In my view, MP3 players are one of the greatest learning innovations ever. They allow you to carry a university worth of training in a device that weighs a few ounces, and increasing numbers of college students are taking advantage of this, using MP3 players to listen to not just music but also downloaded books, textbook study guides and language labs on-the-go.

This was a mere fantasy not too long ago.

My current recommendation for MP3 players is the Sansa Connect, which will be out shortly. I got a chance to use it in January when I attended the Consumer Electric Show.

SanDisk Sansa Connect WiFi Portable Audio Player

This is now my favorite MP3 player. It is a 4GB flash memory player that is 2 x 3.5 x 0.63-inch and will go for $250 when it hits the streets in late March. One of the reasons why this is so great is it is a device that heralds the NEW way you will be listening to music.

iTunes is so last century. You simply will not be purchasing songs and owning them in the future. Instead, you will be listening to them through a subscription service in which you pay $10 to $15 per month to have access to MILLIONS of songs that you can listen to at any time so long as you are subscribed to their service.

The best service currently is Rhapsody. Sansa already has a music player that connects with Rhapsody, but it is not as good as the Connect.

I had heard of Rhapsody before the show but never fully appreciated it -- without question this seems to be the way to go. You can download whatever music you want to your player and play it on the go. You won’t have to be connected to the Internet except for once every few weeks to make your selections.

Rhapsody is also an integral component of the other great feature I saw at the show, which was Sonos.

USA Today February 6, 2007