Music is evolutionary, not only does the sound and feel of the music we listen to change, but the way we experience it evolves just as fast. From the classic forty-five to the short-lived eight track tape, it didn't take long before music advanced to the cassette tape. As soon as shiny compact discs arrived on the music scene, even the cassette tape went the way of the dinosaurs. Today, not even the almighty CD is compact enough to meet the demands of the digital age. Discmans and CD folders once held positions of

royalty in the portable music realm, but are sadly relegated to lurk in the dungeons of the latest and greatest kings of portable music; all hail the MP3 player. Before we could have MP3 players, we had to have the MP3. What is an MP3? This is the name given to the type of file used to store music in a digital format. Essentially, an MP3 file is nothing more than a compressed, encoded digital audio file.

It is the MP3 file that is transferred to an MP3 player for storage and listening. The greatest advantage the MP3 has over the CD is size. An MP3 file takes up about 1/10th the amount of space that a CD audio file would. What this means is that an MP3 player, depending on its memory size, can store thousands of songs - or what it used to take multiple binders full of CDs to hold. An obvious bonus of course is that an MP3 Player generally fits in the palm of your hand where carrying multiple CD binders would take two hands, if not two people.

How the MP3 Player Works
MP3 music files can be obtained in several ways. Two of the most popular methods are to purchase and downloaded MP3's from on-line music stores, or to convert, (rip) them from your own Compact Disks. Once the MP3 file is downloaded onto your computer, the MP3 player must then be connected to the computer using the provided USB cord. Once connected via the MP3 player software program, the desired MP3 files are easily transferred from the computer to the MP3 player.

The MP3 player uses RAM (Random Access Memory, either a hard drive or solid state computer chips) for storing and organizing your MP3 music files. Once you purchase an MP3 player, the first step typically involves installing a program onto your personal computer to manage your music collection. With this program you are then able to transfer your MP3 music collection to your MP3 player. Although methods vary from one manufacturer to another, MP3 Players are generally connected to the PC with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) transfer MP3 files between the two.

Although all MP3 players are different, most use a similar format for organizing and listening to music. Common differences include the availability of a LCD screen and memory size. The more memory the MP3 player has the more music it can store. Using the MP3 player's control buttons, songs can be organized and retrieved under categories like artists, musical genre, and album. Many MP3 players also let you create playlists that feature your favorite bands or music. Once the music is downloaded and organized, you simply put on your headphones, push play, sit back and listen. Of course, each company also has a line of MP3 accessories, including speakers, docks, and cases for their MP3 Players

Sony Walkman MP3 Players
With the rise of the MP3 file as a popular media for portable music came reformatted and re-launched Sony Walkman personal music players revived as MP3 players. Unlike some of the currently more popularr MP3 players, the Sony Walkman is a flash-memory based MP3 player. This makes the Sony Walkman very similar to a USB Flash / Jump / Thumb drive, only with buttons to control playback of the MP files, and a headphone jack, of course. Depending on the Walkman MP3 player model, different amounts of music or videos can be stored on it. Advanced versions of the Sony MP3 player also features LCD screens that display video, text and album art.

Apple iPod
The Apple iPod family of MP3 players are by far the most popular MP3 players on the market. Although the iPod family is always evolving, the current lineup includes the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Classic, and iPod Touch MP3 players. The main differences between the iPod MP3 player models are physical size (iPod Nano & iPod Shuffle), storage capacity (iPod Classic), video playback ability (iPod Touch) and touch screen controls (iPod Touch and iPhone).

While most MP3 players allow the user to just copy their MP3 files directly from PC to MP3 Player, Apple's MP3 players require the use of special software to transfer music from a computer onto the MP3 player. To make purchasing music as easy as possible, Apple offers the extensive iTunes library. Although the iPod MP3 Player is not the most technically advanced MP3 player available, they are some of the most popularMP3 Players on the market. The huge popularity of the iPod MP3 Player is due to their simplicity in design and large assortment of functional cords and iPod accessories.

Microsoft Zune MP3 Player
Not to be outdone by the popularity of the iPod MP3 player, Microsoft joined the MP3 player market with its Zune MP3 players. All Zune MP3 players are capable of playing MP3 music files, displaying pictures, playing videos, and functioning as an FM radio. Another unique feature of this MP3 player is its ability to exchange files with other Zune MP3 players using a wireless transfer system. Zune MP3 players are available in a wide range of styles, with most of the differences centering on available storage space and overall size of the MP3 player. Zune accessories are also prevalent as well.

MP3 Player Options
Not sure an MP3 Player from Sony, Apple, or Microsoft is right for you, explore these for more options:

• SanDisk MP3 Players
• Sansa
• Sansa View
• Sansa Clip
• Sansa Express
• Creative Zen
• Creative Zen Stone
• Creative NOMAD MuVo
• Samsung MP3 Players
• iRiver MP3 Players
• Coby MP3 Players