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.

Models

Apple currently markets five kinds of iPod. Some models come with different capacities (a higher capacity allows the storage of more music) or with different designs. The model range as of 2005 covers:

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• iPod (20 GB and 60 GB). Color screens, which first appeared on the (now discontinued) iPod photo, now form part of the regular iPod design.
• iPod U2 Special Edition (20 GB).
• iPod Harry Potter Special Edition (20 GB).
• iPod shuffle (512 MB and 1 GB).
• iPod nano (2 GB and 4 GB).

The iPod mini (4 GB and 6 GB and in various colors) has been discontinued. It is being replaced by the iPod nano.

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Several product revisions have taken place since the original model of iPod appeared, leading to the existence of four distinct generations. As with most hard drive-based devices, the actual drive space available for music, photo, and data storage does not quite attain the advertised capacity. This comes about because the capacity advertised uses metric prefixes, not binary prefixes. For example, a 4 GB iPod mini actually had 3.77 GB (or GiB of usable storage. Some of this is also taken up by the iPod's firmware.

Related Topics:
Generation - Capacity advertised - GiB - Firmware

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iPod

While all iPods have roughly the same size and the same capabilities, the design has undergone several revisions since its introduction to the market. Four distinct generations of iPods exist, commonly known as: 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G (these designations do not relate to the Power Mac G3, G4 or other Macintosh model designations, and are not related to the storage capacity of the model).

Related Topics:
Power Mac G3 - G4

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Within any generation of iPods, various models with different sizes of hard drives have come onto the market at different price points. During the third generation, three sizes of iPods have coexisted in the marketplace at any given time, priced at US $299, $399, and $499. Currently, Apple sells two sizes of iPod: a 20 GB hard drive for $299, and a 60 GB model for $399. Note that Apple claims that 1 gigabyte of storage will hold 250, 4-minute songs in 128 kbit/s AAC. Encoding songs at higher bitrates will take up more space on the hard drive. One can scale this proportion up; the current 20-gigabyte iPod can hold roughly 5,000 songs.

Related Topics:
US - AAC

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As with any device containing a hard drive, a discrepancy exists between the advertised storage space of the iPods and what the operating systems report as available; confusion regarding binary prefix nomenclature accounts for this.

Related Topics:
Operating system - Binary prefix nomenclature

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First generation

First announced on October 23 2001, the original iPod cost $399 with a 5 GB hard drive. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2001/oct/23ipod.html Critics panned the unit's price, but iPod proved an instant hit in the marketplace, quickly overtaking earlier hard drive MP3 players such as the Nomad Jukebox. Apple announced a 10 GB version ($499) in March 2002.

Related Topics:
October 23 - 2001 - GB - Hard drive - Nomad Jukebox - March 2002

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Apple designed a mechanical scroll wheel and outsourced the implementation and development to Synaptics, a firm that also developed the trackpad used by many laptops, including Apple's PowerBooks. The 1G iPod featured four buttons (Menu, Play/Pause, Back, and Forward) arranged around the circumference of the scroll wheel. Although superseded by nonmechanical "touch" and "click" wheels, the circular controller design has become a prominent iPod motif.

Related Topics:
Scroll wheel - Synaptics - PowerBook

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Second generation

Introduced on July 17, 2002, at Macworld in 10 GB and 20 GB capacities, the second generation iPod replaced the mechanical scroll wheel of the original with a touch-sensitive, nonmechanical one (manufactured by Synaptics), termed a "touch wheel". Due to the new Toshiba hard drives, the 20 GB iPod slightly exceeded its first generation counterpart in thickness and weight, while the 10 GB model was slimmer.

Related Topics:
July 17 - 2002 - Macworld - Synaptics - Toshiba

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Third generation

On April 28, 2003, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced an "ultrathin" iPod series. Slightly smaller than their predecessors, they had more distinctively beveled edges. Over the life of the 3G iPod series, Apple produced 10 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB, 30 GB, and 40 GB sizes.

