MP3 player
MP3 players are named after the MP3 file format of the same name. With these small music players MP3 audio files can be stored and played with the MP3 players Winamp, Macamp or mpeg123.
As a storage medium MP3 players have flash memory, optional plug-in memory cards or integrated microdrives or miniature hard drives. Standard versions have storage capacities of several gigabytes, which can be increased up to 100 gigabytes( GB) with memory cards and miniature hard drives. The connection to the computer is made via the USB interface or via the interface 1394. For data transfer, the music player is plugged into the appropriate interface, whereby the data transfer rate depends on the interface and its version.
In addition to playing MP3 files, some MP3 players can also play other audio file formats such as Waveform Audio File Format(WAV), WindowsMedia Audio(WMA), Ogg Vorbis or Advanced Audio Coding( AAC) and convert audio files from other sources to MP3 files.
For function control, MP3 players have several function keys that are functionally equivalent to those of tape recorders. Function control is done through the often illuminated display on which information about the music track, its number and the artist can also be displayed. This information is stored in the ID3 tag.
Some MP3 players are equipped with an extensive range of functions and can be used as Internet radio, as a USB stick for data storage or as a dictation machine. MP3 players can be designed as mobile devices or integrated into the audio system, as is the case with squeezeboxes. Probably the best-known music player is Apple's iPod.Zune, the MP3 player from Microsoft, is distinguished from the iPod by a slightly larger display and also has a radio function. The consistent further development of the audio player leads to a visual display and thus to a multimedia player.