iPod & MP3 Player Home

Apples & Oranges: Differences Between iPods And Other Mp3 Players

You definitely want an MP3 player this season.  Those long road trips are just too tedious while listening to random radio stations.  The idea of an MP3 player is a good one.  But with so many digital players to choose from, how do you know which is best?  Furthermore, should you get an iPod or an MP3 player?  What's the difference?

First of all, an MP3 player is a general term for a portable device that digitally plays music, whether from hard disk or flash memory.  (No CDs or tapes are required for playback)  It might also be referred to as a portable media player, provided the devices can playback video or view images.  iPods are a type of MP3 player, or portable media player, that is produced and marketed by the Apple corporation.  So deciding that you don't want an MP3 player and instead want an iPod would be an odd conclusion to come to.

iPod Software Review

The iPod digital player was first created in 2001 and has since has five "generations" of redesigned iPod cases and iPod accessories.  Among the earlier models with limitations are the iPod Shuffle, the iPod Mini, the iPodphoto, and the iPod Nano.  The fifth generation iPod is considered the most advanced system and can support iPod videos as well as music.  (The iPod Shuffle and earlier models were simply not capable of accommodating iPod video)  The best part of iPod (and other MP3 players) is that you can download new music; two popular sites are the Apple-launched iTunes Music Store (ITMS) and the iPod Lounge.

MP3 Player Comparison

However, many music lovers prefer other brands of digital players to iPod, such as Creative Zen, iRiver, Sony, Samsung, Dell and Hewlett Packard, who all manufacture portable media players, more or less on the same technical level as the iPod.  Some users have noticed some important differences between iPod models and other Mp3 players like the iRiver and Creative Zen series.  For example, the iPod has a built in battery that burns out with time; most MP3 players have replaceable batteries so that you don't have to buy a brand new system every couple of years.  iPods are not known for being radio-friendly, whereas other MP3s are and allow you to easily listen to the radio and make digital recordings.

MP3 Player Ratings and iPods

Most MP3 player reviews suggest that iPod is easier to use than competing brands of digital players, and along with a color screen, offers users a more user-friendly product.  Perhaps it is for that reason iPods are currently the top selling digital player in the world.