Rio Mp3 Players: Changing hands and Changing Minds
Mp3 technology has been a blessing to music lovers everywhere. The estimated revenue of Mp3 players in 2006 neared a staggering $3.3 million. These little personal jukeboxes are sought after by teens and kids alike as well as appreciated by the adult population. Do a little reconnaissance mission at the local mall and you may be shocked to discover mp3 players hidden on belt loops and purses spanning the generations. (The dangling headphone cords are an obvious give-away to the presence of an mp3 player.)
Mp3 players can be used to listen to audio books, radio programs, sermons, newspapers, FM radio stations and also for viewing pictures and movies. Of course all of these formats are not available to every mp3 player. The customer must decide what features are desired and pay accordingly.
The mp3 player giant
The leader of the mp3 world is by far Apple. Inc. Its iPod models are a hot item with today's generation of music lovers as well as a status symbol. Apple offers mp3 downloads from the popular iTunes Store. You can also find podcasts for free on many different topics.
The competition grows
There are other companies making a generous amount of money from the sales of mp3 players. Some of the more popular companies are: Microsoft, iRiver, Creative Labs, SanDisc, Samsung Toshiba and Sonic Blue. More and more companies are joining the race to collect on mp3 player sales.
One viable choice for consumers is the Rio line of mp3 players. Sonic Blue markets the Rio brand of mp3 players. Rio mp3 players that are currently available include: the Carbon, CE2100, Forge Sport, Fuse Street and the Rio One. They range in price from $37 to $120 and offer storage options from 128MB to 5GB.
The Nitro by Rio was the first Mp3 player to feature a one inch hard drive and attracted the attention of technology watchers and consumers.
Rio mp3 players do not offer as many features as some the bigger competitors but the price range is attractive to consumers on a limited budget who still want to tote their beloved music files with them.
The rights to the Rio line of mp3 players have changed hands many times over the years, but the product line has survived intact and is still a contender in the highly competitive market of mp3 players. Sonic Blue's contribution to the mp3 player market is respectable and its products are comparative to the competition's.
