MP3 players-music for you while on the go

Moving Picture Experts Group first introduced MP3 players in the year 1990. The idea was to find a high tech method to compress audio and video files. The MP3 system can compress video and audio files while retaining their quality almost intact. The MP3 player by doing so is able to store more and more files. When downloading files to a computer or to any other systems from this gadget, the time factor to download is very insignificant due to the compression. For example, a song with running time of about 4 minutes takes at least 40MB on a CD if it is to be recorded on it. Nevertheless, when a MP3 player records the same, it takes as low as 4 MB space on it.  

In this way, music lovers who own MP3 players, which have a memory capacity of 1 GB, can store about 250 songs. The MP3 is the format that is highly compatible with this type of players. Nevertheless, many other file formats are also recordable on some MP3 players. These formats include WMA, WAV, MIDI, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, ADP CM, ASF, VQF and ATRAC. The difference of this type of player from the others is it does not have additional parts to read files such as the earlier models. It is one compact memory storage device. It has embedded software helping the user to transfer MP3 files to the player.  

The MP3 players also have facilities for copying songs from radio channels, websites, TVs etc. After recording, the MP3 players can make a list of songs called the Play List. The users can also make the list to their preferences as well. Although, this gadget seems as one product, it contains or is integrated with many technologies. If these technologies are considered separately, they will not be that impressive but together they make a powerful instrument – the MP3 players. The integrated parts of a MP3 player include memory, microprocessor, digital signal processor, playback controls, data port, display, amplifier, power supply, and audio port.  

When the users of MP3 players plug it to a USB port or parallel port of a PC, the data on the computer can be transferred to the player. Normally, the MP3 players connected to a USB port can transfer files faster than the ones connected to the parallel port. All most every MP3 player is powered with batteries. Many have inbuilt rechargeable lithium batteries. With a single charge, the components can run about 28 hours. Some are equipped with AC adapters enabling users to plug them into wall sockets as well.