As today is Tax Day in the US, I thought we could all use a little
pleasant distraction from the harsh reality of the IRS - so fire up
your Mac, iTunes, and Disc Burner, and let's go!
If you are a music fan and computer user, chances are you have
accumulated a collection of songs in MP3 format. You have also probably
longed to be able to listen to your MP3 collection in places other than
in front of your Mac.
MP3 is a method of compressing audio recordings to a very small size
without noticeable loss of sound quality. Because of its ability to
produce a small, relatively high-quality audio file, MP3 has become the
standard for music distribution on the Internet as well as in portable
applications.
If you have a Mac with a CD writer and the appropriate software
(iTunes alone is enough), you can easily burn a CD of songs and play
them on your car CD player. While there is certainly nothing wrong with
doing it this way, recording time is limited to the length of a
standard CD (typically 14-19 songs).
If your MP3 collection is extensive, you could go through a lot of
CDs this way. Depending on the speed of your CD writer, you could also
wind up spending an inordinate amount of time creating CDs.
Fortunately, other options exist for taking your MP3 collection with
you. The last year has seen an explosion in the number of companies
manufacturing portable MP3 players. These portable players can be
divided into three broad categories. Each type has its unique
advantages as well as drawbacks.
The CD/MP3 player looks like any other portable CD player.
The difference is it can play MP3 CDs as well as standard audio CDs. To
use this player, copy your MP3 files to a writeable CD in MP3
format rather than making an audio CD. In MP3 format, a typical CD will
hold in the neighborhood of 150 songs. That translates to 7+ hours of
music! When you first insert the writeable CD, be sure to select "MP3
CD" from the Disc Burner menu that will likely pop up.
MP3/CD players are typically the lowest cost portable MP3 players.
Some lower end players sell for less than $50. The drawback to this
type of player is that you still have to burn CDs. These players also
tend to have limited functionality.
The newest MP3 players on the portable scene are the digital
players. These systems use either built-in memory or replaceable
solid state memory cards. Since they have no moving parts, these units
are shockproof and skip-proof. They are also extremely small - some no
larger than a magic marker. Compared to other players, storage capacity
is limited. Some have as little as 32 megabytes of storage, enough for
9 or 10 songs, although capacities of 64 or 128 megabytes are more
typical.
The player usually connects directly to the USB port of the Mac and
appears on the desktop as another drive, allowing MP3 files to be
copied onto it. Prices range from $85 to $200.
Some portable MP3 players have internal hard drives, just
like a computer. Drive sizes start at 5 gigabytes, which easily holds
1,000 songs or more, and range up to 20 gigabytes. Even larger models
are on the way.
The most prominent model of this type is the iPod. Since they have internal
hard drives, these players are vulnerable to shock and skip. Lower
priced models tend to scrimp on skip protection and may use USB to
connect to the Mac; insist on a model with at least 10 minutes of skip
protection (the iPod offers 20!) and a FireWire connection.
Most also double as an external hard drive, allowing them to hold
data as well as music. Top of the line models have calendar and contact
functionality close to that of a Palm. Prices range from $200 to $500.
