A MP3 Player is a portable digital device that plays and stores music and audio books.  A Portable Media Player (PMP) plays and stores audio and video. The name MP3 Player is used as a generic term to describe all portable devices.  Although PMPs can play audio not all MP3 Players can play video.  For those of you who were not aware, the Apple Ipod is not the only brand of MP3 Players on the market.  There are several other brands of MP3 Players on the market for you to choose depending on your needs and most importantly, your budget.  They are the Archos, Zune by Microsoft and Sony. 

Archos makes portable media players as well as other portable products.  Depending on what you’re looking for in a portable media player will determine which Archos product is best for you.  The Archos 605 and 705 generation Wi-Fi capacity ranges from 30 GB to160 GB which allow you to download and record movies as well as surf the internet. 

Zune is made by Microsoft.  Zune is offered in Flash Memory Based and Hard Drive Based players.  Zune Flash Memory players have less storage capacity than hard drive based players and are significantly smaller.     Some of the Zune’s features include wi-fi connection, built in FM radio, capability to record movies or TV, wireless sync and XBOX compatibility.  Zune flash players include Zune Video MP3 and Zune Digital Media players whose storage capacity range from 4GB to 16GB.  The hard drive players include the Zune 80GB and 120GB video media players and can hold up to 30,000 songs or have 375 hours of video.   

Sony known for its Sony Walkmans also has a line of MP3 players.  These players range in price and capacity depending on your preferences and budget.  The Sony MP3 player features depend on which player you purchase.  Some of the MP3 players play video and music while others play only music.  For example, the Sony Walkman MP3 Player is a low priced media player with a 1GB and 2GB storage capacity that plays music. It also can be used as a voice recorder and has a built in FM radio.  Other media players by Sony that play music and video include the Sony Walkman X Series, S-540 Series and the E-340 series whose storage capacity range from 8GB to 32GB. 

In addition to the aforementioned media players, there are many other brands that you may consider researching before making your final decision.  Each offer different features and varying price ranges and storage capacities.  These brands are Coby, Cowon, Creative, iRiver, Philips, Samsung, SanDisk and Toshiba.  Once you’ve narrowed it down to a particular brand then you can choose the model you like best within that brand.  Also, if you like a more expensive model but it’s not in your budget consider purchasing a refurbished media player because you can get all the bells and whistles you like without the hefty price tag.