MP3 Mania

Music On The Go

The wait for the ultimate portable music player seems to be over as MP3 drives make a splash into market. Bhisham Mansukhani helps navigate through the many options...

Gone are the days when one prided in a neatly-arranged collection of audio tapes or a box set of vinyls. This is the age of, not CDs, not mini discs, no not even the MP3 discs, but the new MP3 drives that look like a cross between a matchbox and box of candy.

The digital audio players have, since their introduction in the late'90s, become one of the runaway successes of portable electronics. A digital audio player (DAP) is a device that stores, organises and plays digital music files. It is more commonly referred to as an MP3 player (because of that format's ubiquity). But DAPs often play many additional file formats. These devices are broadly divided into two types: hard drives and flash drives.

Hard drive-based players allow you to carry large amounts of music but tend to be bulky while flash-memory units are smaller and sleeker but hold fewer songs. Micro hard drive and flash-based players use miniature drives with capacities of upto 5GB like the Creative Zen Neon which can't store as much music but feels a lot lighter in the pocket.

Flash-based players have no moving parts, shockproof operation and ultra-compact dimensions. Devices range from 32MB to 1GB in terms of capacity with batteries that tend to last longer, and are perfect for gymming, jogging and, some aficionados claim, even bungee-jumping, without so much as a skip. They, however, have the highest per-megabyte cost and max out at 2GB.

Apple

Apple has dominated the market to near-monopolistic proportions since the introduction of its iPod in 2001, ramping up with the iPod Mini, Photo and then Shuffle. Sitting at the top of the heap is the basic iPod line. It is a hard drive player which comes in three different storage ranges. Apple claims the largest 60GB model can hold a veritable vault of approximately 17,000 songs. The iPod Mini series that is available with a 4GB and 6GB drive can hold an approximate of 1,000 and 1,500 songs, respectively. The iPod also features auto-sync, which lets you synchronise your music without having to change the settings on your iPod or your computer. The iPod Mini is smaller than most cell phones and boasts of upto 18 hours of playtime on a single battery charge.

The iPod Shuffle is smaller than a pack of gum. Weighing in at 0.78 of an ounce, it makes a good portable option. The 512MB USB flash drive holds 120 of your favorite songs, while the 1GB version holds twice that amount. It is skip-free and offers upto 12 hours of continous playback.

Sony

Sony perhaps rested a little longer on its laurels after introducing its walkman to the world. The music behemoth however did get its act together on the hard and flash drive front. To begin with, there's the Sony NW-E70 (256MB) featuring a miniscule form factor and runs on pencil battery. Sony's latest, the VAIO Pocket VGF-AP1 with a massive 20GB space and brilliant 2.2" QVGA display is the world's smallest hard drive player.

Sony's other hard drive offerings include the Sony NW-HD3 and NW-HD5 (20GB). This NW series features the G-Sensor technology which protects the hard disk by detecting any abnormal velocity and removing the recording head before the MP3 player hits the ground.

Competition Comes A Calling

Another major player is the iRiver International with memory ranging from the basic 1GB to 64MB flash drive which also comes with a voice recorder. The iRiver H320 (20GB) vies for attention with a vibrant color interface and strong battery life. Its MuVo Slim Creative Nomad MuVo Slim (256MB) has also emerged as a popular option for an on-the-go companion.

Another major manufacturer worth noting is Creative. Its Zen Neon has good value for a 5GB capacity device and will definitely stand in good stead for users looking for a customised all-round MP3 player.

Already known for stuffing its players with as many features as possible, the Zen 20GB comes with both FM and a voice recorder, as well as the distinctive vertical touch scroll that has already seen a host of imitators. Apart from its ultra popular hard drive and flash-memory Nomad lines, the new Rhomba is being described as the best option for people on the go. With a 256MB flash memory model, the Rhomba offers voice recording, FM tuner and 10 hours of playtime on a rechargeable battery.

Accentuating Accessories

Accessorising your MP3 player makes it more than it used to be, thanks to some cracker innovations on this front. While Apple has barracked most of the third party accessorisers, Sony, Creative and iRiver have got a shout in as well. Belkin is one of the most prolific suppliers of MP3 player accessories like the TunePower Rechargeable Battery Pack which allows iPod users to charge the unit while on the move and the TuneCast Mobile FM Transmitter that allows for transfer of songs from the iPod to the FM receiver.

Bose offers the QuietComfort 2 that enhances incoming sound while its SoundDock speakers not only allow users to listen to their iPod music anywhere without earphones but also charge the iPod simultaneously. Meanwhile, the Griffin iTrip FM transmitter, which is fast becoming the latest rage among auto enthusiasts, lets users connect their iPod to the car stereo.

Nokia N91	Apple iPod U2 Special Edition, 20GB colour
iPod 60GB Photo colour	Sony NW-HD3

Next Up

Convergence devices have for long taken MP3 into their fold albeit with limitations in terms of sound quality and memory. The Nokia N91, part of Nokia's new media-centric N series, is a salvo towards doing away with both of the above. It sports a 4GB hard drive support for playback of MP3, M4A, AAC, and WMA audio files. Better still, the N91 is 3G-ready with both built-in WiFi and Bluetooth.

Not to be outdone, Motorola has allied with Apple to roll out the candy bar design phone with memory of upto 1GB. That may not be enough, however, to catch up with the Sony Ericsson W800i due to be out in August 2005. Positioned as the 'Walkman' phone, it will feature a Memory Stick Duo Slot, compatible with expandable memory of upto 2GB.

The OII XDA Smartphone and Handspring Treo 650 already plays MP3 files and can have its memory expanded to near 4GB. For the universe of the perpetually mobile business travellers, it can only mean more music to their ears.