• The basics
• Pros and cons of MP3 players
• Solid state players
• Mini hard drive-based players
• Regular hard drive-based players
• The big issues
• Other considerations
• Weighing up the options

File storage

Some devices will allow you to store any kind of data files - not just music. This means you can use them to transfer your documents between computers. These devices will show up in My Computer or Windows Explorer and you can simply drag the items across.

It is worth noting that this is the case even for players like the iPod; you can't drag music across and have it register, but this will work fine for other files. Of course, you won't be able to listen to them - but you will be able to plug the device into another computer and copy the files from it.

Computer connection

As you'd expect, all MP3 players connect to your PC via an included cable to transfer files. There are a handful of units that have some wireless capabilities but these are a rarity, and for the most part all you need is a USB port. At least for the moment.

The majority of players these days will be USB 2.0 compliant, meaning they offer much faster file transfers than their USB 1.1 predecessors. However, keep in mind if your PC only has USB 1.1 ports then that's as fast as you can go.

A select few high-end devices offer FireWire connections, but make sure your computer supports it first, or else add at least $100 to your budget for a FireWire card and cable.