Apple’s iTunes software can be used to transfer music to the devices from computers using certain versions of Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. For users who choose not to use Apple’s software or whose computers cannot run iTunes software, several open source alternatives to iTunes are also available. iTunes and its alternatives may also transfer photos, videos, games, contact information, e-mail settings, Web bookmarks, and calendars to iPod models supporting those features. As of Sep 2009, more than 200,000,000 iPods had been sold worldwide, making it the best-selling digital audio player series in history.

The iPod line came from Apple’s “digital hub” category, when the company began creating software for the growing market of personal digital devices. Than, Apple decided to develop its own digital music player. The product was developed in less than one year and unveiled on 23 October 2001. Jobs announced it as a Mac-compatible product with a 5 GB hard drive that put “1,000 songs in your pocket.”.

The iPod line can play several audio file formats including MPEG-4, QuickTime Video Formats, MP3, AAC/M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless. The iPod Photo introduced the ability to display JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG image file formats. Originally, iPod software only worked with Mac OS; iPod software for Microsoft Windows was launched with the second generation model. Unlike most other media players, Apple does not support Microsoft’s WMA audio format—but a converter for WMA files without Digital Rights Management (DRM) is provided with the Windows version of iTunes. MIDI files also cannot be played, but can be converted to audio files using the “Advanced” menu in iTunes.

iPods with color displays use anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. All iPods (except the iPod Shuffle and iPod Touch) have five buttons and the later generations have the buttons integrated into the click wheel—an innovation that gives an uncluttered, minimalist interface. The buttons perform basic functions such as menu, play, pause, next track, and previous track. Other operations, such as scrolling through menu items and controlling the volume, are performed by using the click wheel in a rotational manner. Instead it uses a 3.5″ touch screen in addition to a home button, sleep/wake button and (on the second generation iPod touch) volume-up and -down buttons. The user interface for the iPod touch is virtually identical to that of the iPhone. Both devices use the iPhone OS.
iPod – Music in your pocket

Games in iPod
Video games are playable on various versions of iPods. The original iPod had the game Brick included as an easter egg hidden feature; later firmware versions added it as a menu option. Later revisions of the iPod added three more games in addition to Brick: Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz. The games are in the form of .ipg files, which are actually .zip archives in disguise. When unzipped, they reveal executable files along with common audio and image files, leading to the possibility of third party games.

Laptop means Mobile Pc
File storage and transfer in iPod
All iPods except for the iPod Touch can function in “disk mode” as a mass storage devices to store data file. Generally, if a new iPod (excluding the iPod Shuffle) is initially plugged into a computer running Windows, it will be formatted with FAT32, and if initially plugged into a Mac running Mac OS X it will be formatted with HFS+.

Unlike many other MP3 players, simply copying audio or video files to the drive with a typical file management application will not allow an iPod to properly access them. The user must use software that has been specifically designed to transfer media files to iPods, so that the files are playable and viewable. Usually iTunes is used to transfer media to an iPod, though several alternative third-party applications are available on a number of different platforms.

Gadgets – New Gizmos of 21st Century

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iPod Touch is the only iPod with 802.11b/g wireless access to the website. iPod Touch uses Safari, the most innovative internet explorer ever on a portable device. With using Wi-Fi and the Safari website browser, you get in the internet at your fingers, and websites look just like they do on your PC. You can easily navigate your most loved websites using the bookmarks tool, which also allows you to sync up your bookmarks from your Mac or PC. Besides, the onscreen touch keyboard permits you to make by yourself to get into the address, with easy-taken browser buttons at the bottom of the screen to cut down the time in inputting. You can also make use of the onscreen touch keyboard to hunt for using Google or Yahoo! to make things even quicker. Whenever you are entered through Wi-Fi, you can watch your favorite websites to read news, pay bills, and go shopping.

The iPod Touch makes use of a peaked version of the “OS X” OS utilized for Apple’s Macintosh computers. The Mobile Safari browser is on account of Apple’s desktop Safari browser, however, the UI is totally different. The iPod Touch user interface is planned from the bottom-up for finger tips and small screens rather than the keyboard and related huge screens of desktop and laptop computers, and every other iPod Touch wholesaler has been combining to row down it. The second-generation iPod Touch includes more Apple applied software than the original player did. E-mail is now put in, with providing for IMAP, POP and Microsoft Exchange servers. MobileMe subscribers, Exchange users and Yahoo Mail users can get “push” e-mail note, so email goes to your iPod Touch as soon as it arrives at the server.

That is to say, iPod Touch is not a Walkman-like, single-purpose player. It is an growing, public idea computing platform that suits for the palm of your hand with conveniently surfing on the internet.

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You can choose your favorite show or music on your digital media player at a touch. No more trying to adjust the radio or be distracted from watching the traffic.

2. With an iPod or MP3 player along, that much needed exercise, whether its at the gym, jogging or just staying home to exercise, will not seem so boring. Some players allow you to monitor your mileage while you run. The time will go faster when you are listening to your favorite music, sport or watching a video on your digital media player. Put a spring in your step while cleaning your home or shopping by listening to your favorite tunes.