Related Topics:
April 28 - 2003 - Steve Jobs

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These iPods use a 30-pin connector called the Dock Connector — longer and flatter than a FireWire plug. This allows them to fit more easily into the new iPod Dock which Apple introduced at the same time. The iPod Dock came bundled with all but the least expensive iPod, and also retails separately.

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The 3G iPod featured touch-sensitive buttons located below the display. The new buttons featured red backlighting (controlled by the same preference as the screen backlight), allowing easier use in darkness.

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With the 3G iPod, Apple stopped shipping separate Mac and Windows versions of the unit. Instead, all iPods now shipped with their hard drives formatted for Macintosh use; the included CD-ROM featured a Windows utility which could reformat them for use with a Windows PC. These iPods also introduced Hi-Speed USB connectivity (with a separately sold USB adapter cable).

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When purchased through the online Apple Store, the iPod featured custom engraving: a purchaser could have two lines of text laser engraved on the back (for an additional charge, although currently free).

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Although past models proved widely popular, after the release of the 3G model Apple's iPod sales skyrocketed, with a combination of effective advertising and celebrity endorsement making iPods a fashionable item.

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Fourth generation

In July 2004, Apple released the fourth generation iPod. In a new publicity route, Steve Jobs announced it by becoming the subject of a Newsweek magazine cover.

Related Topics:
July 2004 - Newsweek

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In the most obvious difference from its predecessors, the 4G iPod carries over the click-wheel design introduced on the iPod mini. Some users criticized the click wheel because it does not have the backlight that the 3G iPod's buttons had, but others noted that having the buttons on the compass points largely removed any need for backlighting. Apple also claimed that updated software in the new iPod allows it to use the battery more efficiently and increase battery life to 12 hours. Other minor changes included the addition of a "Shuffle Songs" option on the top-level menu to make it more convenient for users. After many requests from users asking for these improvements to operate on earlier iPods as well, Apple on February 23, 2005, released a firmware update which brings the new menu items to 1G through 3G iPods.

Related Topics:
February 23 - 2005

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Originally, the 4G iPod had a grayscale screen and no photo capabilities, like its predecessors. It came in one of two sizes: 20 GB for $299 and 40 GB for $399 (Apple discontinued the 40 GB model in February 2005 solely selling a monochrome 20 GB version). The grayscale 4G iPod, slightly thinner (about 1 mm less) than the 3G iPod, introduced the ability to charge the battery over a USB connection.

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iPod photo / Color iPod

:For more information on the iPod photo prior to its merger with the main iPod line, see iPod photo.

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Released on October 28, 2004, the iPod photo (originally named iPod Photo — with a capital P for "Photo" — but renamed less than a month after its launch) featured a 65,536-color, 220 x 176-pixel screen and the ability to store and display JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG images. One millimeter thicker than the standard grayscale fourth-generation iPod, the iPod photo could also play music for up to 15 hours per battery charge. It originally came in 40 GB and 60 GB versions, which cost $499 and $599, respectively.

Related Topics:
October 28 - 2004 - JPEG - BMP - GIF - TIFF - PNG

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On February 23, 2005, Apple discontinued the 40 GB model; which included a firewire & USB cable and a dock, introduced a lower-priced 30 GB model; which included only a USB cable and no dock, and dropped the price of the 60 GB model. However, unlike the first iPod photos, the lower-priced 60 GB and the new 30 GB models lacked the dock, FireWire cable, carrying case, or AV cables (accessories valued at approximately $120).

Related Topics:
February 23 - 2005 - AV

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On June 28, 2005, Apple Computer merged the iPod and iPod photo lines, removing all grayscale models from the main iPod line. The 20 GB iPod now has all of the capabilities of the former iPod photo line for $299, the same price as the previous grayscale version. The price of the 60 GB iPod photo, now known as the 60 GB iPod, dropped from $449 to $399, and Apple discontinued the $349 30 GB iPod photo model. Apple Computer — as well as prominent fan sites (such as iLounge) — continue to refer to this lineup as fourth-generation iPods. Along with the new lineup, Apple also updated iTunes to version 4.9, which added podcasting capabilities to iTunes and to the iPod.

