what is a ipod tell me in detail?

Question

may be related to songs listening

Answer 1

The iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer. Devices in the iPod family are designed around a central scroll wheel (except for the iPod shuffle) and provide a simple user interface. Apple chose to focus its development on the iPod's user experience, rather than on its technical capability. The full-sized model stores media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices when connected to a computer.

The current lineup consists of the 5th generation iPod with a video player; the iPod nano with a color screen; and the iPod shuffle. All three models were released in 2005. Discontinued versions include two generations of the iPod mini and four generations of the full-sized iPod, all of which had monochrome screens (except for the iPod photo).

The bundled software used for transferring music, photos and videos is called iTunes. As a music jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of music on the user's computer and can play, burn, and rip music from a CD. The most recent version of iTunes has photo and video synchronization features.

The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player, and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions have, however, led to criticism and legal battles.

Contents [hide]
1 History and design
2 User interface
3 Software
3.1 iTunes Music Store
3.2 File storage
3.3 Additional features
3.4 Open-source alternatives
4 Connectivity
5 Chipsets and electronics
6 iPod models
6.1 Special Edition and Color Variants
7 Criticisms
7.1 Battery life advertising
7.2 Non-replaceable batteries
7.3 Bass response
7.4 Equalizer bass distortion
7.5 Worker exploitation
7.6 Frequent model releases
8 Patents and patent disputes
9 Sales
10 Advertising
10.1 Earphones
11 Accessories
11.1 Car integration
12 See also
13 References
14 External links



[edit]
History and design
The iPod came from Apple's digital hub strategy, as the company began creating software for the growing market of digital devices purchased by consumers. While digital cameras, camcorders and organizers had well-established markets, the company found digital music players lacking in quality and decided to develop its own.


Hardware design of the 3rd generation iPod.Tony Fadell, a former Philips executive in the company's Windows CE division, left Philips to create a hard drive-based MP3 player and music service [1]. He founded a company, Fuse, to develop and sell the idea to major media companies. After RealNetworks turned him down, Apple accepted and the development of the iPod began.

Uncharacteristically, Apple decided not to develop the iPod's hardware or software in-house. Instead, Apple contracted with PortalPlayer, who already had a reference design (based on 2 ARM CPUs) with rudimentary software running on top of a Pixo-developed operating system. PortalPlayer had been working on an IBM-branded MP3 player with Bluetooth headphones, but dropped it to work with Apple.[1]

The PortalPlayer reference design was approximately the size of a cigarette pack and had an array of buttons on the front, resembling an FM pocket radio. Apple refined the user interface under the direct supervision of Steve Jobs.

The biggest changes Apple made to the software were fixing bugs and adding a new user interface based on a central scroll wheel. The PortalPlayer reference design also did not support playlists longer than ten songs and had no equalizer.

Replacing the Chicago font once used on the original Macintosh computers, the iPod mini used a different font called Espy Sans, which was originally used in eWorld and Copland. The most recent iPods have switched fonts again to Myriad, Apple's new official corporate font. With the iPod photo, aqua-like progress bars were adopted in addition to other Aqua features like brushed metal in the FM tuner and lock.

Development began in February 2001 (one month after iTunes was released) and was announced to the public on 23 October 2001 as a Mac-compatible product with a 5 GB hard drive that put "1000 songs in your pocket."

[edit]
User interface

The display screen of a 5th generation iPod, playing Feel Good Inc. by GorillazThe iPods with display screens use high quality anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. These iPods have five buttons and newer generations have the buttons integrated underneath the scroll wheel, an innovation which confers an uncluttered, minimalistic interface. The buttons are:

Menu (to traverse backwards through the menus, and toggle the backlight)
Center (this selects a menu item)
Play / Pause (this doubles as an off switch when held)
Fast Forward / Skip Forward
Fast Reverse / Skip Backwards
All other operations such as scrolling through menu items and controlling the volume are handled by the scroll wheel in a rotational manner. A Hold switch on the top of the unit prevents accidental button presses.

The iPod shuffle has five buttons which function differently to the larger models. The shuffle has a Play/Pause button in the center, surrounded by four buttons: Volume Up/Down and Skip Forward/Backwards.

Newer iPods automatically pause playback when the headphones are unplugged from the headphone jack, but playback does not resume when the headphones are re-inserted. An iPod that has crashed or frozen can be reset by holding Menu and Center (Menu and Play on the 3G iPod) for 6 seconds.

