Is it best to buy an MP3 player that uses flash memory or a hard disk?
lt depends on your budget and how you intend to use the player. Generally, flash memory is used by cheaper products. It’s compact and has no moving parts, so an MP3 player that uses it doesn’t need a powerful battery and can be very small.Flash memory is unaffected by everyday shocks, so it’s the right choice if you’re going to jog or work out while using your MP3 player. However, it currently costs more per megabyte than a hard disk, so flash-based players tend to have less storage.The 4GB iPod nano is the highest-capacity example we know of and it costs over £ 170 including VAT. Hard disk MP3 players use one of two disk types. Full-sized players, such as Toshiba’s Gigabeat in our Hotlist opposite, have 1.8″ notebook hard disks with between 20GB and 60GB of storage. Smaller players such as the Zen MicroPhoto reviewed on the right use a 1″ disk. Disk-based players require bigger batteries. Hard disks don’t perform well in a bumpy environment and can be permanently damaged by a violent
