What are the differences between an iPod and a MP3 Player? Practically, both of them do the same thing, meaning they play songs. Both of them are PMP devices (PMP stands for Portable Music Player). So, where is the catch?
The only catch is that the iPod is a brand of MP3 Player manufactured by Apple Inc., like Microsoft's MP3 Player is called Zune. iPods have a specific set of features and design, such as the touch wheel which is a special navigation feature that other MP3 Players cannot have. Meanwhile other MP3 Players have features such as FM Radio or SD card slots, which an iPod does not have. Moreover, iPods cannot play .wma or .wmv formats, but it can do a whole bunch of other things like watching video, playing games or surfing the web.
Since 2001 when the first Apple iPod was released, many other models in the series were launched on the market: iPod Classic, iPod Touch, iPod Shuffle, iPod Mini and iPod Nano. Unlike other MP3 Players, Apple iPod uses its own music software called iTunes for transferring music from and into a computer. Using the same software, you can benefit of a number of features, such as storing your music in a media library, CD burning and you can transfer into your iPod video, photos, games, or mini applications. There are more than 100 million iPods used today so that makes it the most popular MP3 Player. The reason why iPods are so popular is their simplicity this making it a product that people of all ages can understand and use. Plus, it offers a range of very cool and cheap accessories available anywhere on the market.
A MP3 Player (also called DAP - Digital Audio Player) is, basically, a small device with a flash memory that stores music. If supported by the player, it can support various file types: .wma, .wav and other formats. A MP3 Player has its own software, which allows you to transfer music files from your computer to the player.
Most MP3 Players have features like creating playlists or FM Radio and some other options allowing you to change your background color or equalization options. They use batteries and can be charged with an AC Adapter. For transferring files, it is used an USB cord to connect a MP3 Player to a computer.
The confusion that rise the question "What's the difference between an iPod and a MP3 Player" comes from the fact that by "iPod" people understand the same thing as the word "MP3" means, which is wrong. Truth being told, Apple iPod holds the supremacy when it comes to MP3 Players.
If you never used an iPod or iTunes before, it is recommended to choose a "common" MP3 Players. Companies as Creative, Sony, Samsung, or SanDisk make great MP3 Players with new features and giving pretty much the same option as an iPod. While an iPod is easier to use, the iTunes software makes things more complicated and without the program, an iPod has no real use. With an MP3 Player, you don't need any other software to transfer your files, but its menu can be tricky enough.
