IPod or Creative? 1 GB or 2 GB capacity? Nano or Video? Or settle for a more affordable Made-In-China knock-off? I am asked these questions too often, and my answer these days is invariably, “None.”I don’t want to belittle the looks and features of iPod, or the audio superiority of Creative MP3 players, but today even a middle-rung mobile phone would give you the same features. On top of it, it would give you radio listening and recording facility, in some models not just FM but also AM.
More importantly, for most of the people a mobile phone is a necessity, while an MP3 player is an add-on. So while buying a mobile phone, or upgrading to a new model, look for its music playing capabilities. Open today’s newspaper or a magazine. You will find among the features advertised for a new cellphone a line or two about 1 or 2 GB MP3 music playing capabilities. In fact, I would even suggest paying a couple of hundred rupees more to get a higher capacity MP3 playing capability in your phone.
As far as video is concerned, you had been using even your vanilla mobile phone for sending/playing MMSs for ages. Its screen is much bigger than that of an iPod, and the colour comes handy.
What’s more, if you double up your mobile phone as a portable music player, the usage would be more. That’s value for money. Also, less chance of its getting picked and being left on the bill payment counter.
