Even though the MP3 Player is a great innovation to our society, it can be confusing to a lot of people. It’s also important to understand everything you can about this gadget, so you can enjoy everything it has to offer. There are tons of them out there, but several only offer mediocre quality. Others double as video players, have high tech audio functions, and can even record. Older versions that just played music are becoming a thing of the past.

Playing music is just one of the many features you can find on the Apple iPod. In fact, they are so far ahead of everyone else, some of the benefits aren’t found on other units. Simplicity of use is perhaps their biggest feature, and it took some time before other companies were able to challenge them in usability. Using an iPod is as simple as downloading songs, and playing them for your enjoyment.

There are many iPod knock-off brands out there, especially at smaller local stores and gift shops. These are typically to be avoided however. They might be cheap, but their lifespan is usually comically short. And obviously they will be sorely lacking in features.

Another one of the MP3 player basics is that it has to have good battery life. A cheap model may still use the old AAA sized batteries that wear out quickly. Most models made with any quality will use rechargeable lithium ion batteries. When buying a player you have to decide whether you want to buy batteries every month, or simply recharge it.

Durability is usually the most overlooked area when it comes to music players. Everyone jumps on the hyped up bandwagon of a new product, but most of us forget about the longevity of the product. This can lead to products that are easily damaged, break down, or simply don’t live up to the durability factors.

If you go with one of the larger electronics brands like Apple or Sony, durability probably won’t be a concern (although there are some notoriously breakable units out there; a glance at a unit’s reviews should be enough to clue you in on whether it’s solid or not). The lower echelon of companies will try to cut corners wherever they can to offer a somewhat similar product for a cheaper price, so don’t be surprised when a player like that breaks down.

One final MP3 player basic to consider before buying is the button layout. On very rare occasions you may find a basic player that has no buttons other than play or stop. I’m not joking; these do exist, although they aren’t sold at very many outlets. These are the very bottom barebones models that are cheap, and often fail within a month or two.

What it comes down to is you just need to do a bit of research before purchasing an MP3 Player. Whether you are looking at the functions, checking the life of the battery, or wondering about the durability, the info can be found fairly quickly nowadays. If you don’t have the time or don’t feel like dealing with the hassles, then just purchase an Apple iPod. The Shuffle is cheap (starts around $50) but has no visual display, while the Nano (around $140) is a great player with a natural interface. The Classic (around $230 and up) has a larger display, and the Touch ($200 and up) has Internet access where Wi-Fi is available. You can also find new units of the previous generation pretty easily, and get a 10% or higher discount on those prices.