IPod classic

The iPod is a portable digital audio player (DAP) designed and marketed by Apple Computer. It stores audio on a built-in hard drive, which gives it a much larger capacity than portable audio players that rely on flash memory. (The iPod shuffle, released in January 2005, relies on flash memory.) It can also serve as an external hard drive while connected to a computer; a user can store any kind of file on it.

With iPod and the complementary software iTunes, Apple once again changed the users' relationship with computing devices.

Designed by Apple's Industrial Design Group under Jonathan Ive, iPods feature small size, a simple user interface designed around a central scroll wheel, and FireWire and USB 2.0 connectivity. As of October 2004, the iPod dominated digital music player sales in the United States, with over 92% of the market for hard-drive players and over 65% of the market for all types of players. Figures show that iPods have sold at a tremendous rate, faster than the Sony Walkman of the 80s and 90s, which sold an estimated 300 million units during that time.

Design
Jeff Robbin headed the iPod firmware team at Apple. His team integrated the core firmware from PortalPlayer with the user interface library developed by Pixo. (The founder of Pixo had worked on the Newton, a personal digital assistant formerly produced by Apple.) The Pixo libraries provide the user interface, though the iPod photo has incorporated some visual elements from Mac OS X, such as the animated "Aqua" style progress bar. It's also interesting to note that the font used on all of the iPods' user interfaces (with the exception of the mini and photo models) is "Chicago," the font used on the original Macintosh computer from 1984.





From left to right:


 * An intact third-generation iPod.


 * The front of the iPod casing (face-down). The lighter green circuit board controls the iPod (and leaves room for the battery to fit beside it), and the darker green board beneath it controls the touch-scroll wheel and the buttons. Three connectors exist: the battery connects in the lower-right corner; the hard drive connector lies to the left of the black area in the lower left; and the headphone jack, wired remote control jack, and Hold switch (all located on the top of the iPod) connect as a single plug in the top right.


 * The lithium ion battery.


 * The hard drive, surrounded by a layer of soft rubber which is also beneath it to insulate it from the circuit board.


 * The rear of the iPod. Wires connect the ports and switch on the top of the case to a small plug. A hole on the bottom of the case allows access to the Firewire port on the circuit board.

The unit's case snaps together, with no screws or glue involved. The plastic front of the case has clips which lock under a ridge inside the rim of the metal case back. A servicer can pry the iPod open by carefully inserting a small screwdriver to pull the metal away from the clips.

The iPod contains a small internal speaker which generates the scroll-wheel clicks and alarm clock beep sound, but this internal speaker cannot play music.

Use
iPods feature 5 buttons:
 * 1) Play/Pause,
 * 2) Menu (which backs up one level in the menus)
 * 3) Previous (which skips back through tracks in play)
 * 4) Next (which skips forward through tracks in play)
 * 5) Select (the button in the center of the scroll wheel; this selects a menu or a song to play).

A Hold switch also exists on the top of the unit. Setting this switch so that red is visible will make the buttons unresponsive, so that users do not press them accidentally. The scroll wheel also cannot change the volume in Hold mode.

Holding down the iPod's Menu button for two seconds will turn off the display's backlight. Holding down the Play/Pause button for two seconds will turn the unit off.

If the iPod becomes unresponsive, the user can force it to reset. On a 3G or earlier iPod, slide the switch on the top of the unit to Hold then back the other way, then hold down the Menu and Play/Pause buttons for six to ten seconds until the Apple logo appears. On a click-wheel iPod, toggle the Hold switch as above, then hold down the Menu and Select buttons.

The iPod can be put into Firewire Disk Mode, in which it behaves like a Firewire hard drive without any of the additional iPod functionality. On a 3G or earlier iPod, reset it then hold the Previous and Next buttons until the display reads "Disk Mode". On a click-wheel iPod, hold Select and Play/Pause. Reset the unit again to return it to normal functionality.

The iPod's firmware contains a diagnostic menu. On a 3G or earlier iPod, reset it then hold Previous, Next, and Select; on a click-wheel iPod, hold Previous and Select. Release the buttons after a few seconds, and the unit will chirp and briefly show a backwards Apple logo before displaying the diagnostic menu. Navigate through the menu with the Previous and Next buttons (not the scroll wheel), and select items with the Select button. Press Play/Pause to exit a test. Apple has never publically documented the functionality of the diagnostic menu, but users can make a guess as to what each menu item probably does.

An iPod unable to start (due to either a firmware or a hardware problem) displays the Sad iPod icon.

Models
There are five kinds of iPod available: the original iPod, the iPod mini, the iPod U2 Special Edition, the iPod photo, and the iPod shuffle. Some of these models are available with different capacities (a higher capacity allows more music to be stored) or in different designs. In addition, the original iPod has undergone several revisions, leading to the existence of four distinct generations.

iPod
While all iPods have roughly the same size and the same capabilities, the design has undergone several revisions since its first introduction to the market. Four distinct generations of iPods exist, commonly known as: 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G (these designations do not relate to the Power Macintosh G3, G4, or other Macintosh model designations).

