MP3 Player. The MP3 player stores all of the files on internal Flash Memory and will typically play both WMA and MP3 format files. This is important to understand because with Flash memory, there are no moving parts. If you want to be active with your audio device [i.e. jog], this is the format you should go for. The internal memory has been increasing over the last few months without the price going up a lot --> you can get a 256MB device (about 4 to 5 hours of music) for abuot $125 after rebates. Moving forward look for these devices to break the 1GB barrier soon. iRiver makes excellent light weight players.

MP3 Brick/Jukebox. This format is [at least according to the manufacturers] the best option. Lower end players are priced in the $250 range and can run as high as $450-500. This device is for the person that isnt going to use the device while active and wants a HUGE variety of choices. If you want to carry around 1,000 or more songs with you this is definitely for you. As a concept, it's awesome to be able to carry around with you every song that you like to listen to -- i personally find it incredibly impractical. I also have a huge collection of pre-recorded music so it's not what I personally use the device for. For those of you that download (particularly purchasing downloads), this is probably a great idea to get this.

The 2 formats above is really the format that today's teenagers will be using as they get older. The choice between the 2 comes down to a couple of use options:

- do you NEED to carry 2,000 songs with you?
- are you going to have another way to hold all of your music? (like buying CDs)
- are you ever going to use the device to exercise (particularly running).

The last question is pretty important because [at least right now] if you are going to jog and carry your MP3 audio device, DO NOT buy the jukeboxes. The jukeboxes have moving parts in them and you will have problems with them. The Dell jukebox (from what i hear) is extremely problematic.

Portable CD/MP3-CD Player. This format is essentially the same as the Portable CD Player. The difference between these 2 formats is that the CD/MP3-CD player will play a specially formated CD called MP3-CD. This CD format (which requires special software to write) allows for many more songs to be recorded onto the CD. A typical audio CD that you purchase in a store typically contains 10-14 songs each around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes long and cannot hold much more than that. The MP3-CD allows you to store MP3 format files onto the CD and access/play them with your portable CD player. The typical MP3-CD can hold as many as 100 songs or more (depending on the length of the song and the MP3 storage format).

Mini Disc Player. The minidisc format was introduced back in 1992. The minidisc format provides significantly similar audio quality to the CD with a smaller disc size as well as a protective covering around the CD. Most of the qualities of the CD are found on minidisc systems but in a much smaller size. The problem with minidisc systems is that there is only 1 major manufacturer that makes them and that there is no pre-recorded material available for the format. The main advantage of the minidisc player/recorder is that you have a format that allows for easy digital recording -- so for those of you that like to bootleg concerts, this is a player format that you should investigate (although i find copyright theft to be bad for the music and soon the movie business).

Portable CD Player. This format is actually still quite popular, particularly with high school and college kids. This format can also be split into two classes of player; a standard CD player, and a player that also plays CD-MP3. In many of the CD burning software programs available (Roxio for example), you have the ability to burn a CD in the MP3-CD format. This allows you to store (and play on a portable device) a CD that stores music at it's compressed MP3 format size, rather than in the standard music CD format. The difference here is that you can have 12 3-1/2 minute songs in standard audio format vs. 125 (or so) 3 1/2 minute songs in MP3 format on the same disk.

Cassette player (with or without radio tuner). This is also a simple and almost useless player which can have a radio along with a cassette tape player. If you enjoy music or would like some kind of quality to the tone of the music that you're listening to -- keep reading, this is just aweful.

Portable Radio. This is a simple portable audio player that has an AM/FM tuner. The typical price (if you can even find them) is 'cheap'.