School Daze....What to Consider for Back-to-School Electronics (Part II)

A popular back-to-school, going off to college gift is the MP3 player, so we're often asked whether an iPod is better than any other type of MP3 player.

 

We know that there is a lot of confusion out there about what to buy. The good news is that you can't go wrong.  An iPod is an MP3 player; it can play MP3s as well as "Apple" songs that you find on iTunes.   Other MP3 players like the Creative Zen or iRiver Clix play MP3s as well a Microsoft Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats.

Of course, the feature/functions of the iPod or MP3 depend on the make and model - some are very basic, play just music and hold limited songs while others can carry thousands of songs, as well as play videos and movies.

The iPod nano is probably the most popular and the one that most experts recommend.  It's noted for its sound and ease of use.  One thing to note, this gadget only plays music (no movies and pictures) - which is usually the main reason why we buy an MP3 in the first place.

For some, a drawback to the nano is that you can only download music from iTunes and it does not come with a FM tuner.  However, this iPod can hold anywhere from 500 songs (2GB) to 2,000 (8GB)?

The cool thing about the nano is that it's small, slick and comes in five colors - even lime green.  The iPod nano is more expensive than other MP3s ranging from $149 to $249, but well worth the investment.

If you want to spend a little less, the Creative Zen V Plus is a terrific MP3.  Like the nano, it can hold up to 2,000 songs.  The price break is much less starting at $79.99 for 2GB and topping at $169.99 for 8GB. The Zen only comes in three colors and is bigger then the iPod. But in terms of reliability and quality, it's great.

The Zen does include an FM radio, photo viewer, video playback, alarm clock, calendar and organizer that can sync with Outlook. It is compatible with most music formats (except iTunes).  You can also download music from a number of sites including Walmart.com where you can purchase songs for $.88 each.

Just remember, the Creative MP3 player is for PCs only.  If you have a Mac, it won't work.