[edit]
Software
The iPod can play MP3, WAV, M4A/AAC, Protected AAC, AIFF, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless audio file formats. The 5th generation iPod can also play .mov, .m4v, and .mp4 MPEG-4 (H.264/MPEG-4 AVC) video file formats. Apple does not support Microsoft's WMA audio format, unlike most other media players, and provides a WMA converter with the Windows version of iTunes. Encrypted WMA files cannot be converted however. Some free and open-source audio formats such as Ogg Vorbis and FLAC are not supported. MIDI files cannot be played, but can be converted to audio files using the "Advanced" menu on iTunes.

Each time an iPod connects to a host computer, iTunes can automatically synchronize music playlists or entire music libraries. Song ratings can be set on the iPod and synchronized later with the iTunes library.

[edit]
iTunes Music Store
Main articles: iTunes and iTunes Music Store
The iTunes Music Store (iTMS) is an online music store run by Apple and accessed via iTunes. It was introduced on April 28, 2003 and sells individual songs relatively easily and cheaply (for example US$0.99, AU$1.69 EU€0.99, GB£0.79 per song). iPods are the only portable music players that can play the purchased music from iTunes, though other download competitors exist such as Napster or MSN Music. The store became the market leader a few years after its launch and on October 12 2005, Apple announced the launch of video available for purchase through the iTMS.[2]

Purchased audio files use the AAC format with added encryption. The encryption is based on the controversial FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) system. Up to five authorized computers and an unlimited amount of iPods can play the files. Burning the files onto an audio CD removes the DRM, at a cost of reduced quality when re-compressed from one lossy format to another.

iPods cannot play music files encrypted with other rival DRM technologies, such as Microsoft's protected WMA or RealNetworks' Helix DRM. RealNetworks claims that Apple is creating problems for itself,[3] by using FairPlay to lock users into using the iTunes Music Store. Steve Jobs has stated that Apple makes very little profit from song sales, but Apple uses the iTMS to promote iPod sales.[4]

[edit]
File storage
All iPods can function as mass storage devices to store data files. If the host computer runs Windows, the iPod uses a FAT32 file system format. If the host computer runs Mac OS X, the HFS-Plus format is used. Windows cannot access HFS filesystems. Although the iPod functions as a removable disk, the user must still use iTunes or a compatible third-party software to load audio, videos, and photos in such a way that they are playable and viewable by the iPod. Simply copying files to the drive will not allow the iPod to properly access them.

iPods originally shipped formatted with Apple's native file system, HFS-Plus, and therefore would only work with Apple's Mac OS. An iPod formatted with HFS-Plus is able to serve as a boot disk for a Mac computer, allowing one to have a portable operating system installed. The older iPods with FireWire ports could function in FireWire Disk Mode. With the advent of the Windows-compatible iPod, Apple switched the iPod's default file system to FAT32 because FAT32 is the only file system that can be used natively with both Mac OS and Windows. 4th generation and earlier iPods could still be made to boot a Mac by reformatting their hard disks as HFS-Plus.

At the time of the iPod's release, many MP3 players did not offer direct access to their filesystems; some devices in fact used a custom filesystem that was not accessible except by the bundled software.

iTunes lacks the ability to transfer songs from device to computer. Audio and media files are stored in a hidden folder together with a proprietary database on the iPod. While the hidden content can be accessed through the host operating system, practical recovery of the audio content with correct file names, tag meta-data, playlists and photos requires the use of third-party software.

[edit]
Additional features
In addition to playing music and storing files, iPods have limited PDA-like functionality and can display text files. Contacts and schedules can be viewed and synchronized with the host computer using either iSync, iTunes, Outlook or Outlook Express. The larger iPod models have some built-in games such as Brick, Parachute, Solitaire and Music Quiz. Brick was originally invented by Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak in the 1970s.

[edit]
Open-source alternatives
The iPodLinux project has successfully ported an ARM version of the Linux kernel to run on iPods. It currently supports 1st through 5th generation iPods, but has been successfully installed on all iPods (except the shuffle), and features simple installers for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. The Linux interface is known as "Podzilla". The interface will run on all iPods, however the development team does not support its usage on the latest iPods.

Using the Rockbox open-source firmware, the iPod Nano, iPod Mini, and all iPods after the 3rd generation can play Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Musepack, Wavpack, Shorten, and MIDI files, but not FairPlay-encrypted files from the iTunes Music Store. Rockbox also offers gapless playback and a more sophisticated equalizer. Rockbox will not be officially released for these targets until the release of Rockbox 3.1 which is due in November.

