There are roughly three kinds of manufacturers of digital audio players. The first kind wants to design a player with the biggest disk space possible in order to make storing entire music libraries possible. The second kind of manufacturer wants to compete with and eventually topple over the leading brand, which is currently the iPod. The third kind is more humble in its quest. It only wants to make user-friendly and long-lasting products. This is the kind iRiver belongs to.

iRiver offers three series from which people can choose the player that best suits their needs. The players in the iRiver T30 series can format within a battery life of 24 hours. They come in two sizes, 512 MB (120 songs) at $99.99 and 1 GB (250 songs) at $149.99. In this series, players have built-in voice recorders. They also have the ability to support subscription services and directly record from a source without having to use a computer.

The players in the iRiver T10 series are best for people on the go, particularly athletes. They come with a built-in sport clip which is helpful when running. They also have a color display and can last up to 45 hours of playing music when on full charge. Cool extra features are an FM tuner and a recorder. At $149.99 for 512MB and $199.99 for 1GB, players in the T10 are a bit more expensive than those in the T30.

And of course, there's the waterproof iRiver MP3 player built for the more athletic types.
At $99.99, it comes with a waterproof cover and waterproof headphones. Its sleek design allows you to enjoy listening to your favorite music even when you are in the water, whether you're swimming in a pool or going whitewater rafting. In terms of size and features, this player works the same way as the regular models do.

Like any other products, iRiver MP3 players have its share of drawbacks, too. Some people complain about the limited disk space, while others comment on the not-so-user-friendly format. For instance, when you try to delete just one song, you may end up accidentally deleting an entire folder, or worse, the entire collection.

iRiver MP3 players are not made to be storage devices for entire music libraries. They are primarily built for strength so they can be used when running or swimming. They appeal to people with an active lifestyle, and if you're one of these people, you may want to consider getting an iRiver MP3 player.