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If you don't own an mp3 player, you should look into all the new stuff that's going on. I'm hoping this article will give you some ideas of what kind of mp3 player you want and some guidance on what to look for in an mp3 player.

Maybe you are going to the gym and need something small and skip-proof for spinning or lifting. Maybe you have an 8 hour (or even longer) plane ride when you go on a business trip and need to pass the time. Maybe you want a new one just for the sake of having a new one. Whatever it is, this article should help you choose.

First, for those of you who want something for working out: The two most important things to look for are size/weight and RAM, things CD players lack. You want something that you can clip to your shorts or strap to your arm that won't interfere with your movements, and you want it to be so light that you don't even notice it. (Tip: Get a lithium ion battery to save even more weight.) To be sure that your player will not skip if you move too much or too fast, get one with solid state internal Flash memory, which has no moving parts so it can't skip. These are usually available as 1GB to 16 GB models, with a 1 GB model holding several hours of music. Prices typically range from $20 to $600.

On the other hand, you may want to store all 16,000 songs in your music collection on your player so you never hear the same one twice. Then you need a hard disk based mp3 player, commonly known as an mp3 jukebox, for which you could pay up to $800 ,or more. It is little bigger and heavier than and not quite as durable as a solid state player, but that is not an issue if you just want to sit around and listen to your music. And they are still far more portable than a CD player.

Torn between a small, light, solid state mp3 player and a hard disk based player that holds thousands of songs? Well, the iPod Mini may be your choice! The iPod Mini is just one model in a breed of small hard disk mp3 players. They are a little lighter and smaller than other hard disk players, and hold more songs than the average solid state mp3 players. (Did I mention the iPod comes in several color variations?) That's it for the main differences, but here are some more things you should look for when making a purchase: battery life, an FM tuner, voice recorder, an easy to read screen, and compatibility with your computer.

If you're looking to purchase online, I recommend Live Shops - MP3 Players

Perry Corman is a curious soul, researcher and author. He has a wide range of interests, ranging from politics to astronomy. His recommendation: http://mp3players.live-shops.com/