[edit]
Connectivity
Originally, a FireWire connection to the host computer was used to update songs and recharge the battery. The battery could also be charged with a power adapter that was included with the first 4 generations. The dock connector was not added until the 3rd generation in April 2003, allowing users the option of using FireWire or USB for connectivity, although the device could still not be charged by USB and the USB cable was not included. As few non-Apple computers had FireWire ports at the time, this move effectively opened the Windows market to iPod, although USB-only Windows users had to keep their FireWire cables to connect to the AC adapter. The dock connector also made it possible to transfer data, sound, and power back and forth to iPod accesories, which created an explosive market of accessories manufactured by third-parties such as Belkin and Griffin.

The 4th generation iPod could be charged with USB, and eventually Apple started shipping iPods with USB cables instead of FireWire ones. Later iPod generations continued to lessen the reliance on FireWire. For example, the iPod shuffle, released in January 2005, plugs directly into a USB port and has no FireWire support. The transition from FireWire to USB has drawn some criticism from the Mac community, since FireWire has been a standard feature on Apple Macs for many years, while USB 2.0 support was only added in October 2003. Previously, all Macs had USB 1.1, which had a transfer speed of 12 Mbit/s, as opposed to FireWire's 400 Mbit/s and USB 2.0's 480 Mbit/s.

[edit]
Chipsets and electronics
Some electronic components used in iPods (more detail) Model Storage medium Microcontroller Audio chip
iPod 1G, 2G, 3G 1.8 inch (46 mm) ATA hard drives (with a proprietary connector), made by Toshiba. Two ARM 7TDMI-derived CPUs running at 90 MHz. Various audio codecs manufactured by Wolfson Microelectronics
iPod 4G, 5G Variable speed ARM 7TDMI CPUs, running at a peak of 80 MHz to save battery life.
iPod mini 1G, 2G 1 inch Microdrives manufactured by Hitachi
iPod nano Flash memory manufactured by Samsung ARM 7TDMI, @ 80 MHz
iPod shuffle Flash memory SigmaTel STMP3550 chip that handles both the music decoding and the audio circuitry.[5]

Each iPod has a 32 MiB flash ROM chip which contains a bootloader, a program that tells the device to load its operating system from its storage medium. Each iPod also has 32 MiB of RAM (the 60 GB 5th generation iPod has 64 MiB). A portion of the RAM is used to hold the iPod OS loaded from firmware, but the vast majority of it serves to cache songs loaded from the storage medium. For example, an iPod could spin its hard disk up once and copy about 30 MiB of upcoming songs into RAM, thus saving power by not having the drive spin up for each song.

The current iPod models use internal lithium-ion batteries. The 1st and 2nd generations used lithium polymer batteries. The larger models use touch wheels provided by Synaptics.

On April 26, 2006, EE Times reported that Samsung Electronics had won the contract to provide the media processor for a future model iPod, replacing Apple's previous supplier PortalPlayer.[6] PortalPlayer had announced a week before that their updated processor would not be used in upcoming flash-based iPods.[7]

[edit]
iPod models
Model Image Capacity Changes introduced Connection Release date Launch price (US$)
iPod 1G 5 or 10 GB First release. FireWire 23 October 2001 $399
2G 10, 20 GB Touch sensitive wheel. FireWire port had a cover. FireWire 17 July 2002 $399, $499
3G 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 GB Dock Connector. Middle row of buttons. FireWire (USB for syncing only) 28 April 2003 $299, $399, $399, $499
4G / Photo 20, 30, 40, 60 GB B&W screen on the older versions. Color screen with photo viewer on iPod Photo. Buttons integrated to "touch wheel". FireWire or USB July 2004 $299, $349, $399, $599
5G / Video 30, 60 GB Slimmer design. Larger screen with video player. No AC adapter, Universal Dock, or A/V cables included. Lyrics support. USB (FireWire for charging only) 12 October 2005 $299, $399
iPod mini 1G 4 GB First release. Available in several colors. FireWire (USB for syncing only) 6 January 2004 $249
2G 4, 6 GB Brighter color variants. Clickwheel lettering matches body color. No AC adapter. USB or FireWire 22 February 2005 $199, $249
iPod nano 1, 2, 4 GB Successor to iPod mini. Slimmer design with color screen and flash memory. Lyrics support. USB (FireWire for charging only) 7 September 2005 $149, $199, $249
iPod shuffle 512 MB, 1 GB First release. 1st iPod without screen or scroll wheel. USB 11 January 2005 $99, $149

Apple has evolved the iPod line from the original model and each new release generally has more features, whilst being smaller and lighter than its predecessor. Notable changes include the touch sensitive wheel (replacing the mechanical scroll wheel), color displays with anti-aliased text, video capability and flash memory in place of hard disks.

The first generation iPods were Mac compatible only. Apple later added limited Windows support to the 2nd and 3rd generation. At the time, Windows users required third-party software such as Musicmatch Jukebox, ephPod or XPlay to manage the music on their iPods. Musicmatch was included on the bundled CD.

From July 2004 and onwards, every iPod was made fully compatible with either Mac or Windows, after Apple released the Windows version of iTunes on 16 October 2003.[8]

[edit]
Special Edition and Color Variants
In December 2002, Apple unveiled its first limited edition iPods, with either Madonna’s, Tony Hawk’s, or Beck’s signature or No Doubt's band logo engraved on the back for an additional $49. At a total price of $548, these limited edition iPods were the most expensive ever sold by Apple.

On October 26, 2004, Apple introduced a special edition of its fourth generation monochrome iPod, designed in the color scheme of the latest album (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) by Irish rock band U2. It had a black case with a red scroll wheel. On the back were the engraved signatures of all of U2's band members. With the introduction of the iPod photo, the U2 iPod was updated to include the new color screen, and on 6 June 2006, it was updated again to complement the 5th generation iPods.

Apple has also released Special Edition Harry Potter iPods. These are engraved with the Hogwarts Crest on the back, and come preloaded with the Harry Potter audiobooks. Like the U2 iPod, the Harry Potter iPod is updated with each new generation of iPods.

The iPod Nano and 5th generation iPod were released in black and white variants.

[edit]
Criticisms
[edit]
Battery life advertising
Apple states that the 60 GB and 30 GB iPods have battery lives of "up to 20 hours" and "up to 14 hours" respectively. In 2003, class action lawsuits were brought against Apple complaining that the battery charges lasted for shorter lengths of time than stated and that the battery degraded over time.[9] It was suggested that Apple should have notified customers that lithium-ion batteries lose capacity during their lifetime. Guidelines are available for prolonging life-span and maximizing playback time[10]. In August 2005, the judge accepted Apple's offer to settle. Customers with first and second generation iPods were offered $50 store credit or a $25 cheque, and customers with third generation iPods were offered a one-year extension to their warranties and if their battery failed they could have it replaced by Apple or receive a $50 store credit[11].

Ironically, Apple once complained that its competitor, Sony, had used misleading advertising for Sony's music player. Apple complained that Sony had not considered real-world usage.[12]

[edit]
Non-replaceable batteries
The battery in all iPod models cannot be removed or replaced by the user without levering the unit open. This is unusually difficult for a consumer device, although some rival products have a similar enclosed battery. Compounding this problem, Apple initially would not replace worn-out batteries. The official policy was that the customer should buy a refurbished replacement iPod, at a cost almost equivalent to a brand new iPod. This situation led to a small market for third-party battery replacement kits.

Apple announced a battery replacement program on 14 November 2003, a week before[13] a high publicity stunt and website by the Neistat Brothers.[14] The initial cost was US$99,[15] but has since been lowered to US$59. One week later Apple offered an extended iPod warranty for US$59.[16] Third-party companies offer cheaper battery replacement kits which often use higher capacity batteries. For the most recent iPods, soldering tools are needed because the battery is either soldered onto the main board, with the nano, or attached to a metal backplate, on the video iPod.[17]

[edit]
Bass response
The 3rd generation iPod had a weak bass response, as shown in several audio tests.[18][19] The combination of the undersized DC blocking capacitors and the typical low impedance of most consumer headphones, form a low-frequency rejection filter, which attenuates the low-frequency bass output by up to 10 dB. The same undersized capacitors are used in the 4th and 5th generation iPods,[20] but not in the iPod shuffle. The problem is reduced when using high impedance headphones.

[edit]
Equalizer bass distortion
If the sound is enhanced with the iPod's software equalizer (EQ), many users[21][22] have noticed that some EQ settings – like R&B, Rock, Acoustic, and Bass Booster – can cause bass distortion too easily.

