Mel's Macintosh Universe: The iPod Page

4 iPods - iPod Photo, iPod Mini, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle

If Apple has done anything right, it is the creation of the successful iPod music players and its iTunes software and music store. The first iPod rolled off the assembly line and into consumer hands in the fall of 2001. At first I was very skeptical about the iPod. The first model held 5 MB of music or data and cost way too much money.... typical of anything Apple rolls out for the first time.

THE BATTERY ISSUE

One of the major issues that have been part of iPod lore has been the internal battery. The problem I have with the internal battery is that by and large, it is not meant to be user replaceable. On all of the iPods, the batteries are molded shut into their sleek cases. To me this severely puts a time limit on how long the iPod will last as a viable device after the battery wears out. On many other devices the end user has the capability to easily remove the old battery and install a new one.

Not so with the iPod. Since the battery is molded shut in its tight plastic case, taking an iPod apart for battery replacement is not a task for the meek or technologically challenged person.

What Apple really wants us to do is after our iPod battery dies, is run out to the Apple Store or your favorite retailer and buy another iPod. Yes, Steve Jobs continues to think that money grows on trees.

Granted the batteries in the iPods for the most part are good and last for a long time between charges. However after a few years of continual list, how long will the built-in batteries actually last? Apple and other experts quote "300 to 500" charge cycles depending on how you use your iPod. I don't know how that translates into real time in terms of years of usage we can get out of our iPods. Since I bought my two iPods in calendar year 2005, the issue of the batteries finally giving out has so far eluded me. Ask me about this in another 5 or 10 years.

Fortunately because of the battery issue, firms other than Apple Computer themselves have sprung up to create a cottage industry of battery replacement options. Some firms will sell you a battery replacement kit so that you can replace your own iPod battery, and others will for a fee, allow you to send in your iPod and they will do the battery replacement.

Because of this Apple did eventually get into the battery replacement business and now offers some iPod owners the ability to have Apple change the battery for you if you are willing to pay them an additional fee.

For me, anything that you pay over $100 for, ought to last at least 10 years without any major problems. A built in battery should not be a hinderence to this basic consumer standard.

WHAT ABOUT THE iPOD

Other than the battery issue, the iPods are the world's best and most easy to use music player. The most basic operation of the iPod is closely tied into Apple's iTunes music software and the iTunes music store. All iPods can play MP3 formatted music and sound files as well as a number of lesser known ones. The most prevailing format and the one supported by the iTunes music store is Apple AAC.

The Apple AAC sound format has built in Digital Rights Management (DRM) "protection" that limits what you can do with the file. Apple's DRM scheme uses a technology called "FairPlay" that allows purchased AAC files to run on a limited number of computers owned by the end user. Users are also limited to how many burned CDs they can make with a certain sequence of AAC files. Fortunately end users can load AAC files into as many iPods as they own.

Apple's AAC format with Fairplay DRM can only run on iTunes and the iPod. Other music player software and devices are not supported by Fairplay.

The reasoning behind "FairPlay" and other DRM schemes is of course to discourage end users from illegally copying and distributing music, sound and video files. A huge debate on this issue continues on DRM which is way beyond what I want to cover here.

Most of the audio offerings from the iTunes Store are in Protected AAC format. Some songs are sold as unprotected AAC which means they are able to be transferred to any device without worry for DRM. Most audio podcast available from iTunes are released in unprotected AAC (M4a) or MP3.

All iPods support uprotected AAC (M4a) and MP3 audio formats. Some iPods also support various video and photo formats.

GETTING MUSIC FROM iTUNES TO YOUR iPOD

The easiest, obvious and probably only way to get music into your iPod is to first load it into your computer through the use of iTunes (it comes bundled with all iPods and can also be downloaded from Apple's website for free). From there you connect your iPod to your computer and have iTunes automatically or manually transfer your music, sound, photo and video files to your iPod.

iPods and iTunes work with newer Macintoshes running versions of OSX 10.2 or higher and PC computers running Windows XP or Windows 2000. Version 2.x of iTunes can work with Mac OS 9.2x. iTunes 2.x does not connect to the iTunes music store. You need version 4.9 or higher in order to use the iTunes music store.

As mentioned several times now, the iPod is first and formost a digital music player. All iPods can play MP3 files with later ones supporting AAC. Starting with the 4th generation iPods, end users now have the ability to store and view photos on their iPod with the latest models capabable of storing and running specially formatted video files that can be purchased from the iTunes Music store or created by the end user.

