This tip was printed from the MalekTips Computer and Technology Help and Tips website at http://malektips.com.

Digital Audio Player - Skipping in Hard Drive-Based Players

SUMMARY: Hard drive-based digital audio players may skip. Here's why.

Currently, there are two main types of digital audio / portable MP3 players, those that are based on some sort of flash memory, and those based on miniature hard drives. Currently, most flash-based drives are smaller than their hard drive-based counterparts, and they are more expensive at the higher-end of music storage.

Although hard drive-based players that support gigabytes of music are cheaper than flash-based drives (you may not even be able to get flash-based players that store the same amount of songs as hard drive-based players), one problem with hard drive-based players is that they are more prone to skipping.

While many newer hard drive-based players support anti-skip technology (and if you buy such a device, you should get this feature), realize that hard drives contain mechanical parts. If you keep such a player in your pocket while you walk or jog, the internal hard drive may get jolted, causing read errors and breaks in your music. Flash memory-based players contain fewer mechanical parts and are usually much less prone to skipping or shock-based damage.