The equalizer amplifies the digital audio level beyond the software's maximum level, causing distortion (clipping) on songs that have a bass drum or use a bassy instrument, even when the amplifier output level is low. Notable song examples include Bob Sinclar's Love Generation[23] and Jem's Wish I.[24] One possible workaround is to reduce the volume level of the recorded MP3 by modifying the audio files. However, this can take several hours with a large music collection, and it cannot be done with DRM-encrypted music. Also, different tools are needed for each different file format.

[edit]
Worker exploitation
On 11 June 2006, the British tabloid Mail on Sunday reported that iPods are mainly manufactured by female workers who earn no more than US$50 per month.[25] The report stated that the five-story Longhua factory – which belongs to Foxconn – houses 200,000 workers, with most of them living in dormitories that house 100 people. The report also claimed that visitors are not allowed and that the plant is secured by police officers. These allegations were denied by Foxconn.[26] Apple launched an investigation into these claims which discovered that workers did more than 60 hours a week for a third of the time and worked for more than 6 consecutive days for 25% of the time.[27] The workers, however, were not forced; rather they chose to work the overtime.

[edit]
Frequent model releases
Apple has drawn fire for its frequent and confusing releases of new iPod models. Often there is no difference between models except smaller size or greater song capacity. This agressive marketing attitude was famously parodied on Saturday Night Live when Steve Jobs was portrayed as excitedly introducing a new, progressively smaller iPod model every few seconds until it was so small that it could float suspended in air.

[edit]
Patents and patent disputes
In 2005, Apple Computer faced two lawsuits claiming patent infringement by the iPod and its associated technologies:[28] Advanced Audio Devices claimed the iPod breached their patent on a "music jukebox"[29], while a Hong Kong-based IP portfolio company called Pat-rights filed a suit claiming that Apple's FairPlay technology breached a patent[30] issued to inventor Ho Keung Tse. The latter case also includes the online music stores of Sony, Real Networks, Napster, and Musicmatch as defendants.[31]

Apple's application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a patent on "rotational user inputs"[32], as used on the iPod's interface, received a third "non-final rejection" (NFR) in August 2005. Also in August 2005, Creative Technology, one of Apple's main rivals in the MP3 player market, announced that it too held a patent[33] on part of the music selection interface used by the iPod, which Creative dubbed the "Zen Patent", granted on August 9 2005.[34] On May 15, 2006, Creative filed another suit against Apple for patent infringement with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Creative also asked the United States International Trade Commission to investigate whether Apple was breaching U.S. trade laws by importing iPods into the United States.[35]

On August 24, 2006 Apple and Creative Technology, Ltd. announced a broad settlement ending all legal disputes between the two companies. Apple will pay Creative $100 million for a paid-up license to use Creative's recently awarded patent in all Apple products. Creative announced their intention of producing iPod accessories by joining the Made for iPod program.[36]

[edit]
Sales
Since October 2004, the iPod has dominated digital music player sales in the United States, with over 90% of the market for hard-drive-based players and over 70% of the market for all types of players.[37]

During the year between January 2004 and January 2005, its high rate of sales caused its U.S. market share to increase from 31% to 65% and in July 2005, the U.S. market share was measured at 74%. The release of the iPod mini helped to drive this success at a time when competing flash-based music players were once dominant.[38] Other countries have a lower iPod market share, most likely due to high import (or value added) taxes and less ubiquitous marketing.[citation needed]

In its first quarter results of 2006, Apple reported earnings of US$565 million — its highest revenue in the company's history[39], although it's not known how much of this was attributed to iPod sales.

Apple and several industry analysts have suggested that iPod users are likely to purchase other Apple products such as Mac computers.[40]

On 8 January 2004, Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced that they would sell HP-branded iPods under a license agreement from Apple. Several new retail channels were used — including Wal-Mart — and HP-branded iPods eventually made up 5% of all iPod sales. In July 2005, HP stopped selling iPods due to unfavorable terms and conditions imposed by Apple.

iPod sales according to Apple's quarterly financial results:


iPod quarterly sales.Fiscal quarter iPods sold
2002 Q4 140,000[41]
2003 Q1 219,000[42]
2003 Q2 80,000[43]
2003 Q3 304,000[44]
2003 Q4 336,000[45]
2004 Q1 733,000[46]
2004 Q2 807,000[47]
2004 Q3 860,000[48]
2004 Q4 2,016,000[49]
2005 Q1 4,580,000[50]
2005 Q2 5,311,000[51]
2005 Q3 6,155,000[52]
2005 Q4 6,451,000[53]
2006 Q1 14,043,000[39]
2006 Q2 8,526,000[54]
2006 Q3 8,111,000[55]
Total 58,912,000
[edit]
Advertising

