MP3 players offer a few distinct advantages over other portable music
players. They are much smaller than both cassette and portable CD
players, and in many ways they are more versatile. One of the major
reasons why many choose an MP3 player over one of the other styles of
portable music players is because there are some great sport MP3 players
available.
A few of the major MP3 player companies offer a "sport"-model MP3
player in their lineups. While the moniker "sport" can refer to external
features such as beefed-up, water-resistant housings, most often sport
models are distinguished by their size. A good sport MP3 player is
usually small enough to be easily clipped onto a belt or armband, and
light enough to be virtually unnoticeable during a workout.
When you say "sport MP3 player," you are most likely talking about a
flash-style MP3 player. Flash-style players are distinguished from hard
drive MP3 players in that they have no physically moving internal
components. Not having a hard drive frees up a lot of space, and
consequently, flash MP3 players can be quite a bit smaller than their
hard drive cousins.
Additionally, flash players generally have longer battery lives. This
is a great boon to a sport model that's likely to get used several times
a week for half-hour to hour-long periods. Perhaps the best feature of
flash MP3 players, and one of the major reasons why they make such good
sport models, is their ability to withstand shocks. Unlike players that
have a hard drive, flash players will not "skip" when jostled around.