IPod

iPod is a brand of portable digital audio players designed and marketed by Apple Computer. (Hewlett-Packard also markets the product under the name Apple iPod + HP, but announced on July 29 2005 they would stop reselling it in September 2005, when existing stock is projected to be depleted). Devices in the iPod family offer a simple user interface designed around a central scroll wheel. Most iPod models store media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like most digital audio players, an iPod can serve as an external data storage device when connected to a computer.

Capabilities

Software

iPods can play MP3, WAV, AAC/M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless file formats. The Windows version of iTunes can transcode WMA files without copy protection to AAC, MP3, or WAV format for later transfer to an iPod, however WMA files with copy protection cannot be either played in iTunes or copied to the iPod. Reviewers have criticized the iPod's inability to play some other formats, in particular the Ogg Vorbis and FLAC formats.

Related Topics:
MP3 - WAV - AAC - M4A - Protected AAC - AIFF - Audible audiobook - Apple Lossless - File format - ITunes - Transcode - Copy protection - Ogg Vorbis - FLAC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Apple designed the iPod to work with the iTunes media library software, which lets users manage the music libraries on their computers and on their iPods. iTunes can automatically synchronize a user's iPod with specific playlists or with the entire contents of a music library each time an iPod connects to a host computer. Users may also set a rating (out of 5 stars) on any song, and can sync that information to an iTunes music library.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to playing music and storing files, the iPod has limited PDA functionality: the unit can synchronize a user's contacts and schedule with programs such as iCal and Microsoft Outlook. Also, Mozilla's Sunbird and Calendar support the use of iCal (.ics) format calendar files. These programs may be used to update the iPod Calendar on any supported operating system, including Windows; originally, the files in Windows must be manually dragged and dropped into the Calendar directory on the iPod, but ever since the release of iTunes 5.0, Windows users are now given the option to automatically sync their files to their iPod.

Related Topics:
PDA - ICal - Microsoft Outlook - Sunbird - Calendar

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It can also display notes, and hence host simple games and store restaurant information. However, iPod has limitations as a PDA, since users cannot edit this information on the iPod but only on a computer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

iPods (with the exception of the iPod Shuffle) also feature games . 1G and 2G iPods feature "Brick", a clone of the Breakout arcade game from Atari (originally created by Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak). 3G and 4G include Brick, along with three other games:

Related Topics:
IPod Shuffle - Breakout - Atari - Steve Wozniak

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Parachute: a game in which the user controls a turret and attempts to shoot down paratroopers and the helicopters which release them. Parachute emulates the Apple II game Sabotage by Mark Allen.
• Solitaire: a simple card game resembling the Klondike solitaire card game.
• Music Quiz: an interactive music quiz featuring the user's own songs. The game plays a portion of a random song and prompts the user to identify it from a list of 5 (or of 4 on the iPod Mini). A song drops off the list every few seconds. The faster the users choose the right song, the more points they get. Music Quiz became available through a free firmware update for 3G iPods released in October 2003 and later came standard with the iPod mini and 4G iPods. No record is kept of the score, and there is no limit on the amount of songs played.

iPod Linux and podzilla

Main article: iPod Linux

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2005, the iPod Linux project started in order to expand the amount of software available (particularly games) and to add support for other media formats such as Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC. The project has written an alternative GUI for the iPod called podzilla. Podzilla comes with many applications built in, including an sh-style text-editor called Sash, a calculator, a paint program, and several games (including a tetris clone).

Related Topics:
2005 - Linux - Ogg Vorbis - FLAC - GUI - Sh - Tetris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Once iPod Linux has been installed, the user can specify which interface he wants to boot into; the default iPod UI or the user-installed podzilla. The boot loader can be accessed by holding down the rewind button during boot. As of July 2005, iPod Linux runs with full functionality on first-generation through third-generation iPods. Support for fourth-generation iPods is under development; some users have reported bugs, especially when using the latest iPod firmware.

Related Topics:
UI - July 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To download iPod Linux and updates to it, visit http://www.ipodlinux.org

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hardware

Except for the iPod shuffle and the iPod nano, all models of iPod offer FireWire connectivity, although Apple has recently stopped including FireWire cables with iPods in favor of Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0), probably as a cost cutting measure (most Windows-based PCs do not offer FireWire). iPods recharge their internal batteries using FireWire (all generations) or USB power (only 4G and higher) while connected to a computer or to an iPod AC power adapter. Both USB and FireWire-based power adapters exist. First and second-generation iPods had a standard Firewire connection port. Newer iPods, iPod minis and iPod nanos use a proprietary 30-pin dock connector to connect the iPod to a computer?s FireWire or USB port with a proprietary cable. The iPod Shuffle has a USB connector that plugs into a standard USB port for recharging and for data transfer.

Related Topics:
IPod shuffle - IPod nano - FireWire - USB - Windows - Dock connector

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first three generations of iPod use two ARM 7TDMI-derived CPUs running at 90 MHz, while later models have variable speed chips with a peak of 80 MHz to save battery life. iPods use 1.8-in (46-mm) ATA hard drives (with a nonstandard connector) made by Toshiba. The iPod mini uses one-inch hard drives made by Hitachi. The iPod has a 32-MiB flash ROM chip which contains a bootloader, a program that tells the device to load the operating system from another medium (in this case, the hard drive). All iPods have 32 MiB of RAM, a portion of which holds the iPod OS loaded from the firmware and the vast majority of which serves to cache songs loaded from the hard drive. For example, an iPod could spin the hard disk up once and copy about 30 MiB of upcoming songs on a playlist into RAM, thus saving power by not having the drive spin up for each song.

Related Topics:
ARM - CPU - Toshiba - Hitachi - MiB - ROM - Bootloader - Hard drive - RAM - Firmware

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Earphones

All iPods come with earbud headphones with distinctive white cords, a color chosen to match the design of the original iPod. The white cords have become symbolic of the iPod brand, and advertisements for the devices feature them prominently.

Related Topics:
Earbud - Headphones - White

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Like most headphones that come bundled with other hardware, the stock white earbuds class as fairly low quality, and some users choose to replace them. Users rate the substandard bass response as the most apparent negative characteristic found in the standard headphones. They are also known to develop a clicking noise at volume peaks, due to the membrane being displaced. This is often easily solved by applying a small amount of suction to the problem earphone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The signature earphones have such good recognition characteristics that they can become a liability — after crime in the NYC subway system rose immensely due entirely to iPod theft, the New York Police Department issued a warning advising iPod owners to replace the earphones, so as to not make themselves a target. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/30/nyregion/30ipod.html?ex=1269838800&en=a85877531294ecbf&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt However, most people do not take this advice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Compatibility

The original iPod interacted only with Macintosh computers running Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X, but on July 17 2002 Apple began selling a Windows-compatible iPod, with its internal hard drive formatted in FAT32 instead of the original HFS Plus. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/jul/17ipod.html Apple released a Windows version of iTunes on October 16, 2003 http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/oct/16itms.html; previously, Windows users needed third-party software such as Musicmatch Jukebox (included with Windows iPods before the release of the Windows version of iTunes), ephPod, or XPlay to manage the music on their iPods.

Related Topics:
Macintosh - Mac OS 9 - Mac OS X - July 17 - 2002 - Windows - FAT32 - HFS Plus - October 16 - 2003 - Musicmatch Jukebox - EphPod - XPlay

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An iPod with its hard drive formatted as HFS+ operates only with a Macintosh, because Windows does not recognize HFS+, but since the Macintosh can handle FAT32, an iPod formatted as FAT32 can operate with a Macintosh as well as with a PC. HFS+ leaves slightly more space available to store data, and it allows the iPod to serve as a boot disk for a Macintosh computer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The iPodLinux project has successfully ported an ARM version of Linux to run on iPods. It currently supports first through third generation iPods, and features simple installers for Mac OS X and Windows. A SourceForge project exists for the project http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/, and copious documentation appears online. http://www.ipodlinux.org/Documentation

Related Topics:
IPodLinux - ARM - Linux - SourceForge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The iPod uses standard USB and FireWire mass-storage connectivity, and therefore any system with mass-storage support can mount it and use it as an external hard drive. The iPod will also charge from any powered USB or Firewire port, regardless of software support. A special database file serves to list the songs available to play, however, so users require a program such as iTunes to upload songs. As of 2005 only gtkpod offers such functionality for Linux and other UNIX variants. Apple has not yet released a Linux version of the software used to flash the firmware of the iPod.

Related Topics:
As of 2005 - Gtkpod - Linux - UNIX

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~