An iPod billboard in midtown Toronto.
iPod Lightrail Wrap Advertising, Minneapolis, MinnesotaApple has promoted the iPod and iTunes with several advertising campaigns including their silhouette commercials:

November 2001

Silhouettes dancing to music whilst listening to iPods.[56]
April 2003

Casually dressed people giving animated silent renditions of pop songs, to promote the iTunes Music Store. Songs included Sir Mix-a-lot's Baby Got Back, The Caesars' Jerk It Out, Eminem's Lose Yourself and others.
October 2003

TV commercial of the silhouette campaign. Songs included The Vines' Ride, Gorillaz' Feel Good Inc., Steriogram's Walkie-Talkie Man, Jet's Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Daft Punk's Technologic and many more.
October 2004

Silhouettes of U2 band members performing their song Vertigo.
January 2005

TV commercial of the silhouette campaign, with an iPod shuffle symbol moving underneath the dancers.
September 2005

Two pairs of hands fighting over the iPod nano whilst viewing it at different angles.
October 2005

Music video of U2's Original of the Species (from the Vertigo: Live From Chicago DVD) playing on the video iPod. Alternative ads had a sihouette of rapper Eminem with an 'urban' orange background, and a silhouette of jazz musician Wynton Marsalis with a 'cool blue' background. These backgrounds were more textured and complex than in previous ads.
March 2006

Thousands of CD covers pouring into an iPod nano, with the song Cubicle by the French electro rock band Rinôçérôse.
[edit]
Earphones
The iPod's white earphone cords have become symbolic of the brand, and advertisements for the devices feature them prominently. In fact, the earphones have such strong visual recognition characteristics that some have said they can be a liability. After a 24% rise in robbery and a 10% increase in grand larceny in the NYC subway system, a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department suggested that iPods might be behind the increases.[57]

[edit]
Accessories
Many different companies produce accessories that are designed to work with the iPod. The large accessories market that has built up is sometimes described as the iPod ecosystem.[58]

Several popular iPod accessories Accessory Functionality Offered Manufacturer
External speakers
(including the iPod Hi-Fi) Loudspeakers (designed specifically for iPods). JBL, Bose, Altec Lansing, Kensington, Apple, Logitech
Sound recorders Record analog audio from a microphone. Griffin Technology, Monster Cable
Portable battery rechargers Recharge the internal battery "on the go".
FM radio tuners Listen to FM radio, in-line control of iPod
Wireless remote controls Control the iPod from a distance
Wired remote control Control the iPod from a distance. Apple
Winter sports jacket and backpacks with SoftTouch. Control panel attached to apparel for remote control. Burton
Cases Protect the iPod from surface scratches. Apple and many third party companies
iPod Camera Connector Transfer digital photo files from a digital camera or media card reader to a full-size color screen iPod[citation needed] Apple
Audio/visual cable (with proprietary RCA connectors) Output composite video and stereo analog audio
(A standard A/V cable can be used by swapping the RCA connector ends appropriately on the video input device) Apple
[edit]
Car integration
BMW released the first iPod automobile interface[59] that allowed drivers of newer BMW vehicles to control their iPod using the built-in steering wheel controls or the radio head unit buttons. In 2005, Apple announced that similar systems would be available for additional vehicle brands, including Mercedes-Benz USA,[60] Volvo,[61] Nissan, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari [62], Acura, Audi, Honda (with speech recognition capability[63]), and Volkswagen.[64]

Some independent stereo manufacturers including Pioneer, Kenwood, Alpine and Harmon Kardon also have iPod-specific integration solutions. Alternative integration methods include using adaptor kits (via the cassette deck or the CD changer port), RCA inputs, or FM transmitters such as the iTrip, although personal FM transmitters are illegal in some countries.

