Cheap MP3 players can be found in most electrical and computer stores. When choosing your ideal MP3 player there are a few features you may want to consider, including the storage size, presence of a voice recording facility, the size of the LCD display, additional inputs and/or outputs. We will look at each of these points below.MP3 Player Storage Capacity
The storage capacity that you will need depends on what you are going to be using your MP3 player for. If you are using it to just commute to and from work then you wouldn't require as much storage as you would to store your entire music collection. To give you an idea of the size of the storage you may require we have compiled a guide roughly translating storage capacity into individual music tracks (MP3s).
Estimated MP3 player capacity
128MB 40 MP3s
256MB 80 MP3s
512MB 170 MP3s
1GB 250 MP3s
4GB 1000 MP3s
10GB 2500 MP3s
20GB 5000 MP3s
40GB 10000 MP3s
60GB 15000 MP3s
80GB 20000 MP3s
Voice Recording Facility
Some models have an integrated (built-in) microphone which enables you to record voice, in a similar way to a dictaphone. The amount of time you can record will be directly proportional to the storage capacity of the MP3 player.
LCD Display Size
The size of the LCD display can vary greatly between models, although cheap models can feature large, very good displays. The screen size you choose will be down to personal preference, although backlight screens tend to be more visible both in daylight and in the dark.
Additional inputs and/or outputs
Some MP3 players, even the more economical models feature additional sockets, allowing you to either plug another device into the MP3 player to record audio, or an extra output (aside from the headphone socket) which you can connect to an external audio amplifier or recording device.
