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Buyer's guide to MP3s

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MUSIC NEWS:

News that Microsoft is prepping a new version of its Zune music player was leaked a couple of months ago – but some more details about this Flashbased follow-up has trickled onto the web.
According to ZuneScene, the news from within Microsoft is that the new Zune has been codenamed Draco and will be available in 4GB and 8GB versions – the same capacities as Apple's iPhone.
Draco will arrive in the US before the year's end. There's no indication when and if it'll cross the Atlantic.

 TOP TIPS:

1/ How much memory do you need? Well, for casual use, a 512MB player will hold about 128 tracks, but music fiends will need a 30GB to 80GB player, to hold thousands of high-quality MP3s.

2/ Flash-based MP3 players like the Nano are smaller and have capacities of up to 8GB. Hard drive players, such as the iPod, hit 80GB, but tend to be bigger.

3/ Get an FM transmitter and listen to your iPod whilst driving. Plug it into your car's cigarette lighter and tune your radio to the frequency. Easy.

4/ Popular music formats include MP3, WMV, AAC and WAV. Music sold by Apple's iTunes store use the ACC format with DRM copyright protection. Sony's Walkmans support its ATRAC format as well as MP3, etc.
Hard drive MP3 players

APPLE IPOD 80GB

PERFORMANCE: The latest incarnation of Apple’s groundbreaking MP3 player has a huge capacity, improved
battery life, and an enhanced screen. The best, made better.
LOVE: Huge memory. Great screen. Good value.
HATE: Doesn’t support many video formats.

Buy one here.
CREATIVE ZEN VISION: M 30GB

PERFORMANCE: Creative’s iPod rival sounds and looks fantastic, and although menunavigation can prove a little cumbersome, video support is impeccable. It also comes in a variety of colours, including this vibrant lime green number.
LOVE: Great video and screen.
HATE: Sludgy navigation.

Buy one here.
MICROSOFT ZUNE

PERFORMANCE: This is a genuine challenger to Apple’s occupation of the MP3 throne, thanks to video and wireless file sharing. The only problem? It’s import-only in the UK at present.
LOVE: Decent sound. Screen’s tasty. Very, very tasty.
HATE: Tunes shared wirelessly “vanish” after three plays.

Buy one here.
Compact specials…

Sony NW-S703F 4GB

PERFORMANCE: Noise-cancelling tech, great
sound and a 50-hour battery life? Like it.
Love: Astounding battery life. Sounds superb.
Hate: Not the most stylish players ever made.

Buy one here.
Philips GoGear SA9200 2GB

PERFORMANCE: A user-friendly, upmarket,
touchscreen player from the Dutch company.
Love: Stylish, with excellent bundled phones.
Hate: Screen’s a bit tiddly. Too quiet for some.

Buy one here.

Creative Zen Stone 1GB

PERFORMANCE: A piece of cake to use and
almost half the price of the Shuffle.
Love: Costs practically nowt. Easy to use.
Hate: No screen. Limited features.

Buy one here.
Apple iPod Shuffle 1GB

PERFORMANCE: A vast improvement on its
predecessor with clever, clip-on design.
Love: It’s tiny. Works well with iTunes.
Hate: Shuffle-play’s not to everyone’s taste.

Buy one here.
PMPs

iUbi Blue

PERFORMANCE: Colours look vivid and you can record TV to its spacious 30GB hard drive.
Love: Eight-hour battery life. Bluetooth support.
Hate: Menus aren’t very… y’know… responsive.

Search for one here.
Creative Zen Vision W

PERFORMANCE: Excellent video support, a superb screen and an intuitive interface make the Creative’s Zen a top choice for video on the move.
Love: The screen’s great. Well-designed interface.
Hate: It’s a tad dull looking for our tastes.

Buy one here.
Archos 604 Wi-Fi

PERFORMANCE: Archos adds Wi-Fi to its video jukebox with great results. Watch movies, listen to music or browse the web on the stunning screen.
Love: Screen has superb colour and contrast.
Hate: Extra software is needed to play some files.
Buy one here.
Flash MP3s

Sony Walkman A805

PERFORMANCE: Sony strikes gold, beating the Nano for sound quality and trouncing it on vision.
Love: The sonics are just superb.
Hate: A bit flimsy. Poor file management software.

Search for one here.
Apple iPod Nano

PERFORMANCE: With enhanced battery life and a new look, the Nano is now a real winner.
Love: Great battery life. Now with video. Wonderfully easy to use.
Hate: Headphone socket on bottom.

Buy one here.
Samsung K3

PERFORMANCE: Loveliness made in the shape of an MP3 player, with great touch-sensitive controls.
Love: Looks. Excellent value.
Hate: Annoying proprietary headphone cable.

Buy one here.
MP3 accessories

Belkin Tunebase FM

PERFORMANCE: With an adjustable mount and four presets, this is a well-designed transmitter.
Love: It’s got an adjustable mount.
Hate: Some background noise during playback.

Buy one here.
Kensington RDS FM Transmitter

PERFORMANCE: Simple to set up, with three frequency presets. Just plug and play.
Love: It couldn’t be easier to use.
Hate: Fuzzy background noise, again.

Buy one here.
Harman Kardon Drive and Play

PERFORMANCE: This high-end iPod adaptor for your car works superbly and sounds great.
Love: Road-safe controls. Well-designed.
Hate: A touch pricey.

Buy one here.

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