Related Topics:
June 28 - 2005 - ITunes - Podcasting

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To manage the photo library on the iPod, Mac users use Apple's iPhoto software, while Windows users can use Adobe Photoshop Album or Elements, or use a limited set of features within the free iTunes for Windows software. New Mac computers are bundled with iPhoto, while Windows users must either use the limited features within iTunes for Windows or purchase either of the Adobe products (a limited version of Adobe Album is available for download for free).

Related Topics:
IPhoto - Photoshop - Album - Elements - ITunes

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As of June 28, 2005, the iPod comes bundled with a USB cable and an AC adapter. Popular optional accessories include the dock, a FireWire cable (which owners can use in lieu of USB), an iPod AV cable (to view photo albums on a TV set), and an iPod Camera Connector (to transfer and view images directly from a digital camera to an iPod).

Related Topics:
June 28 - 2005 - IPod Camera Connector

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The current line of iPods/Color iPods have a headphone jack glitch, where some iPods will pause on their own, even with the hold switch activated. This is due to malfunctioning of the auto pause feature, which is supposed to pause the iPod if the headphones are disconnected. The contact switch often erroneously registers disconnection with some third party headphones (such as Sennheiser models), but users have also reported experiencing the problem with the supplied Apple earbuds. It's probably because earphone jacks sometimes have a small metal disk around the plug and it is touching the metal back of the iPod. A quick and dirty fix is to take a small piece of plastic wrap, punch a tiny hole in it and run your headphone jack through it, or alternatively buy a small, thin plastic washer from a hardware store for something a touch more visually pleasing.

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iPod U2 Special Edition

On October 28, 2004, Apple released a black-and-red edition of the fourth-generation iPod called iPod U2 Special Edition. Originally retailing for $349, it has a black front with a red click wheel (the colors of U2's latest album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb), and features the signatures of U2's band members engraved on the back. It also includes an iTunes Music Store coupon redeemable for $50 off of the price of The Complete U2, a "digital boxed set" featuring over 400 tracks of U2 music. http://www.apple.com/ipod/u2

Related Topics:
October 28 - 2004 - U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - ITunes Music Store - The Complete U2

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On June 28, 2005, at the same time as the announcement of the merger of the iPod and the iPod photo lines, Apple added a color screen and photo capabilities to the iPod U2 Special Edition while dropping the price to $329.

Related Topics:
June 28 - 2005

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Harry Potter iPod

On September 7, 2005, Apple released a limited edition Harry Potter fourth-generation iPod that features a laser engraved Hogwarts crest on the back. http://www.apple.com/itunes/harrypotter/ The iPod was also launched along with the Harry Potter audiobooks on the iTunes Music Store. The only way to get a Harry Potter iPod is to buy it online along with the complete set of Harry Potter audiobooks, with a combined price (as of October 10) of $548.

Related Topics:
September 7 - 2005 - Harry Potter - Hogwarts - Audiobooks - ITunes Music Store - October 10 - $

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iPod mini

Main article: iPod mini.

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Apple entered the market for "mini"-form-factor digital audio players in January 2004, with the introduction of the iPod mini, competing directly with players like Creative's Zen Micro and Digital Networks' Rio Carbon. The iPod mini had largely the same feature set as the full-sized iPod, but lacked support for some third-party accessories. Its smaller display had one less line than previous models, limiting the on-screen track identification to title and artist only.

Related Topics:
January 2004 - Creative's - Zen Micro - Digital Networks' - Rio Carbon

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iPod minis used Microdrive hard drives for storage.

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The iPod mini was discontinued on September 7, 2005 after Apple announced it was to be replaced by the iPod nano, which was 62% smaller by size and included a color screen.

Related Topics:
September 7 - 2005 - IPod nano

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First generation mini

On January 6, 2004, Apple introduced the first iPod mini. It had 4 GB of storage and a price of $249 (at the time, only $50 below the 15 GB third-generation iPod). Critics panned it as too expensive, but it proved to be overwhelmingly popular, and Apple Stores had difficulty keeping the model in stock.

