There are MP3 players the size of tie-pins, players that can record voice memos and even one shaped like a cassette tape that plays in a car stereo. But there's always the same limitation: space. With an average capacity of 32MB, most players hold a max of ten CD-quality songs.

At the moment there are two options if you want a higher-capacity MP3-player: Either a player with a miniature hard drive or one that reads files off a CD. Recess took one player of each type for a test-spin.

Compressor Personal Jukebox

The Compressor Personal Jukebox is built around a 6.4 gigabyte hard-drive, for about 80 hours of music. It's about the size of a scientific calculator, and shares some unfortunate design elements with one: There's none of the shiny plastic or colorful ritz of other high-end MP3 players.

The highlight of its simple design is a large, easy-to-read display that provides abundant information about the track you're listening to and makes navigating among even 60 or more albums easy. The included software makes it easy to send files between computer and player. It takes about 10 minutes to transmit a typical album.

For the price, though, you practically could tote a computer: The product retails for a hefty $749 (Inexplicably, the company also sells Compressors in sets of two for $1,398-His n' hers?). Even if you can afford it-and if any college students can, they're at Duke-you'll need theft insurance if you're going to use it on campus.

Portable MP3 Player

You won't have to part with half a grand to get your hands on the creatively-named Portable MP3 Player from MP3Solutions.com that retails for $189.99. If it weren't for the discrete "MP3" printed on its case, you'd never know it wasn't a regular CD portable-it plays regular music CDs as well as MP3 files.

The product has a steep learning curve: Its user's manual is largely incomprehensible, and the system for navigating among folders and subfolders on a CD is not intuitive. The FAQ on the company's web site makes things somewhat easier, though, and once you grow accustomed to the system it's surprisingly logical.

You'll need your own software to make MP3s, along with access to a CD burner. One CD will hold about 12 hours of music, and the player will treat subdirectories on the disc as individual playlists so you don't have to worry about mixing up your Britney Spears and your Mandy Moore.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this unit is its display, which shows just a track number and time. When song titles are on CDs waiting to be displayed, it's frustrating not to be able to see them.

Still, if you're interested in a no-frills, convenient product for a decent price and you want it now, it's hard to beat the Portable MP3 Player. If money is no object, the Compressor is a better choice. You'll have to decide for yourself whether the differences between these two players justify a $550 price gap. And if you want still lower prices and more features... wait six months.