[edit]
See also
Digital audio player
Comparison of iPod Managers
List of iPod model numbers
Foxconn
[edit]
References
^ a b Leander Kahney, Inside Look at the Birth of the iPod (22 July 2004, Wired) Accessed on 23 August 2006
^ Apple Unveils the New iPod. Apple (October 12, 2005).
^ Michael Kanellos, Real's Glaser exhorts Apple to open iPod (March 23, 2004) CNet. Accessed on 2006-06-20.
^ Andrew Orlowski, Your 99c belong to the RIAA-Steve Jobs (November 7, 2003) The Register. Accessed on 2006-06-20
^ 24 February 2005, PC World - How Much Should an IPod Shuffle Cost?. Accessed on 14 August 2006
^ LaPedus, Mark, "Samsung grabs iPod design win", EE Times, 2006-04-26. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Associated Press. "PortalPlayer Says Chip Not Used by Apple", Yahoo!, 2006-04-20. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (16 October 2003). Apple Launches iTunes for Windows. Apple Computer.
^ Apple investigates iPod batteries. BBC News (February 10 2004). Retrieved on 2006-04-24.
^ Apple - Batteries - iPod. Apple. Retrieved on 2004-11-07.
^ Jeremy Horwitz (June 10, 2005). Apple’s iPod Battery Settlement, Explained. iLounge.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
^ Jim Dalrymple (July 7 2004). Apple hits back at Sony's 'misleading' Walkman marketing. MacCentral. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.
^ iPod Battery FAQ (not affiliated with Apple)
^ September 2003: iPod's Dirty Secret - by the Neistat brothers
^ 14 November 2003: Apple offers iPod battery replacement service
^ 21 November 2003: AppleCare for iPod now available MacMinute
^ Vivisection of the Video iPod
^ iPod audio measurements – by Bill Machrone for PC Magazine
^ iPod audio measurements – by Marc Heijligers
^ May 2006 iPod circuit design engineering – by Marc Heijligers
^ DAPreview analyses the iPod's equalizer
^ MacInTouch reader report of iPod sound distortion (July 2002)
^ Bob Sinclar – "Love Generation" song link to the iTunes Music Store
^ Jem – "Wish I" song link to the iTunes Music Store
^ Inside Apple's iPod factories. Macworld UK (2006-06-12). Retrieved on 2006-07-04.
^ http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1822
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5262110.stm
^ "Apple faces patent lawsuits over its iPod" ChannelRegister.co.uk, March 10, 2005
^ United States Patent 6,587,403 Advanced Audio Devices' "music jukebox" patent
^ United States Patent 6,665,797 "Protection of software again against unauthorized use" (corrected to "Computer Apparatus/Software Access Control")
^ "Apple, Sony among those named in new DRM lawsuit" AppleInsider, August 16, 2005.
^ United States patent application 20030095096 Apple's application on "rotational user inputs"
^ United States Patent 6,928,433 Creative Technology's "Zen" patent
^ "Creative wins MP3 player patent" BBC News, 30 August 2005
^ "Creative sues Apple over patent" Macworld UK, 16 May 2006
^ http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/aug/23settlement.html
^ Katie Marsal (24 May 2006). iPod: how big can it get?. AppleInsider.
^ jomy (18 October 2005). Apple Computer (presentation slides).. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ a b Apple Computer (18 January 2006). Apple Reports First Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-24.
^ Andre Orlowski. "For Apple, Halo effect eclipses Osborne effect", The Register, 11 October 2005. Retrieved on 13 July 2006.
^ Apple Computer (October 15, 2003). Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (January 14, 2004). Apple Reports First Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (April 14, 2004). Apple Reports Second Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (July 14, 2004). Apple Reports Third Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (October 15, 2003). Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (January 14, 2004). Apple Reports First Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (April 14, 2004). Apple Reports Second Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (July 14, 2004). Apple Reports Third Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (October 13, 2004). Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (January 12, 2005). Apple Reports First Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (April 13, 2005). Apple Reports Second Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (July 13, 2005). Apple Reports Third Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (October 11, 2005). Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (April 19, 2006). Apple Reports Second Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-25.
^ Apple Computer (July 19, 2006). Apple Reports Third Quarter Results. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-07-23.
^ Beat. The first iPod television ad.
^ iPod Thieves Hit Subways New York Times 30 March 2005
^ Damon Darlin (February 3, 2006). [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/03/technology/03ipod.html? ex=1296622800&en=91f4e87dd848693f&ei=5088 The iPod Ecosystem]. Accessed on 14 August 2006.
^ http://www.ipodyourbmw.com/
^ Apple Computer (11 January 2005). Apple & Mercedes-Benz Unveil iPod Integration Kit. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
^ Apple Computer (11 January 2005). Apple & Volvo Announce iPod Connectivity For Entire 2005 US Model Line. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
^ Apple Computer (11 January 2005). Apple & Leading Car Companies Team Up to Deliver iPod Integration in 2005. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
^ http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articledId=107194
^ Apple Computer (7 September 2005). Apple Teams Up With Acura, Audi, Honda & Volkswagen to Deliver Seamless iPod Experience. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-20.
[edit]
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
iPodWikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
iPodApple iPod — Official website
Apple iPod Specs/Comparison — Official iPod specifications
Inside Look at Birth of the iPod
Apple's 21st-Century Walkman — Brent Schlender writing for Fortune October 30, 2001
iPod Nation — Steven Levy writing for Newsweek July 26, 2004
Behind the Music — Ken Aaron writing for Cornell Engineering 2005
A Brief History of the iPod Tracks the iPod from its birth to current day
Apple hardware since 1998
Consumer Macs: iMac | iMac G3 | iMac G4 | iMac G5 | iMac Core Duo | Mac mini | eMac | iBook | MacBook
Professional Macs: Power Mac G3 | Power Mac G4 | Cube | Power Mac G5 | Mac Pro | Xserve | PowerBook G3 | PowerBook G4 | MacBook Pro
iPods: iPod | iPod mini | iPod photo | iPod shuffle | iPod nano
Accessories: AirPort | iSight | Cinema Display | Xserve RAID | Mighty Mouse | iPod Hi-Fi

