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iPodpedia: The Ultimate iPod and iTunes Resource

The iPod Book: Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and the iTunes Store, Third Edition

iPod Book: Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and the iTunes Store, Fourth Edition

The iPhone Book: How to Do the Things You Want to Do With Your iPhone

A world of music is just a click away.

Apple’s iPod and iTunes have revolutionized the way people manage and enjoy music and video. It’s never too late to hop aboard the digital media bandwagon, so get yourself started with the lowdown on how to:

Buy the right iPod model for you and master its controls in no time
Install iTunes and use it to organize and buy music and video
Configure your iPod and iTunes to meet your needs and preferences

What’s an iPod?

The iPod, made by Apple, is the world’s most popular digital music player. But it’s also much more. In combination with Apple’s iTunes software, an iPod is a complete multimedia system in a compact package.

Music: Music from CDs or any other audio source can be converted to digital files. Most iPods can store thousands of these files, making it possible to keep an entire music library in your pocket. You can use iTunes software to organize your music files and to buy music from the more than 8 million songs available online at Apple’s iTunes Store.
Videos: The most current iPod models can store and play video, including music videos, TV shows, and movies—all of which are sold through the iTunes Store.
Photos: You can load up to 25,000 digital photos onto some iPods, create slide shows of your favorite photos, or display photos from your iPod on a TV.
Podcasts: A podcast is like a radio broadcast, except that rather than tune in at a particular time, you subscribe. Whenever a new episode is created, it downloads automatically to your iTunes for free. At the iTunes Store, you’ll find podcasts on thousands of topics created by professional broadcasters, such as CNN and NPR, and amateurs with a passion for a particular subject. (For more information, see the Quamut guide to Podcasting.)
Internet: The iPod touch is equipped with Wi-Fi and Apple’s Safari web browser, enabling you to connect to the web, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, or the iTunes App Store (for more information, see “iPod touch”) anytime you’re in range of a Wi-Fi connection.

Understanding iPod Memory

Different iPods have different storage capacities, or memory, which is measured in gigabytes (GB). The larger an iPod’s memory, the more songs and videos it can hold. For every 1 GB of memory, an iPod can hold approximately:

250 songs
1.25 hours of video

For instance, an 80 GB iPod could hold a maximum of 20,000 songs or a maximum 100 hours of video or some combination of both equalling 80GB. (Figures are estimates, as the space a song or video takes up depends on its length, sound or image quality, etc.)

iPod Models

The iPod family has four members: the iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, and iPod touch. The right model for you depends on how you plan to use your iPod.

iPod classic

If you want an iPod that can store your entire music library, the iPod classic is the model for you. The classic has a 2.5" color display, a battery that lasts 30–40 hours for music playback (5–7 hours for video playback), and either 80 or 160 GB of memory. It can also hold up to 25,000 photos. The classic comes in black or silver and costs $249–349, depending on the memory.

iPod nano

A smaller version of the iPod classic, the iPod nano has 4–8 GB of memory and is as thin as a pencil. It’s a good choice if you value portability over storage capacity. In addition, the nano has a 2" color screen that can display photos and videos. The battery lasts up to 24 hours for music playback and up to 5 hours for video playback. The 4 GB nano is available only in silver, but the 8 GB is available in six colors. The nano costs $149–199.

iPod shuffle

The iPod shuffle is an audio-only iPod that’s about 1.6" × 1" and has a built-in clip to attach it to your clothing. This iPod has no screen but has 1 or 2 GB of memory and lets you play songs in order or shuffle them randomly. The shuffle’s battery lasts for up to 12 hours of playback, and the 2 GB model holds up to 500 songs. The shuffle comes in five colors and costs $49–69.

iPod touch

The iPod touch, the newest iPod, has a 3.5" touchscreen display that you touch to control various functions. The touch comes with 8, 16, or 32 GB of memory. The 32 GB version can hold up to 7,000 songs, 25,000 photos, or 40 hours of video. The battery lasts for up to 22 hours for music playback and up to 5 hours for video playback. The 8 GB model costs $299; the 16 GB, $399; and the 32 GB, $499.

The touch is the only iPod that comes with Wi-Fi capability. It features many of the same applications available on Apple’s iPhone, including Apple’s Safari web browser, a YouTube player, Mail, and built-in access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. (For more information, see the Quamut guide to iPhone.) This means you can browse the web, watch videos on YouTube, check your email, and buy and listen to songs instantly whenever you’re in range of a Wi-Fi connection.

If you download the iPhone 2.0 software update for the iPod touch, you’ll be able to download any number of applications from the new App Store in the iTunes Store. You’ll find applications for everything from gaming and social networking to news and business. The update also supports MobileMe, which keeps any calendar and contact information you have on your touch in sync with the information on your other devices such as your Mac or PC. Download the iPhone 2.0 software at www.apple.com/ipodtouch/appstore for $9.95.

iPod Computer System Requirements

All members of the iPod family can run on both Macintosh computers and Windows computers (PCs). However, an iPod works only with computers that have USB 2.0 ports in addition to these specs:

iPod classic and nano: Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or later and iTunes 7.6 or later
iPod shuffle: Mac OS X v10.4.8 or later and iTunes 7.4 or later
iPod touch: Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later and iTunes 7.7 or later

For PC users, all iPod models run on Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later. iTunes specs for PCs are the same as for Macs (see above).

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer