by Mike Waters

Portable mp3 players have caught on in a big way despite the rants and disgruntled mumblings of certain millionaire recording acts. Not only are mp3 players becoming more and more affordable, but personal mp3 players are also being enhanced with greater features and functionality. With so many mp3 players to choose from, finding the perfect one for your lifestyle can be an overwhelming task--that is until now.

The first tip in finding the perfect portable mp3 player is to decide why you want the device. Do you want just a basic cheap mp3 player to upgrade from your old walkman? Are you a music groupie who needs unlimited space to download every domestic and import mp3 released by your favorite bands? Or are you simply looking for an affordable mp3 player to listen to music while you are exercising? Whatever the answer may be, there is a portable mp3 player out there that was made specifically with you in mind.

The second tip you need to know in finding the perfect portable mp3 player is to acclimate yourself with the types of portable mp3 players available. Although this list is constantly changing, the three main types of portable personal mp3 players are hard drive based, flash based, and cd based.

Basically what this means is that portable mp3 players use different types of hardware to store and read mp3s. Hard drive based mp3 players store mp3s on an internal hard drive. Flash based mp3 players store mp3s on some variation of a flash media card. CD based mp3 players read mp3 players off of a cd containing mp3s.

If you are looking for cheap mp3 players, your best bet will be to get a cd based mp3 player. Not only is it cheaper in price than the other portable mp3 players, it is also much more affordable to purchase a twenty pack of blank cds than a flash media card.

If unlimited space is your fetish, you will need to go with a hard drive based mp3 player. Many of the hard drive based mp3 players are not only affordable, but rival home computers in terms of their hard drive storage capacity.

If you are looking for added features such as recording capabilities and advanced tools in your mp3 player, then a flash media mp3 player will best suit your needs. However, you will be trading in storage capacity for those added features.

For everyone else, your best bet will be to get a lower model hard drive based portable mp3 player such as the immensely popular and sleekly designed iPod. You really can't go wrong with an iPod.

By understanding the different types of portable mp3 players and how they will be used by you, you can easily find the perfect affordable portable mp3 player for your budget and lifestyle.

About the Author
Mike Waters is owner of "Waters Rock" music studio and the senior technology columnist for "Media-Tech Entertainment and You." To learn more about the best portable mp3 players on the market, check out the informative resources at http://www.best-mp3-players.info