If you haven't noticed, I've mentioned iPod and iTunes simultaneously and quite often throughout this article. This is because the iPod is almost totally dependent on iTunes in order for end users to do anything. This is part of Apple's marketing strategy and this is what keeps users coming back to iTunes and buying more iPods. iTunes by the way does not work with anyone else's music player. That means you cannot connect your Sony Bean or Samsung music player to iTunes and expect anything to happen. Never will. Clever those Apple marketing folks.

As of this writing Apple has sold more than 60 million iPods worldwide and command something like 70% of the digital music player market.

PLAYING YOUR DIGITAL MUSIC, PHOTO & VIDEO FILES

Use and control of the iPod is very easy once you get used to it. Most iPods utilize the "click wheel" mechanism in front of every iPod. All you do is press the correct points on the click wheel to "play" "stop" "pause" and "skip" to various tracks and files. You also manage your files through "turning" the scroll wheel to get to specific playlists, functions and options built into the iPod. Apple offers excellent support and instructions on how to use your specific iPod model.

All iPods do sound and music files. Some of the later ones like the 4th generation iPod Photo (shown at top) have color screens and are able to display digital photographs. This capability has migrated to the 5th generation Video iPod and iPod Nano models.

The 5th generation iPod Video can do that to... play videos. Most people purchase videos at $1.99 each from the iTunes Music Store and synch them with their iPods. A growing variety of music videos, move trailers, short subjects and network TV shows are available for purchase. End users can also produce their own videos using special software that allows them to be imported into their video iPods. Home produced videos can also be distributed as a video "podcast."

Fact is "podcasting" is one of the hottest and still growing end uses for the iPod. A Podcast is essentially a digital audio radio show that user can download to their iPod or any other digital music device. Most podcast files are distributed as MP3s. You can get them for all over the internet. The iTunes music store however, makes it very easy for iPod owners to download and subscribe to podcasts. Most podcasts are avialable for free.

Above: The first generation iPod Shuffle 512 MB with optional dock and 1 GB model (in box).

THE iPODS I OWN

I currently own 4 iPods. My main iPod is the 4th generation iPod Photo. This iPod can hold up to 7,500 songs on its 40GB hard drive. I have more than 15,000 songs in my iTunes library. Out of that, I manage to have about 7,000 songs and a number of podcasts available on the iPod Photo. The iPod Photo can play photo content on a standard TV set.

My 4G iPod is mainly connected to my home stereo system through the use of a second dock. That dock is also connected to an AC power supply so that most time this iPod is being played using AC current. The battery on the iPod is also recharged when the device is connected to an AC current dock.

This was one of the last iPods to include its own dock. That dock is connected to my Power Mac G4 tower where all of my music is stored on an external hard drive. The dock is connected to the G4 using the Firewire interface.

My most travelled iPod is my 2nd generation iPod Nano. This flash based music player can hold up to 4 GB worth of content or about 700 songs. Like the older iPod Photo it can also hold low res JPG photograph files. I use this player a lot for daily listening as it is just as versatile as the larger iPod with its playlists and song option possibilities.

I recently acquired an iPod Mini for a song at a local thrift store. This is the 2nd generation iPod Mini that features a 4 GB hard drive for music storage and a lighted, monochrome screen. This older iPod does only music and other audio content. No pictures or video (like many newer iPods). I use this to mainly play back podcasts and some music content. It can be mated to the same docks as the iPod Photo.

The diminutive iPod Shuffle is a nice little device that I can take just about anywhere. This first generation model is as small as a pack of chewing gum. It holds 512 MB worth of music, or about 100 songs. Storage is through on-board flash memory.

Most of these older iPods can be used with Mac OSX as old as version 10.3.x. The newer iPods require Mac OSX 10.4.11 or higher. None work with Mac OS 9.x or lower. Later generation iPods can also be used with Microsoft Windows XP or Vista. A computer is required to synch your iPod with most content, including music, videos and photos.

Today's iPods can hold a lot of data on flash drives. The top of the line iPod Classic, the iPod Nano, iPod Touch and the derivative iPhone, can all stream video content from their flash or hard drive storage. The iPhone and the iPod Touch also double as internet devices for web browsing and video watching. New capabilities added to the iPod Touch and iPhone include games, and running third party software. These new iPods have essentially become small handheld computers. They all run a variant of Mac OSX.