Apple fails PC Pro group test of MP3 players
[PC Pro] 17:52
Apple has failed to take the crown in a PC Pro group test of MP3 players.
In the Labs test of 18 portable MP3 players - to be found in the forthcoming July issue - PC Pro found Apple's popular iPod lacking in comparison to cheaper, more feature-rich alternatives.
'There are some fantastic lesser-known alternatives,' said Nick Ross, senior writer for PC Pro. 'The iPod is over-priced when compared with these competitors. It also falls down on battery life, with some portable MP3 players lasting three times as long, while its lack of support for Windows Media files will upset many PC users.'
Note that the group test covered both 'solid state' players as well as 'hard disk-based' players such as the Apple offerings.
MP3 players in the public psyche
Thanks almost entirely to Apple, MP3 players have utterly invaded the public psyche. Even people who don't know what MP3 players are, want one. However, while the masses throng to the trendy adverts those who tarry a while may be surprised to learn that the world of portable players extends a whole lot further.
But first let's look at the less obvious reasons for buying one. First off, many sport FM radios - some of which are recordable. Others offer internal voice recorders which render Dictaphones, and the like, redundant. Some even offer voice-activated recording, which not only saves on batteries and storage but also allows basic surveillance - great - if that's your thing.
At the higher end, iRiver's iHP-100 series has optical inputs and outputs making it a high quality recording and playback device. A more ubiquitous feature is the ability to transport files between PCs - very useful for those with computers both in the office and at home.
But why stop with music? Why not listen to audio books - some players even allow you to set bookmarks. They're also incredibly useful for learning languages as many players offer multiple playback functions which can, among many things, allow you to repeat clips over and over again.
But enriching your lives with music is prime purchasing reason. It's now simple to carry your entire music catalogue around with you or exercise without lugging a mechanical lump round with you. Music quality is universally great and battery life is superb. So to find out which player suits you best get PC Pro this Thursday. It's the one with the MP3 players on the front.
Here are the players reviewed:
Solid-State Players
Bang and Olufsen Beosound 2B
BenQ Joybee 110
Cowon iAudio 4
EZAV Xen EMP-200
iBead200
iRiver iFP-300 Series
iRiver iFP-500 Series
MPIO FL-100
O2 Digital Music Player
Hard disk players
Apple iPod
Apple mini iPOD
Creative MuVO2
Creative Zen Xtra
iRiver iHP-100 Series
Philips HDD060
RIO Karma
RIO Nitrus
Xclef HD-800
