room with the built-in 32 GB, you can expand it up to another 16 GB for less than $30.

While not as robust as some of the more expensive Apple or Microsoft products when it comes to advanced multimedia like games, the Creative Zen is definitely a contender in the MP3 arena.  Any person buying this player will certainly enjoy this player for many years to come.

Advantages of the Creative Zen MP3 Player:

• While the screen isn’t the largest, the 2.5 inch screen is decent for watching movies on-the-go.
• The screen has brilliant color and a very wide viewing angle which makes showing that funny clip from Family Guy last night to your colleagues at work much easier.
• The Zen is the size of the credit card which makes it great to use while exercising.
• Uses flash memory which means you won’t have to deal with skipping music while running.
• Expandable memory slot.  Not very many players have this capability (iPod included) which frankly is an awesome feature.
• Supports unprotected AAC format, which means you can listen to all those songs you ripped through iTunes on the Zen.
• It has a built-in FM radio tuner.  If you’re not interested in the thousands of songs you have stored on the player, you can listen to talk radio instead.
• Long lasting battery.  Compared to the competition, the 30 hours of battery life simply leaves them all behind.

Disadvantages of the Creative Zen:

• It has a small screen.  Due to its small size, it can be difficult at times to watch certain videos or movies–especially if they have subtitles.  This issue isn’t important if you’re not going to use it to view movies.
• It’s fairly small which means you can lose it.  If you lose your car keys a lot you may not like this MP3 player.  You don’t want to end up beating yourself up later because it fell out of your pocket and got crushed in the couch.
• Limited choice of sleeves and accessories for the Zen.

For final thoughts, the Creative Zen is definitely a great choice.  If you’re someone that doesn’t want to have to deal with the Apple iPod or Microsoft Zune, you’ll find Creative to be a great alternative brand.  Simply put, for the $50 – $100 savings compared to other MP3 players, plus the SD card expansion slot, you really can’t go wrong with the Zen.