As regular readers of our MP3 player coverage know, tiny one-inch hard drives have enabled a new breed of portable audio device that sits somewhere between flash-based units and larger, hard drive-based models in terms of both price ($200 to $250) and capacity (1.5GB to 4GB). These players are cheaper per megabyte than flash players and far more pocketable than larger-capacity (10GB+) hard drive-based players, providing an attractive option for those who prize compact designs in their portable gear. The heavy hitters of the MP3 player space, Apple, Creative, iRiver, RCA, and Rio, have already released one or more of these devices, which we have dubbed microdrive MP3 players.

Microdrive MP3 players Apple iPod Mini (4GB) Creative Nomad MuVo2 (4GB) iRiver iGP-100 (1.5GB) RCA Lyra Micro Jukebox RD2760 (1.5GB) Rio Nitrus (1.5GB)

But just because the companies build them doesn't necessarily mean that consumers understand the value of such devices. I've taken an informal poll of friends and colleagues, and the response I heard most often was, "Why should I buy a 4GB iPod Mini for $250 when I can pay another $50 for the 15GB white iPod?" The most obvious answer: The Mini, as its name suggests, is smaller than its higher-capacity cousins.

Most people prefer their portable devices as small as possible, so long as the buttons and the screen aren't so minuscule as to necessitate the inclusion of tweezers and a magnifying glass as standard accessories. Size is clearly an issue, but it's not the only one.

It's in the way that you use it
There are two main ways people listen to the large quantities of music stored on hard drive-based MP3 players: either by shuffling all tunes or creating extensive playlists. I tend to listen to my digital music in Shuffle All mode and hit the fast-forward button when I hear something I'm not in the mood for. I'm a shuffler, but I know several people who carefully set up playlists and often want to listen to a specific song or artist. I call them selectors.

As long as a shuffler doesn't mind refreshing the music on his or her MP3 player, there's no palpable difference between a 1.5GB microdrive unit and a 60GB high-capacity model. After all, you can't listen to more than one song at a time--well, I suppose you can if you're listening to one of these, but you get the idea. Shufflers should consider buying a microdrive player to conserve valuable pocket space. The 4GB models allow you to go longer between syncs, but for a shuffler who uses a computer daily, a 1.5GB model is almost as good.

On the other hand, if you're a selector (or planning a long trip away from your computer), you're going to want to take along your entire collection--no microdrive player for you.

Smaller, lighter...tougher?
Aside from size, capacity, and price, there's one other differentiator between microdrives and 1.8-inch drives: their diameter, which has physics-based ramifications. Their smaller diameter could make microdrives more resilient to damage or skipping due to jarring impact. And according to a spokesman from Cornice (the company that makes the 1.5GB microdrives used by iRiver and others), "By virtue of being a lighter drive, [the microdrive gives you] a shock-protection benefit. The Storage Element [Cornice's drive] is especially protected against shock. [It] is mounted in such a way to greatly reduce any effects of shock--from simple jogging to a drop of well over one meter onto concrete."

Now, I don't recommend jogging with any hard drive-based player, even though I've heard stories of people who've trained for and competed in marathons with an iPod and never experienced a skip. But I've also heard of hard drive players that have ceased to function due to jogging. If you're feeling lucky, go ahead and jog with your microdrive player; from what I can tell, odds are that it will be fine, but we're talking about potential damage to $250 devices. For that reason, jogging and other highly active pursuits might be the only remaining uses for flash players if microdrive models catch on with consumers.

If you're looking for a new MP3 player that you won't take jogging, just ask yourself one simple question: Are you a shuffler or a selector? If you classify yourself as the former, microdrive players, such as the ones in the above chart, make a world of sense. As for you selectors out there, you have lots of options--so long as you don't mind wearing cargo pants.