Music choices: listen and play

As students walk between classes, many students have earphones in their ears and are listening to their MP3 players. Ben Goldberg, a Weber State University Business Senior, said that he listens to it so that he doesn't have to talk to vendors on the campus sidewalks.

More and more people are using their MP3 players between classes as well as in Lampros Hall, Stewart Library, and Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts and all over campus.

With the growing number of MP3 players on the market, this very hot technology is getting even hotter. Below are specifics on three top MP3 players on the market: the Apple iPod, the Microsoft Zune, and the ReignCom USA's iriver.

Styles and Purposes

Each MP3 player has several options of products to choose from. Zune has three styles, the 4 gigabyte, the 8 GB, and the 80 GB.

All styles play music, pictures, videos, display images and receive FM radio.

The iPod has the Classic, iTouch, Nano, and Shuffle. The iPods play music, photos and videos like the Zune, but the iPod also plays games, has a calendar and notes for those models that support them. The interface is also available in 21 different languages.

Finally, iriver has 23 Flash types and 7 hard drive types, each ranging in size and shape. It can record FM with an internal FM microphone and external line sources. It too has a multilingual display but only comes in eight languages.

Interface

iriver is best known for the implementer of direct click touch screen interface, while iPod Classic has a unique circular user interface that is easy to use. According to the iPod Web site, Apple chooses to focus on ease of use rather than technical ability. The new iTouch is similar to the iriver with a larger touch screen.

Operating System

Zune is based on Windows CE. The images are supported by JPEG, WMV video and MP3, AAC, WMA Pro and WMA Standard for audio.

iPod can play MP3s, AAC, Protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible and audio book for audio. For video, it uses JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG.

Third and fourth generation iPods can also play MPEG-4 and Quick Time video formats.

The iriver can play MP3, MP4, WMA audio files and FM tuners. Some players support text viewing, Macromedia Flash and BMP files. It also supports subscription-based music such as Rhapsody and eMusic. There is also a feature that can disable its DRM function.

Apple does not have a DRM disabler in the iPod, but there is a converter for WMA files without DRM in Windows' iTunes. MIDI files can also be played but only when converted into audio files in the advanced menu of iTunes.

Unlike iTunes, Zune cannot download audio or video podcasts automatically. However, new versions of the Zune program will.

Size, Weight, Storage

Zune 4 GB and 8 GB: 1.6 by 3.6 by 0.33 inches, 1.7 ounces. Zune 30 GB and 8 GB: 2.4 by 4.25 by 0.05 inches, 5.6 ounces.

iPod Classic 80 GB and 160 GB: 2.4 by 4.1 by 0.53 inches, 4.9 ounces.

iriver latest model Clix 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB: 3.1 by 1.8 by 0.5 inches, 1.9 ounces.

Christopher Stewart, a WSU IS&T junior, said he likes the more sleek, thin and light design that is becoming the trend in MP3 players.

"I like something that I can just put in my back pocket and go," he said.

Color

Color is becoming a more important issue in MP3 players, which is not a concern for WSU freshman Gavin Boothe.

"I didn't want a color at all," Boothe said. "I prefer the chrome back of my iPod, which is now on the front and back of the new iPods."

The fifth generation iPods come in black and white with silver backs while the sixth generation comes in all silver, white and black.

The third generation of Nano's come in black, white, red, blue, green and silver

The iriver comes in black only

The Zune is the most color diverse of the MP3 players with the 4 GB and 8 GB coming in pink, green, black, red and the 30 GB coming in the previously mentioned plus hot pink, orange, brown, dark brown, and white. The 80 GB is the only one that only comes in black.

Price

While prices tend to fluctuate on new technology, the prices for these MP3 players range as follows depending on the model:

Zune: Depending on size range from $149 - $249

iPod: Fifth and sixth generation Classic ranges from $249-$349. The iTouch costs for the 8 GB is $300 and 16 GB $400

iriver: Clix range from $200-$239