Ok, so your youngsters/teenagers have asked you for an iPOD for Christmas. You don't even know what these means, let alone how to go about buying the right one and avoiding the dreaded Christmas tantrum... (They could always play with the box, like they did when they were toddlers?)

So, you've started a bit of research and you've hit this page. Good, because I'm not going to bamboozle you with techo-speak, but try and give you enough information to make a sensible choice about what to buy.

So, let's start with the basics - what are your kids actually talking about?

What is an mp3 player? what is an iPOD?

An MP3 player (pronounced "emm pee three player") is a generic term for what is really a modern day Walkman - i.e. a portable music player. The clever part is, instead of using tapes or CDs or minidiscs, it plays back music recorded in computer files, stored in some kind of computer memory (I don't want to get too technical here, so stick with me, I'll cover more of this later for those that are interested, but really you don't need to know the detail if you don't understand it.)

Mp3 players have become popular because computer music files (or any computer file) are easy to share and copy and transfer from one computer to another; and you can store lots of them on some very physically small devices. In the early 90's files would be shared by swapping "floppy disks"; now you can fit 50,000 (fifty thousand) times as much information on a device the same size. Pretty good progress!

Now, I was flummoxed the other week when my significant other asked me "Why is it called an mp3 player?"

"Well, " I said, "It plays M P threes?"

But she still didn't understand - "But why isn't is just called a Walkman?"

Ahhh.. the penny finally dropped about what she was asking and where the knowledge gaps were. So first thing to answer is:

what is an mp3?

Here's the science bit: The "mp3" part of the name is actually a very technial description of the way computer music files can be stored. You'll remember that during the 90's DVDs came to be invented. As part of the work in developing this invention, lots of work had been done looking at how you could store video recording and music recordings as computer files in a very compact form. This work was co-ordinated by the "Motion Picture Expert Group". Some bright spark figured out a way to store video information on a computer in a very compact way, so this became known as MPEG encoding. Some other bright spark figured out how to compact the audio too, and this became known as MPEG layer 3 - which got shortened to MP3, and the name has lived on.

So, in short, MP3 is the standard by which music and speech is stored on a DVD Video. It just so happens, if you have a computer, it's a really good way to store your music in general.

So, getting back to the point of "what is an mp3 player?", it's a gadget that can store and play back these music files. I should point out that there are other possible ways to store your music files, and different players play the different types (for example - there is WMF = windows media format). But generically these players have come to be known as MP3 players, probably because of their slightly geeky heritage.

What is an ipod?

iPOD is to MP3 player as Hoover is to vacuum cleaner.

I.e. IPOD is the brand name that Apple Computers chose for its famly of Mp3 players. However, the ipod family has become so cool and desirable, that in many circles the name has been adopted generically to describe devices that aren't even made by Apple! (just like Hoover, you see!)

An Ipod is basically the 21st Century equivalent of the Walkman, and the name is used in the same way as the name Walkman was is the eighties. I.e. it was used to describe any portable music player. The same is happening now with Ipod.

Apple has a whole range of ipods, from tiny ones to small ones (there are no big ones!) that can hold different numbers of songs, have different screens, can show photos, play video etc.

If you have been asked to get an IPOD, then you need to check carefully whether it is a request for a genuine APPLE ipod, or whether it just means any general MP3 player. 

So, that's the first headache I might have saved you from.  :-)

Is an ipod the same as an mp3 player?

This is a bit of a yes and no answer. We've already discussed that the "Ipod" is the Apple family of music players. There are some differences to be aware of between Apple's range of products and the various others you can get on the market (popular brands include Sony, Philips, Creative, iRiver).

Here's a side by side comparison of some of the similarities and differences:

so, you may need to check carefully as to what you need. If, for example, you have a large collection of music already stored in mp3 format, then pretty much any player will do.

If you have a large collection in Windows Media format, then an ipod is probably not the best choice - since it doesn't play that format. (The way round this would be to convert your collection from one format to another - which could be a load of hassle and I would only recommend as a last resort, for a variety of reasons.)

On the other hand, if you have an Apple Macintosh, iMac or other Apple Computer, it would probably make sense to stick with the apple family and go for an ipod, as your collection will be in a compatible format, and everything will work together seamlessly.

