Portable mp3 players are taking the music world by storm. They offer convenience, portability, and ease of use, all in a small, feature rich package. There's not much to not like about them. But mp3 player models are constantly changing. Therefore it's a good idea to know what features are most important when you are trying to choose a portable mp3 player for your own use. Here are some tips to consider:

* Consider how you plan to use your mp3 player before buying it. Will you be using it on very long trips where you have no access to your computer song collection? If so, you may want to opt for a portable mp3 player that uses a hard drive to store songs as they can hold thousands of songs at a time and you can go for a long time without hearing the same song twice. In many cases you may be able to have your entire song collection on your mp3 player that way. However, most people will probably be using their portable mp3 player just for a few hours at a time on shorter trips. In that case a flash memory player should work just fine. They can usually handle 50- 75 songs at a time and that may be all you need.

* The best portable mp3 players also allow you to be able to upgrade the operating system of the unit whenever needed. This can be very important as the mp3 player equipment is changing constantly because it's still a relatively new technology. So you want to be able to keep up as advancements are made, and newer file formats or compressions are introduced. Otherwise you could wind up with an obsolete player very quickly.

* Before you buy any portable mp3 player be sure that you personally physically inspect it. This is especially critical for smaller players as they can be so small and compact that some folks with larger hands have a difficult time operating the controls. You also want to be sure that the display will meet your needs too, as some players display more information at a time than others do, and some are more readable even in low light situations than others.

* The best portable mp3 players conserve power well too. This can be an important issue as you will most likely not have a permanent power source when you are on the go, so your battery is all you have to power the unit. Some players can go for days on a set of batteries and others can only go a few hours. So make sure that the player you choose will fit the way you intend to use it. Also be aware that some players use a battery that is rechargeable but also can't be removed, and so must be sent back to the factory for an expensive battery replacement. The best portable mp3 players use batteries that are easy to find and change, such as AA or AAA batteries.

Since mp3 players are still fairly new to the marketplace, many people are not as familiar with them as other pieces of electronic equipment like CD players. So it's good to understand what features are important in the best rated mp3 players in order to make the best choice. Hopefully, the tips above can help you make the best choice.