This presentation gives a basic overview of what MP3s and MP3 players are, why people might want to use MP3s, and other factors to consider when looking into buying MP3s or an MP3 player. This was last presented to the Bay Area Seniors Computer Club in Coos Bay, Oregon, on August 20, 2010.

1. MP3s and players
An introduction
Matthew “Buzzy” Nielsen
Assistant Director, North Bend Public Library
This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution United
08/20/2010 States license. For more information, visit http://www.creativecommons.org

2. What is an MP3?

3. You can listen to music on these
Vinyl record
Compact disc
Cassette
What is an MP3?

4. Or, with MP3s, on these
Computer
Mobile phone
MP3 player
What is an MP3? MP3 player image source: Rugby471 on Wikimedia Commons

5. MP3:
A format for saving audio digitally
(i.e. not physically, like a record).
What is an MP3?

6. Bit rate
Bit rate:
Bits per second, a measure
of the quality of the mp3.
What is an MP3?

7. Bit rate
Kbps = kilobytes per second
96 Kbps low quality
...
128 Kbps radio quality
...
192 Kbps CD quality
...
320 Kbps very high quality
 bit rate =  file size (MB)
What is an MP3?

8. How do I play MP3s
on my computer?

9. Windows Media Player
Comes installed on Windows computers.
Download from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/
How do I play MP3s on my computer?

10. iTunes
Comes installed on Mac computers.
Download from http://www.apple.com/itunes/
How do I play MP3s on my computer?

11. Winamp
For Windows computers only.
Download from http://www.winamp.com/
How do I play MP3s on my computer?

12. What is an MP3 player?

13. MP3 player:
A portable device that can be
used to listen to audio (or
often video) files.
What is an MP3 player?

14. Lots of options to choose from!
iRiver
Creative Microsoft
And many
Apple more brands
Sansa
What is an MP3 player?

15. iPods vs MP3 players?
iPod = MP3 player by Apple
iPod Touch iPod Nano iPod Classic
What is an MP3 player?

16. MP3 players vs smartphones?
Smartphone = Handheld computer
(that happens to play MP3s)
Android Blackberry iPhone
What is an MP3 player?

17. Demonstration:
Playing music on an MP3 player
What is an MP3 player?

18. Why should I use MP3s?

19. Reason #1:
Portability
Why should I use MP3s?

20. Portability
≈ 15 songs ≈ 1,000 songs
Why should I use MP3s?

21. Reason #2:
Transferability
Why should I use MP3s?

22. Transferability
Computer
Mobile phone
MP3 player
What should I use MP3s?

23. Reason #3:
Cost
Why should I use MP3s?

24. Cost: CD ...
Why should I use MP3s?

25. ... vs MP3
You can buy individual songs
Why should I use MP3s?

26. Where can I get MP3s?

27. Method #1:
“Rip” them
(i.e. copy them from a CD you own)
Where can I get MP3s?

28. Ripping CDs
“Ripping” converts the songs to MP3
and saves them on your computer.
Where can I get MP3s?

29. Amazon
http://www.amazon.com
Where can I get MP3s?

30. iTunes
http://www.apple.com/itunes
Where can I get MP3s?

31. emusic
http://www.emusic.com
Where can I get MP3s?

32. Your local library, for audiobooks
http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com
Where can I get MP3s?

33. Demonstration:
Buying an MP3 from Amazon.com
Where can I get MP3s?

34. How do I get MP3s onto a player?

35. Method #1:
Syncing
(i.e. synchronizing your MP3 player with your
media software, such as iTunes)
How do I get MP3s onto a player?

36. Syncing
Syncing checks what songs you have
on your MP3 player versus what's on
your computer and copies (or
deletes) what's on your player.
How do I get MP3s onto a player?

37. Method #2:
Drag & drop
(i.e. copying files from your computer to your
MP3 player, like moving onto a USB stick)
How do I get MP3s onto a player?

38. MP3 player as USB drive
How do I get MP3s onto a player?

39. MP3 player as USB drive
How do I get MP3s onto a player?

40. Demonstration:
Copying a song from a
computer to an MP3 player
How do I get MP3s onto a player?

41. What's a podcast?

42. Podcast = iPod + broadcast
Audio that get sent periodically
to your computer or MP3 player
at your convenience.
What's a podcast?

43. Listen when you want
What's a podcast?

44. What should I consider
when buying a player?

45. Factors to consider
Memory (GBs) Higher memory = more
songs. Consider how
many songs you might
want to keep on it.
Navigation Is it easy to figure out
how to play & find songs?
What should I consider when buying a player?

46. Factors to consider
Transferring Is it quick & easy to get
songs on & off of the
player?
Features Can it play videos (MP4s,
others)? Other types of
audio (WMA, OGG)? Can
you download other
applications to it?
What should I consider when buying a player?

47. Factors to consider
Read reviews from Amazon, Consumer
Reports, Best Buy, CNET, and other sources.
What should I consider when buying a player?

48. Questions?
View this presentation on slideshare:
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