WHAT IS ECO?
ECO helps promote musicians from the Atlantic Provinces while helping the writers who listen to their music. More info please!
This site was designed using Firefox- so chances are, it looks best in that browser.
GO READ SOMETHING, FOOL
Intervenus Interviews
Music = Life
Reviews
Geekery
Books/Film/OSTs
Venues
Music Stores
Close Encounters
EDITOR'S NOTE
All articles on East Coast Overture are Šopyright East Coast Overture and are owned by the site and the original author unless stated otherwise. All photography on ECO is owned by the original photographer. ECO is not responsible for the contents of any off-site pages or any other sites linked from ECO. Linking to the site or any of its pages is permitted and encouraged. This website does not permit direct linking of images, as that is bandwidth theft. East Coast Overture is not affiliated with any artist, recording label, management company, etc. ECO is an independently-produced project, headed by
Jillianne Hamilton.
How To Choose a Music Player
By Jillianne Hamilton
(07/12/09)
Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi used to be the stand-by debate for the masses. Now the rivalry is between iPods and other mp3 players. (Actually, there is no debate. iPods outsell all other kinds of portable music players by 300%. And 43% of writers just make up statistics on the spot.)
(Apple/iTunes users will, generally, want to stick with an iPod. Otherwise, you're free to look into other brands. Windows users will want to make sure their player can handle WMA files. Or you can download a wma-to-mp3 conversion program for free- but it's a pain.)
Here are some tips to help you choose the right music player for you, whether it be an iPod or another brand.
1) Consider the features you're looking for. If you're looking for something that just plays music, you've got more options and the prices will be in the lower range. If you're looking for a player with movie and/or game capibility, you'll want to look for a player with a larger screen (which will up the price).
2) Size matters (part I). Music players can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand- or they can be as small as the iPod Shuffle (seen in the photo above). My brother once had an mp3 player no bigger than a large dice. Tiny technology may seem hip and classy, but tiny items sometimes get lost much easier.
3) Size matters (part II). Casual music fans will likely be satisfied by mp3 players that hold 1GB of music or less. But music fans who live with headphones on might look at players with 2GB or more. And people who plan to watch movies on their player will want to look for 5GB or more.
4) Don't be a cheapskate. You get what you pay for, as they say. Music players should last their owner at least a year or two. Thankfully, prices of music players have dropped dramatically since they first became popular. So, you can get a quality brand music player at a decent price.
5) Do your research. Sometimes you'll be able to find your dream mp3 player for much cheaper online. Sometimes your local electronics store will have a sale on music players. Ask your friends what kind they had, where they got it and how much they paid for it. You'll be using your player regularly for the next while so make sure it suits your needs before you decide to purchase.
For more tips on choosing a music player, check out these articles: How to Choose an MP3 Player, How to Select and Buy an MP3 Player and How to Determine What Music Player Is Right for You.
(Photo courtesy of nao-cha.)
Go back to Music = Life.
Go back to Geekery.
Go back to Reading Material.
* * * * *
Jillianne Hamilton is a writer, blogger and a lover of indie music, funny movies, artsy things and the color red. She is studying Journalism at
Holland College, had an internship at the
Truro Daily News
and blogs for various college and pop culture websites. To contact Jill, visit her
website.
