Newest medium is improving, Angus Kidman reports

Published in AustralianIT, April 29 2003

WHEN MP3 took off as a musical format, the only way to listen to MP3 tracks was by playing them back on your computer. But it wasn't long before standalone players began appearing, creating a lively market that is still evolving.

Perversely, widespread acceptance of MP3 as a de facto standard for exchanging music means the need for a standalone player has diminished in the past couple of years.

What's on offer Here's a selection of some of the more unusual MP3 players currently available, ranging from in-car players to phone combos. New models are constantly being released, and competition is tough, so be sure to shop around before you buy. Creative Slim 600 $369 More information: www.australia.creative.com Creative has been a longstanding competitor in the digital music space, offering both standalone MP3 players and CD-MP3 combos. Its latest model, which went on sale, can play standard CDs and Windows Media files as well as MP3s. The unit ships with rechargeable batteries, which is handy. Apple iPod 20G $1045 More information: www.apple.com.au/ipod Once Apple eliminated the key criticism of the original iPod needing a Mac to use it - it quickly established a dominant role among users seeking a highcapacity portable MP3 player. The 20Gbyte model takes this to the extreme, although there seems no reason to assume that there won't be higher capacity models in the future, given the widespread availability of higher-capacity drives in other areas. The newer models also include a remote control, although as yet it isn't wireless. Sony Ericsson P800 $1655 More information: www.sonyericsson.com Not sure whether you need a phone, an MP3 player or a digital camera? Eliminate such tiresome decisions with the Sony Ericsson P800, which combines all three functions. It also allows you to switch off the phone transmitter, which is useful if you want to listen to MP3s while on a plane. It isn't especially cheap, but you can get a deal by signing up for a phone contract with Optus.

If you've purchased a DVD player or a CD player recently, chances are it will play MP3 files as well.

This even extends to models from companies such as Sony, whose affiliated music labels are undoubtedly horrified by the very thought that anyone can play MP3 files at all.

Faced with such competition, manufacturers of MP3 players are striking back.

One of the most obvious areas of enhancement is simple: crank up the amount of memory.

The latest base model of Apple's iPod, for instance, comes with 5Gbytes of storage, while the 20Gbyte model can store about 5000 songs.

A second area of development has been adding MP3 playback to other portable devices. Many recent handheld PCs will allow you to play back MP3 files while you're browsing your address book. Those that don't, such as Palm's Tungsten, can easily be adapted to do so by installing a freeware application.

Many mobile phone manufacturers have also added MP3 playback to their phones (along with other non-phone functions such as digital cameras).

Size remains a battleground -- indeed, with some MP3 players, the headphones are now less portable than the devices themselves.

The Ravemetal player, released in Japan last year, is less than 10mm thick.

But there's still plenty of room for improvement. A 2002 study by Forrester Research found MP3 players did not provide as good a user experience as many handhelds.

In part, that may be due to the PC-centric nature of downloading music to the players.

Even without enhancements, though, standalone players still have advantages over using your home entertainment centre -- because there are no moving parts, they're perfect for taking to the gym.

A flash card or memory stick filled with music is infinitely more portable than a CD.