Within any generation of iPods, various models with different sizes of hard drives have come onto the market at different price points. During the third and fourth generations, three sizes of iPods have co-existed in the market-place at any given time, priced at USD 299, USD 399, and USD 499. The least expensive comes with earphones, a FireWire cable, and a wall plug to recharge the iPod's internal battery. The other two models include all that along with a belt-clip carrying case, a wired remote control, and a docking cradle.

First generation

 * Main article: iPod 1G

First announced on October 23 2001, the original iPod cost USD 399 with a 5 GB hard drive. Critics panned the unit's price, but the iPod proved an instant hit in the marketplace. Apple announced a 10 GB version (USD 499) in March 2002, and a 20 GB version in July (introduced at USD 499 along with a price drop of USD 100 for the other two models).

Apple designed the mechanical scroll wheel, the most distinctive feature of the iPod, but entrusted its development to Synaptics, a firm that also developed the trackpad used by many laptops, including Apple's PowerBooks. The 1G iPod featured four buttons - Menu, Play/Pause, Back, and Forward - arranged around the circumference of the scroll wheel.

Second generation

 * Main article: iPod 2G

The 2G iPods replaced the mechanical scroll wheel with a touch-sensitive, non-moving one (also made by Synaptics) which could detect the motion of the user's finger circling around it. The button in the center of the wheel and the buttons around the wheel remained mechanical. These iPods came with a wired remote control and belt-clip carrying case.

Third generation

 * Main article: iPod 3G

On April 28, 2003, Steve Jobs introduced an "ultrathin" iPod series. These were slightly smaller than their predecessors, and their edges were more bevelled. Over the life of the 3G iPod series, models were available in 10 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB, 30 GB, and 40 GB sizes.

These iPods used a new kind of connector, longer and flatter than a typical Firewire plug. This allowed them to fit more easily into a docking cradle (which shipped with all but the least-expensive iPod, and also available separately).

The 3G iPod featured touch-sensitive buttons located below the display. They would glow red for a few seconds when touched, allowing more easy use of the iPod in the dark.

With the 3G iPods, Apple stopped shipping separate Mac and Windows versions of the unit. Instead, all iPods now shipped with their hard drives formatted for Macintosh use; the included CD-ROM featured a Windows utility which could reformat them for use with a Windows PC. These iPods also introduced USB2 connectivity (with a separately-sold USB adapter cable).

When purchased through the online Apple Store, the iPod featured custom engraving: a purchaser could have two lines of text laser-engraved on the back (for an additional charge).

Fourth generation

 * Main article: iPod 4G

In July 2004, the fourth generation of iPod was released. In a new publicity route, Steve Jobs announced it by being the subject of a Newsweek magazine cover.

The most obvious difference between the 4G iPod and its predecessors is the introduction of the clickwheel design from the iPod mini. The 4G iPod is slightly smaller, and it introduces the ability to charge the battery over a USB connection. It also offered larger capacities at the same price points; the 20 GB unit cost USD 299 USD and the 40 GB unit cost USD 399 USD.

Apple claims that updated software in the new iPod allows it to use the battery more efficiently and increase battery life to 12 hours, and minor changes such as the addition of a "Shuffle Songs" item on the top-level menu make it more convenient for users. There have been complaints from users of earlier iPods that the software improvements should be made available for previous models as well, but so far Apple has not addressed this.

The fourth generation iPod comes bundled with cables to connect it to FireWire and USB ports. Both the iPod U2 Special Edition and the iPod photo can be considered to be enhanced versions of the fourth generation iPod.

Fifth generation

 * Main article: iPod 5G

The iPod 5G adds the ability to play videos and a 2.5" screen. It currently is sold in 30 GB and 80 GB capacities, for $249 and $349, respectively. Also, it comes in both white and black.

iPod mini

 * Main article: iPod mini

In January 2004, Apple introduced the iPod mini. With 4 GB of storage and a price of USD 249 USD (at the time, only USD 50 below the 15 GB third generation iPod), critics panned it as too expensive; but once again it proved overwhelmingly popular, and Apple Stores had difficulty keeping them in stock.

The iPod mini moves the buttons to the scroll wheel itself. Pressing an edge of the wheel clicks it like a button; hence Apple refers to the new wheel as a "click wheel". Distinctively, the iPod mini comes in "five trend-setting colours: silver, gold, green, pink or blue, all shiny." 



iPod U2 Special Edition

 * Main article: iPod U2 Special Edition

On October 28, 2004, Apple released the iPod U2 Special Edition. Black on the front with a red click wheel (the colours of U2's latest album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb), it features the signatures of U2 band members engraved on the back. Apart from the design, the iPod U2 Special Edition is identical to a 20GB 4G iPod. Its USD 349 price tag (USD 50 more than a standard 20 GB 4G iPod) includes an iTunes Music Store coupon redeemable for USD 50 off the price of "The Complete U2," a "digital boxed set" featuring 400 tracks of U2 music. 