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod"
Categories: Article titles with lowercase initial letters | Articles with unsourced statements | 2000s fashion | 2001 introductions | Digital audio players | Portable hard drives

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This page was last modified 14:03, 29 August 2006. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free

Answer 2

The iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer. Devices in the iPod family are designed around a central scroll wheel (except for the iPod shuffle) and provide a simple user interface. Apple chose to focus its development on the iPod's user experience, rather than on its technical capability. The full-sized model stores media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices when connected to a computer.

Answer 3

The iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer. Devices in the iPod family are designed around a central scroll wheel (except for the iPod shuffle) and provide a simple user interface. Apple chose to focus its development on the iPod's user experience, rather than on its technical capability. The full-sized model stores media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices when connected to a computer.

The current lineup consists of the 5th generation iPod with a video player; the iPod nano with a color screen; and the iPod shuffle. All three models were released in 2005. Discontinued versions include two generations of the iPod mini and four generations of the full-sized iPod, all of which had monochrome screens (except for the iPod photo).

The bundled software used for transferring music, photos and videos is called iTunes. As a music jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of music on the user's computer and can play, burn, and rip music from a CD. The most recent version of iTunes has photo and video synchronization features.

The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player, and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions have, however, led to criticism and legal battles.

Answer 4

The iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer. Devices in the iPod family are designed around a central scroll wheel (except for the iPod shuffle) and provide a simple user interface. Apple chose to focus its development on the iPod's user experience, rather than on its technical capability. The full-sized model stores media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can serve as external data storage devices when connected to a computer.

The current lineup consists of the 5th generation iPod with a video player; the iPod nano with a color screen; and the iPod shuffle. All three models were released in 2005. Discontinued versions include two generations of the iPod mini and four generations of the full-sized iPod, all of which had monochrome screens (except for the iPod photo).

The bundled software used for transferring music, photos and videos is called iTunes. As a music jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of music on the user's computer and can play, burn, and rip music from a CD. The most recent version of iTunes has photo and video synchronization features.

The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player, and its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions have, however, led to criticism and legal battles.

Answer 5

buddy everyone in the whole world knows what an ipod is except you. so theres absolutly no need to add in "may be related to songs listening" we all know that.

Answer 6

A i-pod is a machine like similar to mobile which has a memory to store data. In which you can add mp3 and videoes any thing you like it plays both.so it is advanced tenology of walkman.

have fun. Try to buy a i pod that will be a best experience of your life


Keep asking

Answer 7

Ok I want to know. Who opened the Retard asylum this morning and let out all the idiots, because this is like the 20th completely stupid nonsensical question I've seen and they're all by different people.

Answer 8

i pod id a music device which has an inbuilt memory. u can store songs in it and listen to them.i own one if u want more details mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 9

an ipod is an intergalaxy pod!

LOL no im just kidding.....it is basically a FLASH or HARD DRIVE based mp3 player (depending on the model).

check out www.apple.com for more info!

Answer 10

a ipod is like a mp3 player but costs more money and holds more tracks it has less buttons is easier 2 use and is much betta! it has a betta screen and is more compact

soz if i wernt much help!!

Answer 11

an ipod is a gizmo that holds music for you.