End User

The Best MP3 Players of 2008

For MP3 and media players, 2008 could be called the Year of the Upgrade, because many consumers saw the technological developments this year as a great reason to get a better player. Be it more capacity, smaller size, or bigger screens, MP3 and media players have improved tremendously over the past year.

When it comes to capacity, Archos remains the Heavyweight Champion--the company's new Internet Media Tablets have a 320 GB model (and a 7-inch touchscreen). Apple and Microsoft both launched 120 GB models of their iPod and Zune players. Of course, these models are hard-drive players. In terms of flash-based players, capacity is coming around, slowly but surely. This year, Apple took it to a new level with the 32 GB iPod touch.

Size certainly matters when it comes to MP3 players. And despite growth in capacity, the physical size and shape of players are getting smaller every day. For example, the new 120 GB iPod classic is the same size as the 80 GB classic, even though it has 40 GB more storage. And the new Archos IMTs have double the capacity and are much smaller in size than the previous 605 and 705 models. Some of the cuter new players that hit the market this year include the Samsung S2 pebble-like players, SanDisk's Sansa Fuze, Creative's Zen Mozaic, and, of course, the new colors of Apple's iPod shuffle.

And accessories have really shined in 2008, with speaker systems taking top prize. In 2008, we've seen some of the best-sounding (Zeppelin from Bowers & Wilkins), cutest (Ladybug from Vestalife), and most portable (iM237 Orbit from Altec Lansing) systems released.

Check out Amazon's Editors' Picks for the best MP3 players and accessories of the year, the Top Sellers of the year, and the current products that garnered the best customer reviews in 2008.

---Andi

Amazon.com Launches Frustration-Free Packaging

Amazon.com has launched “Frustration-Free Packaging,” a new initiative designed to make it easier for customers to liberate products from their packages. Amazon is focusing first on two kinds of items: those enclosed in hard plastic cases known as “clamshells” and those secured with a large number of plastic-coated wire ties, commonly used in toy packaging.

Frustration-Free Packaging is being launched in the United States with 19 bestselling products from leading manufacturers including Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and electronics manufacturer Transcend. The product itself is exactly the same – Amazon has just streamlined the packaging. The project will expand across Amazon’s international sites beginning in 2009.

We’ve pulled together a video and a few pictures that demonstrate how frustrating packaging can be—feel free to send us your pictures and videos by visiting www.amazon.com/upload. We’ve also created a Frequently Asked Questions document on the program for those of you who want to learn more.

--Andi

Finding the Best MP3 Player for You

Until 2001--when Apple launched its first iPod--taking your music with you was somewhat limited. Remember those bulky CD wallets? Or mix tapes, anyone? Sure, the music was portable, but taking the bulk of your collection on the road meant shoeboxes of cassettes and CDs. Alas, the advent of iPods and MP3 players has created the ability to take thousands of songs with you wherever you go on a device that fits in your pocket. That's the good news. On the other hand, hundreds of MP3 players are on the market, and finding the ideal player for your needs can be overwhelming.

Last week, Amazon.com launched the MP3 & Media Players Knowledge Center, an educational resource that answers your most pressing questions about these must-have gadgets. Questions that are answered include what is an MP3? Do MP3 players show videos? What kinds of features do MP3 players have? How do you add music to an MP3 player? What about videos? Which MP3 player is best for working out?

The Knowledge Center also features Tips of the Week (how to extend your battery life, for example), Discussion & Forums, a glossary of related terms (everything from "auxiliary input" to "Zune"), explanations of players' ecosystems (the Zune Social, for instance), and much more.

So, before you make your next player purchase, check out the Knowledge Center to help determine which one is best for you.

--Andi

 

How Well Do You Know Your Own Music Collection?

The other day, I volunteered to pick up some friends from the airport. Their luggage was lost on the tarmac, so I was on hold in the Cell Phone Waiting Lot for over an hour. Not a problem, because I had my 6th-generation iPod classic with me, and it features the coolest game ever: iQuiz, which comes pre-loaded on every 6th-generation iPod classic. I'm a music fanatic (1,200 CDs and 5,500 MP3s), and I keep my iTunes in pristine condition--not just song title, artist, and album, but also composer, lyrics, year, genre, track number, album cover, my rating, and any other information I have about the song. (If I could find a way to determine BPM on songs, I'd include that, too.) So, iQuiz is the best because it's a simulated game show, where I'm the only contestant, and the topic is my music. (I can also play iQuiz with TV and movies, but I haven't even ventured there--yet.) Most of the questions are multiple choice and true/false, but the Lightning Rounds focus on similarities--years, artists, genres, and the like. The game is a ton of fun, and it really encourages OCD-like organization of your music collection. It's just one more fantastic reason to own an iPod. Heck, I was having so much fun, I let the kids wait an extra 5 minutes at Baggage Claim so that I could finish my game. High score: 14,531. What's yours?

--Andi