Which is better?

Answering this question really comes down to what "best" means for you and your personal circustances. In the first instance you should set yourself a budget, because you can spend anything from £99 to £500 or more on an mp3 player.

The popularity of the ipod is undoubtedly a result of it's chic good looks, compact size, ease of use, simple software, and great sound. Just about perfect really! However, it still retains a certain price premium, so if budget is your main concern, the ipod might not be your best choice.

Also, it doesn't hold the award for "most minature" on the whole. At the upper end of the range, the larger models have competitors which hold as many tracks but are more compact in size. However, in the medium size market, the new Ipod Nano challenges this, and is a truly beautiful and compact player, capable of holding 1500 songs. 

Ipod scores for its simplicity, great software, and the fact that the online shop is built into the whole deal. The whole lot works together easily and reliably, and for anyone who is not a computer techie, this could offer the easiest solution.

Where the ipod also scores highly is in the accessories department - there is almost nothing you can't get for the ipod - including car kits, car mounts, protective cases, remote controls, transmitters, speaker docking systems for your home and so on. What's more, even some car manufacturers (e.g. BMW and Mercedes) are now offering ipod integration with their car entertainment systems. So - for being all-round "street wise" the ipod wins hands down.

When it comes to other players, you pays your money, you takes your choice. As a general rule, the less you pay, the smaller the storage capacity will be, the poorer the sound quality will be and the fewer features.

There is simply no way to say what is the best option for your individual circumstances. The best bet is to write down what the really important features to you are, and start from there.

Can all mp3 players play the same music?

We touched on this earlier and the answer is no. Now I'm afraid we have to get almost technical to explain some of the difference here.

When music is stored in a computer file, there are actually different ways to store it in the file. As an analogy imagine how you would write (store) a song on paper. You could write the words and music in handwriting. You could use red pen, or green pen, or blue pen. You could type the words. You could use a printer to print them. You could come up with some of your own abbreviations for certain things. You could write the chorus out in full every time, or you could just write a number to say how many times it should be sung. And so on, you get the idea.

The point is, there are many different "formats" for the way information is stored, even though it is the same information; and it is just as true for music files, even if end result (the sound) amounts to the same thing.

There are numerous music file formats, and each of them can be divided into two main categories - whether or not they support "Digital Rights Management" or DRM.

DRM is the means by which a music file is "locked" to the computer on which it was bought. It can be transferred to your mp3 player, but you can't give out lots of copies (e.g. to friends). Some formats (mp3 included) do not support DRM, and you can do what you like with the files. Your feelings about which suits you are something only you can decide on.

DRM is intended to prevent piracy and protect artists, but many people (myself included) feel that many implementations of it are too restrictive on what you can do (e.g. you might not be able to copy your music onto more than one player at a time).

If you buy music from a legal download site, then it will be DRM-enabled, which also restricts what type of file format it will be. For Apple/ipod and the itunes music store, the DRM-enabled format is called "AAC". For pretty much every other music store, the format is "WMA".  So, if you are going to be buying digital music in this way, you need to make sure your player can not only play the format but that it supports DRM.  Be sure to check this, as there are players that will play WMA, for example, but cannot play DRM-enabled WMA files. This means you cannot play files you have bought from legal online stores, even if they are WMA format!

On the other hand, some formats simply cannot be DRM-enabled, either by design, or for historical reasons. The main one is MP3. MP3 files can be copied to your heart's content, and played on almost any device. It is by far the most popular format, even though it is quite old (or because it is). Sharing MP3 files is perfectly possible, because there is no DRM for MP3s.

Other formats include something called "ogg vorbis". This format was invented to be public and free, and to have no licensing costs associated with it, but is generally used by computer techies rather than being mass market. So, if you are new to all this, then it is probably not a format you have to worry about.

One word of caution. I need to be responsible and point out that copying music illegally is not a good idea. Aside from the moral aspects (and I'm a musician, so I see both sides of the story), the music industry is taking a stand and making it quite clear it is prepared the take action against individuals involved in pirate music. They are prepared to make an example of people, and have done so, even with young teenagers.

How much can they play?

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