Related Topics:
January 6 - 2004 - Apple Stores

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iPod mini introduced the popular "click wheel" that was later incorporated into the fourth-generation iPod: the touch-sensitive wheel means that users can move a finger around it to highlight selections on the screen, while the unit's Menu, Back, Forward, and Play/Pause buttons are part of the wheel itself, letting a user press down on part of the wheel to activate one of those functions. The center button still acted as a select button.

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Apple initially made iPod mini devices available in five colors: silver, gold, blue, pink, and green. Silver models have sold best, followed by blue ones.

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Second generation mini

In February 2005, the second-generation http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300850 iPod mini came on the market with a new 6 GB model at $249 and an updated 4 GB model priced at $199. Most notably, both models featured an increased battery life of up to 18 hours. In addition, they featured richer case colors (though Apple discontinued the gold color) and other minor aesthetic changes (the color of the lettering on the click wheel now matched the color of the iPod mini). Also, the 2G iPod minis did not include the AC adapter or the FireWire cable bundled with previous models.

Related Topics:
February 2005 - AC

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With the introduction of the iPod nano, the iPod mini was discontinued.

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iPod shuffle

Main article: iPod shuffle.

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Apple announced iPod shuffle at Macworld Expo on January 11, 2005 with the taglines "Life is random" and "Give chance a chance". iPod shuffle introduced flash memory (rather than a hard drive) to iPods for the first time. The shuffle comes in two models: 512 MB (up to 120, 4-minute songs encoded at 128 kbit/s) and 1 GB (up to 240). Unlike other iPod models, iPod shuffle cannot play Apple Lossless or AIFF encoded audio files—possibly due to the iPod shuffle's smaller processing power. The shuffle has a SigmaTel processor. One review regards it as having one of the best-sounding audio systems of all the iPod models.

Related Topics:
Macworld Expo - January 11 - 2005 - Tagline - Flash memory - Kbit/s - Apple Lossless - AIFF - SigmaTel

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The iPod shuffle has no screen and therefore has limited options for navigating between music tracks: users can play songs either in the order set in iTunes or in a random (shuffled) order. Users can set iTunes to fill iPod shuffle with a random selection from their music library each time the device connects to the computer. The iPod shuffle weighs less than one ounce (0.78 oz. or 22 g) and approximates in size to a pack of chewing gum (originally, the iPod shuffle website contained a footnote advising people not to eat the iPod shuffle like gum; it was later removed, possibly because several users photographed themselves with their iPod shuffles in their mouths.) Like the rest of the iPod family, iPod shuffle can operate as a USB mass storage device.

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iPod nano

Main article: iPod nano.

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On September 7 2005, Apple announced the successor to the iPod mini, the iPod nano. Based on flash memory instead of a hard drive, the iPod nano is 0.27 inches (0.685 centimetres) thick, weighs 1.5 ounces (42 grams), and is 62% smaller by volume than its predecessor. It has a 32,768 color display that can show photographs, and connects to a computer via USB 2.0. The headphone jack is located on the bottom. It retains the standard 30-pin dock connector for compatibility with third-party peripherals. This is the first dock connector iPod that cannot sync to any PC (Windows or Mac) via Firewire cable, but the nano can still be charged via a Firewire connection.

Related Topics:
September 7 - 2005 - Flash memory - Hard drive - USB - Firewire

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The iPod nano introduced several new features to the iPod operating system, including the addition of world clocks, a stopwatch, and a screenlock option. With the world clock, users were given the ability to set the time in cities around the world, and set alarms for each time zone. The clocks could be set to automatically adjust for Daylight Saving Time. The stopwatch feature allowed users to press a button and start the iPod's timer, and stop it with another button. There was also a button for timing individual laps. The nano saves the user's stopwatch stats for multiple timing sessions, which is useful for comparing times. The screenlock option lets users set a 4 digit passcode for their iPod, and once the screenlock is activated the only buttons that can be pressed are the skip forwards and backwards buttons. The volume control is used to input the digits to the passcode.

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The iPod nano is available in white and black, in both 2 GB ($199) and 4 GB ($249) configurations.

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