The Apple iPod is probably the most popular and well known digital music player - this player revolutionized the portable music sector in recent years and has become one of the most sought after consumer products of our time.
The iPod comes in either 20GB or 60GB models, giving you the ability to carry either 5,000 or 15,000 tracks in your pocket.
And, you can choose from the Apple AAC format as well as MP3, Audible, WAV, AIFF and Apple Lossless file types. One recent development with Apple is the release of radio podcasts, you can now also download and listen to thousands of free radio shows.
The biggest plus point with the iPod is the way it looks and its compact size. But there’s more to the iPod than just music. This cute little white box now comes with a color screen and the ability to store your photo collection and put them into slideshows or run them on to external devices as AVs. The higher capacity iPod is estimated to hold up to 25,000 photos; you can easily view your library in thumbnail layout if you store a lot of them as well as individually.
With an average of 15 hours battery life the iPod is no slouch when it comes to real portability either. And of course you’ll get full access to the iTunes software program and music store. This program has been specially designed to make buying, transferring and managing your music and photo files as simple as possible. The player can transfer either via firewire or USB 2.0 so transfer times are real quick, Apple estimates that you can get a CD to iPod in less than 5 seconds.
The Apple iPod is held to be one of the easiest MP3 players to use, even when you consider how much you can do with it. It now also comes with the famous touch sensitive click wheel that originally debuted on the iPod Mini. Notable features include the ability to shuffle songs, to save multiple playlists, play color games, access an alarm click/sleep timer function, use contacts, calendar and to-do lists and much more. You can also use the player as a portable hard drive.
The basic Apple iPod package comes with iTunes software, earbud earphones, AC adapter, a getting started guide and a USB 2.0 cable. The list of available accessories is enormous: these include docking stations, speaker systems, fire wire cables, AV cables, remote controls, voice recorder converters, headphones/earphones, cases and car solutions.
Prices vary widely on the Internet - with a bit of digging around you can generally find a new iPod for $240+ for a 20GB model and $370+ for a 60GB. If you buy direct from Apple you may pay a little more but you’ll get some added bonuses such as their free laser engraving service so you really can make it personal! You can also save some money by buying an Apple refurbished model online.
Pros
- Kudos - For many people this is THE player to own. It’s all about the design and the size.
- Functions - Apple really have made the iPod much more than just another digital audio player. You will have hours of fun with everything you can do on your iPod. And, it’s always real easy to operate.
- MAC/PC - The player will work on both a MAC and PC.
- Photos/Data - Being able to store photos and non-music files on your player is an added bonus.
- iTunes - The iTunes software is one of the best music management programs out there, and the online downloads store is massive.
- AACs - Many digital music lovers far prefer the quality of AACs to MP3s.
- Personalization - You can make your player special with personalized engraving or you can even buy it a pair of iPod socks!
- Accessories - Apple have created more useful iPod accessories than you can shake a stick at!
Cons:
- Cost - The iPod is more expensive than a lot of alternative MP3 players - you could get more storage space elsewhere for a lot less money.
- Photo Capability - If you do want to store photos then you’ll need to buy the special camera connector to make it all work for you.
- USB 2.0 - Your iPod is set up to work with a USB 2.0 connection. If your computer doesn’t have this then you may have problems.
- Earbuds - The earbuds look great but many users find that the audio quality isn’t so great.
- WMA - The iPod doesn’t support WMA files, so you’ll have to convert them to load them on which could be time consuming.
- Battery - You technically can’t just replace your iPod battery yourself. You either have to pay Apple to replace your player or risk going to a company that will do it for you (but you won’t have a leg to stand on with Apple if the replacement goes wrong in this instance and damages the player).
- AACs - Not every digital audio player will be able to cope with AAC files, so if you defect from Apple at a later stage you may have a big conversion task ahead of you!
Usage Tips and Tricks
You’ll get more out of your battery if you give it a workout every now and then. If you don’t use your iPod for long periods try to remember to charge it up fully on a monthly basis, this should prolong its lifespan.If your player freezes (and they all do at some point or other!) all you need to do is to press and hold down the Menu and Select buttons until you see the Apple logo. This can take up to 10 seconds or so.