I recently heard that all my cousin’s six year old daughter wanted for her birthday this year was an iPod. She didn’t mention an Easy Bake Oven or even a Cabbage Patch doll. All she would admit to wishing for was an Apple iPod.

Her mother approached me about this phenomenon a week before her daughter’s birthday. “What in the world is an I-Pod?” she asked. “It’s all she talks about.” She motioned to her daughter, who was cleaning a plate of that night’s dessert.

Wide-eyed, I began to explain to her, “It’s a device used to store and listen to music. It’s an MP3 player.”

Admittedly I think I confused her even more.

I hear this question a lot. Whether someone doesn’t know what an MP3 player is or why one is so expensive, usually I will be confronted with the task of shedding some light on the whole deal.

An MP3 player is a small device that can be hooked up to a computer in order to transfer music files, or MP3s, to the device’s memory. Once the MP3s are on the device, the music can be played and enjoyed usually with a pair of headphones. There are many different types of MP3 players on the market, ranging in prices of $50 and upwards to $400. Some will play videoes and games on the LCD screen. The main appeal for most MP3 Players is that the user can store hours upon hours of music content in one portable place.

There are a few things to consider before buying an MP3 Player though.

First off, how much are you willing to spend? Set a budget and stick to it. You may not be able to purchase the best of the best, but you can still be satisfied. Like most tech gadgets, however, you do get what you pay for.

How familiar are you with the computer you will be using? Take this into consideration as well since many MP3 players vary on the ease of use of each brand. While a $150 MP3 player seems like a good deal, if you lack the know how to transfer your music library to it, you may have just purchased a shiny new paperweight. Some MP3 players will only work with specific programs installed on the computer. The Apple iPod, for example, works only with iTunes, a free music and video manager, and the Microsoft Zune is only compatible with Zune music manager. Programs such as these can help an uncertain computer user to fully enjoy an MP3 player.

How much music do you have? Most MP3 players under the $200 mark will only hold 500 to 2,000 songs. For an avid audiophile, a higher priced MP3 Player may be needed. Storage size is measured in Gigabytes, or GB. A retail store should carry models ranging from 2GB to a huge 60GB, which is large enough to fit most of a Tower Records store in.

Do you want to do more with an MP3 player than just listen to music? Some newer models allow video playback of TV shows, movies, and even free video podcasts. MP3 players that easily do this will require a mandatory program such as iTunes or Zune.

Owning an MP3 player is about convenience and portability. You will want to make sure that the brand you buy will meet your needs and be easy enough for you to use.

My opinion: Apple’s line of iPods are among the best of MP3 players. Transferring, organizing and navigating through music is made extremely easy with the free iTunes software. iTunes also features an online store filled with a huge library of music spanning many genres and popular TV shows from large broadcasting companies. The iPod itself is very easy to use and is an attractive piece of hardware. The Apple iPod line consists of models for all types of music buffs, along with different price options.