3. Your iPod or MP3 player can brighten your day, regardless of your activity.

4. If you play sports, for fun or professionally, you can record your ?moves?, then analyze them to see if you are following through or need to make some adjustments.

What to consider before your purchase an iPod or MP3 player

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you want your iPod or MP3 player solely for music or for others things as well?
2. What size iPod or MP3 player do you want?
3. What kind of display should you select for your iPod or MP3 player?
4. What memory or storage capacity do you want? Do you want to only play music or store pictures and videos as well?
5. Depending on the investment you make in your iPod or MP3, it may be upgradeable to future formats and features.
6. What about battery life for your digital media player? What type batteries do you want? Disposal of batteries is dependant on the state or principality you live in.
7. Do you have a favorite color for your player?
8. Is price a factor when purchasing an iPod or MP3 player?

When shopping for an iPod or MP3 player consider sound quality, durability, ease of downloading music, cost, benefits and design.

What functions, features and accessories are available?

Features and capabilities will increase or decrease the size of your player. Digital media players are very portable going anywhere with you.

They can be as small as a pack of gum and weigh less than a car key. Depending on the capabilities will increase or decrease the size.

1. Various iPod or MP3 player system requirements are:

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Devices in the iPod range are primarily digital music players, designed around a central click wheel although the iPod shuffle has buttons only.

The full-sized model stores media on an internal hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods can also serve as external data storage devices.

In addition to playing music, iPods with display screens can display calendars, contact information, and text files, and play a limited range of video games. Models introduced in 2004 include the ability to display photos and the fifth-generation iPod, introduced in 2005, can additionally play video files. In January 2007, Apple announced the iPhone, combining the features of a video-capable iPod with integrated mobile phone and mobile internet capabilities.

Apples iTunes software is used for transferring music (as well as photos, videos, games, contacts and calendars, for models that support those features). As a free jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of music on the users computer and can play, burn, and rip music from a CD. It can also sync photos and videos.

History and Design:

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

The name was proposed by Vinnie Chieco, a freelance copywriter, who (with others) was called by Apple to figure out how to introduce the new player to the public. As soon as Chieco saw a prototype for the player he thought of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and the phrase: “Open the pod bay door, Hal!”, which refers to the white EVA Pods of the Discovery One spaceship. At that time “iPod” was a name that Apple registered for Internet kiosks, but never put to use.

Apple hardware engineering chief Jon Rubinstein assembled a team of engineers to design it, including Tony Fadell, Stan Ng and Jonathan Ive. Additionally, Sparkfactor Design has designed some of the iPod hardware from 2002-2004. They developed the product in less than a year and it was unveiled on October 23, 2001. CEO Steve Jobs announced it as a Mac-compatible product with a 5 GB hard drive that put “1000 songs in your pocket.”

Uncharacteristically, Apple did not develop the iPods software entirely in-house. Instead, Apple began with PortalPlayer reference platform which was based on 2 ARM cores. The platform used rudimentary software running on a commercial microkernel embedded operating system. PortalPlayer had previously been working on an IBM-branded MP3 player with Bluetooth headphones. Apple contracted another company, Pixo, to help design and implement the user interface, under the direct supervision of Steve Jobs.

Once established, Apple continued to refine the software look and feel. Starting with the iPod mini, the Chicago font (once used on early Macintosh computers) was replaced with Espy Sans, which was originally used in eWorld and Copland. Later iPods switched fonts again to Podium Sans, a font similar to Apple corporate font Myriad. The iPods with color displays then adopted some Mac OS X themes like Aqua progress bars, as well as brushed metal in the lock interface.

User interface:

Apple focused its development on the iPod’s unique user interface and its ease of use, rather than on technical capability. The iPod is currently the world’s best-selling range of digital audio players 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.

The iPods with color displays use high quality anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. These iPods have five buttons and the newer generations have the buttons integrated into the click wheel an innovation which gives an uncluttered, minimalistic interface.

The buttons are:

Menu to traverse backwards through the menus, and toggle the backlight on older iPods when held

Center to select a menu item

Play / Pause which doubles as an off switch when held

Fast Forward (When held)/ Skip Forward

Fast Reverse (When held)/ Skip Backwards

The operations such as scrolling through menu items and controlling the volume are performed by using the click wheel in a rotational manner. These iPods also have a Hold switch at the top, which prevents accidental button presses.

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.

However, in newer iPods (excluding iPod shuffles), when the headphones are re-inserted into the headphone jack when the iPod is asleep, the iPod will automatically wake up to the last screen viewed before going to sleep. An iPod that has crashed or frozen can be reset by switching ‘Hold’ on then off, then holding Menu and Center (Menu and Play on the 3G iPod) for 6 seconds.

The iPod shuffle does not use a click wheel and instead has five buttons positioned differently to the larger models. It has a Play / Pause button in the center, surrounded by four buttons: Volume Up / Down and Skip Forward / Backwards. This button arrangement is shared by the Apple Remote (which ships with all Apple computers with Front Row and the Universal Dock).

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