Today's cell phone user can download practically anything for a ring tone, whether it be a rock and roll song or the sound of cows mooing. A single search on ringtones can generate over a million sites'and in one site, up to 100,000 ringtones. That's a lot of options.

The most popular format for ringtones is the Nokring, also called the RTTTL (ringing tones text transfer language). Basically, it allows users to transfer the ringtone codes through a data cable and a special software. One mouse click and you're done and ready to rock and roll (or moo, whatever the case may be).

RTTTL is not the only format that Nokia uses for its phones. Some models are equipped with the Nokia composer, which allows users to type in the music code directly into the phone. The Nokia 3210 model was the first to offer this function.

The binary format, on the other hand, lets you code a ringtone using the Smart Messaging function. Essentially, you receive the ringtone as a message, which the phone recognizes and activates.

The problem with Composer ringtones is, well, the work involved. You've got to type, and type it very accurately, or it'll come out very, very wrong. The binary format, while more convenient, only works on a small selection of Nokia phones. Only RTTTL offers both absolute convenience and reliability, and it doesn't hurt that the majority of the ringtones are in this format.

How do you know if a ringtone is in RTTTL format? There are three specific elements. First, you'll see the name of the ringtone followed by a string of characters that represent each note. Duration is indicated by the letter 'd', while octave is indicated by the letter 'o' and beats per minute (or tempo) is indicated by the letter 'b'. These letters are followed by a number that shows the note. If no modifier is present, then the phone automatically uses the default duration, octave and tempo.Each note is then followed by a comma.

Many people say that of all the formats, RTTTL is the most intuitive: the codes make sense, and thus are easier to manipulate to customize a tone. This could be the reason why more people are encouraged to create the ringtones and upload them to sites. RTTTL's variety of ringtones is unparalleled'and for those who'd rather download ringtones than create them, that's the only thing that matters.

Downloading an RTTTL ringtone is also very easy: you just need a couple of tools. First, you need a way to connect the phone to your computer. You can use a data cable, or if you have one of the newer phones with infrared capabilities, you can activate that feature. You will also need a software, such as Nokia Data Suite, Logo Manager or Nokring. These are available on the website, or are sometimes bundled with the phone. Another option is to the many freeware and shareware programs available.

Yes, it's that easy'and once everything's set up, you can automatically download the ringtones. B(ring) it on!