Most people have heard of, or own the ubiquitous iPod (or iPhone); many buy it simply because it's a 'must have' item and everyone has one. Not many actually take the time to research the competitors and actually discover whether the iPod is the best mp3 player for them.

There are many elements that should be considerd prior to buying an mp3 player:

• Quality of sound
• Ease of use
• Can it use a subscription service?
• Can it use applications and games?

The iPod is a great mp3 player and most people are happy with the quality of the music. However, is it actually the best sounding? While most people probably cannot discern the difference between different mp3 players, it is something that should be considered.

I have found that most of the mp3 players I use or try have similar quality. The iPod is very good; most Sansa players are just as good; perhaps the best I have come across is the Sony Walkman - and as they really invented the portable music player, it has a certain amount of justice.

It should also be pointed out that sound quality also depends on the file that is downloaded - some digital downloads heavily compact the file and therefore the quality will be compromised. When buying digital music, always buy the highest quality, non compacted mp3 if possible.

 The iPod became the best selling mp3 player for many reasons. It revolutionized the way people used an music player, and made the system of transferring music from the PC or from a website very easy and intuitive. Linking it to iTunes makes the whole process a lot easier.

Additionally, the iPod itself is very easy to use - it's very intuitive and although it has advanced features, most people can use the iPod and enjoy these features. Other mp3 player aer only just catching up. Their interfaces have in the past been terrible, and the problems associated with actually getting music onto the player really have set them back.

In recent years they have improved a lot, and have learnt from Apple.

In my opinion though, ease of use shouldn't be a major factor - if the mp3 player sounds great and costs a lot less, then it may take me longer, but I'll get use to the interface eventually.

 Not man people have heard of a subscription service and Apple dismiss the concept as something 'people do not want'. Essentially a subscription service allows you to download unlimited WMA files as long as you continue to pay a monthly fee. Most subscriptions services allow you to download onto 3 mp3 players and 3 PCs.

For me this is a great way to be able to check out new music, and also have an unlimited music box in the living room (I have my PC linked to my living room TV and often use Rhapsody to stream unlimited music!).

There are many services available:

• Microsoft has a 'pass' system that allows you to download unlimited songs to your Zune.
• Napster, once illegal, and now owned by Best Buy allows you to download millions of songs.
• Rhapsody is similar to Napter.

There are other services available in Britain that allow you to stream free music to your PC as long as you don't mind watching some commercials.

One thing should be noted - none of these services works on the iPod or iPhone.

 Once again the iPod and iPhone are leading the market and have revolutionized the apps and games market. For a small fee, and in many case for free, you are able to download hundreds of useful applications or fun games.

Apple have created an Apps store. The cell phone and mp3 player companies again are playing catch-up and will offer similar stores - but so far, none compare to Apple.