Why are Flash-memory players better than Hard-disk players?
Hard-disk players have a hard drive that can hold hundreds and even thousands of songs. Storage capacity can reach 80 GB (enough for more than 1,000 hours of music). But often that extra capacity translates into a bulkier, heavier player. Some are bigger than a portable CD player and weigh up to a pound. Flash-memory players are solid-state devices with no moving parts, which eliminates skipping, even on a bumpy road or during a grueling jog. They’re also the smallest and lightest category, which makes them easier to carry around. Sizes vary, ranging from as small as a thick matchbook to the size of a deck of cards. Weight usually ranges from about 1.5 to 4 ounces. Most of the players have 128 and up MBs of internal memory; 128 MB can hold about two hours of MP3-formatted music recorded at a CD-quality setting. You can fit more music into memory if you compress songs into smaller files, but that may result in lower audio quality. Some flash-memory players also have expansion slots to a
