For storing audiobooks and various music files, MP3 players are suitable devices. The term is used generically to represent any digital device that is portable. There is a slight difference between PMP, also known as a portable media device, and an MP3 player. Although all PMPs are capable of playing audio files, video files cannot be played on all MP3 players. Many of these examples can be cited, such as the SanDisk Sansa Clip, Creative Labs Zen Stone, and iPod Shuffle, which are not capable of playing video files.

Among the various brands present in the domain of MP3 devices, an Apple iPod turns out to be a popular choice. But there are many other trusted brands available and your choice will largely depend on your budget and requirements. The brands that fall into this category are Cowon, Coby, Archos, Creative Labs, Samsung, Philips, Toshiba, Sony, etc. MP3 players are also categorized into different types such as memory (flash) based players and hard drive based players. This classification is done on the basis of how the digital data is stored.

The storage capacity of hard drive based players is significantly higher than the other type. These players are also heavier compared to memory based (Flash) players. Examples of such players would be iPod Classic 160 GB, Zune 120 GB, iPod Classic 120 GB, etc. The drawback associated with these players is that a malfunction often occurs when these devices are exposed to high temperatures or when they are dropped.

On the other hand, a flash memory based MP3 player is smaller and lighter. There are no moving parts in this type of player and anywhere from 100 to 8,000 songs can be easily stored. Examples of such players would be Apple iPod Nano, Apple iPod Touch, Creative Labs Zen PMP, etc.

I hope this has given you an idea of ​​the mp3 player market. If you are looking to buy check out my website for great deals.