Well, first of all, I realise you're probably looking for a short answer, but I think it's nice to also know the factors that contribute to lifespan of a mp3 player. But if whoever reading this post doesn't feel like reading its contents, the tl;dr version is at the bottom. Now then, the lifespan usually depends on the lifespan of the battery, though, it can die off "prematurely" too, due to method of storage.
Methods of storage:
With that in mind, you also understand two things when it comes to electronics: moving parts require energy in order to move. Which means, hard drives tend to eat up a bit more of the battery. eg. My zen micro (hard drive player), its maximum per-use life is 8-10 hours whereas my creative zen could last 24 hours maximum.
On the other hand, you need to watch for the battery type. Most "bigger" players use Lithium-ion batteries now (as do laptops), so you won't need to worry about constant recharging that makes other batteries life short. These guys age from the time it was manufactured regardless of use or charge. However, the small players that use AA/AAA batteries, usually do have this kind of limitation imposed on its lifespan.
tl;dr : If we neglect use and storage type, Lithium-ion batteries generally "die" after about 2-3 years. Where, its per-use lifespan becomes noticeably and significantly shorter than when it was first bought. As for intended lifespan... well, they like to say a buncha big numbers that aren't realistic unless you're real strict about how you use your player.
Edit: typo
Methods of storage:
- For hard drive mp3 players, they generally are more prone to being dropped. The reader head of the hard drive, cannot handle the shock of being dropped, and therefore sometimes end up jumping right off the disk it's supposed to read data off of. Long story short: if your player emits funny noises out of the norm, your harddrive is likely dead. Time for a new player.
- Flash storage mp3 players have it better since it is a solid state storage. That means it does not contain moving parts. Therefore, dropping it should not damage it....unless you dropped it in the toilet. lol
With that in mind, you also understand two things when it comes to electronics: moving parts require energy in order to move. Which means, hard drives tend to eat up a bit more of the battery. eg. My zen micro (hard drive player), its maximum per-use life is 8-10 hours whereas my creative zen could last 24 hours maximum.
On the other hand, you need to watch for the battery type. Most "bigger" players use Lithium-ion batteries now (as do laptops), so you won't need to worry about constant recharging that makes other batteries life short. These guys age from the time it was manufactured regardless of use or charge. However, the small players that use AA/AAA batteries, usually do have this kind of limitation imposed on its lifespan.
tl;dr : If we neglect use and storage type, Lithium-ion batteries generally "die" after about 2-3 years. Where, its per-use lifespan becomes noticeably and significantly shorter than when it was first bought. As for intended lifespan... well, they like to say a buncha big numbers that aren't realistic unless you're real strict about how you use your player.
Edit: typo