Hard drive based digital audio players allow you to carry massive amounts of music wherever you go; these average around 20 gigabytes, and larger and smaller models are available. 20 gigabytes is about 5,000 MP3s, and some of these players, such as Apple’s iPod, also allow you to play movies and view pictures. For the serious music lover, a hard drive based player is the way to go; however, hard drives are extremely fragile, so extra care must be taken to ensure that these players are not harshly treated. Hard drive based mp3 players are also larger than flash MP3 players and are overall more expensive.

When shopping for a hard drive based MP3 player, you’ll want to start with Apple’s iPod. This is by far the most popular product in the field, and for a reason. With Apple’s iTunes, it’s easy to use, and the features are amazing. The pricing is also reasonable; at the time this article was written, a 30 gigabyte iPod cost $299, with a 60 gigabyte model only a hundred dollars more. On Ebay, iPods go for even less, although as with any used hard drive you’ll want to check to see how the old owner treated the device before placing any bids.