iPod photo

 * Main article: iPod photo

The iPod Photo (recapitalised to iPod photo less than a month after its launch) hit the market on the same day as the iPod U2 Special Edition. It features a colour screen and the ability to store and display JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG images (it is otherwise almost identical to the standard fourth generation iPod). The iPod photo is available in 40 GB and 60 GB versions, costing USD 499 and USD 599 respectively. 

iPod shuffle

 * Main article: iPod shuffle

The iPod shuffle was announced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 11, 2005, with the tagline "Life is random." This model is the first to use flash memory rather than a hard drive. 512 MB and 1 GB versions are available, with the 1 GB version able to store up to 240 songs (at 128 kbps (kilobits per second) AAC encoding). The iPod shuffle has no screen and therefore limited options for navigating between music tracks: songs can be played either in the order they were loaded on to the device or in a random (shuffled) order. The iPod shuffle weighs less than one ounce and is roughly the size of a pack of gum. Like other iPods, the iPod shuffle is iTunes compatible. 

iPod nano

 * Main article: iPod nano

On September 7, 2005, Apple announced the iPod nano at a special event. The iPod nano is incredibly thin and small, even thinner than the iPod shuffle (although larger in size).

The iPod nano runs on flash memory and were initially available in 2 GB and 4 GB versions. In February 2006, a 1 GB version of the iPod nano was made available.

Future
If the iPod U2 Special Edition proves successful, one can expect additional custom iPods to appear in the future, with new colours and new laser-engraved designs.

Battery life
Apple designed the iPod with an internal lithium ion battery that users cannot easily access. Like most lithium-ion batteries, the iPod battery lasts roughly 500 full recharge cycles. In other words, the battery will continue to have a useful life through the equivalent of five hundred complete discharges and recharges; through time and use, the life of the battery will generally decrease until eventually it does not hold a charge for very long. Apple has published guidelines on its web site for maximizing the life of an iPod battery. 

In late November 2003, film-makers and Apple enthusiasts The Neistat Brothers produced a short movie, downloadable online, which expressed anger because the battery on their early-model iPod had failed after eighteen months and because the iPod became unusable. The movie depicted the Brothers vandalising Apple ads in the New York City area with graffiti proclaiming that "iPod's unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months." The movie met with some criticism, with other iPod users pointing out that their iPods had lasted longer than 18 months, and some critics suggesting that the brothers had attacked Apple solely for the sake of publicity. 

Shortly before this, Apple Computer had introduced a battery replacement scheme (USD 99) for out-of-warranty iPods, and offered users the option to extend the warranty of their iPods (USD 59). In addition, other companies are offering battery replacements for as little as USD 50, or users can purchase a battery (at ipodbattery.com, for example) for around USD 30 and replace it themselves. 

iTunes Music Store

 * Main article: iTunes Music Store

No portable music player other than the iPod can play the protected AAC (.m4p) files sold on Apple's iTunes Music Store. Some see this restriction as a way to increase the sale of iPods, and Steve Jobs has said as much: "We would like to break even [or] make a little bit of money [on the iTunes Music Store] but it's not a money maker."

Third-party accessories

 * Third-party software tools supporting iPod include:
 * iPodRip helps you transfer your songs and playlists back to your Mac in the instance of a hard drive failure.
 * RhythmBox, a GNOME-based iTunes clone.
 * gtkpod, a specifically iPod-targeted GTK-based iPod manager for several operating systems.
 * ml_ipod, an open-source plugin for Winamp that adds iPod support.
 * Songbird, announced as "open source iTunes killer" is jukebox (in early stage of development) based on Mozilla code, iPod manager is available as plugin from www.windjay.com site
 * Griffin Technology makes several iPod accessories, including the iTrip, iBeam, iTalk, PodPod, and Earjam.
 * naviPod by TEN Technology is a 5-button infrared remote control for the Apple iPod.
 * The inMotion Speakers by Altec Lansing act as a charging station as well as a dock while turning the iPod into a speaker system. The iMmini variation on these speakers is designed for the iPod mini.
 * BMW sells an accessory which allows drivers of late-model BMW vehicles to control their iPod through the built-in steering wheel controls. The iPod attaches to a cable harness in the car's glovebox.
 * A wide variety of other third-party products also exists and more appear every day, from voice recorders through games and other iPod-based software to various connection devices and adapters

iPod sales
iPod currently dominates the digital audio player market, frequently topping best-seller lists. Apple reported in Q4 of 2003 earnings of US USD 106M, its highest revenue for Q4 revenue in 9 years. Commentators have speculated that revenue for the Apple iPod could hit USD 1B U.S. in sales at the end of 2004. HP, in contract with Apple for the sale of a HP-branded iPod, has reported sales as 'going extremely well', but did not release figures. Apple has acknowledged HP-iPods making 6% of Q4 sales. 

Criticism
As the market leader, the iPod has become the subject of criticism from competitors and other detractors. Some see Apple as using the iPod, the iTunes Music Store, and "FairPlay" (Apple's DRM-protected implementation of the AAC open standard) to establish a vertical monopoly to lock iPod users into using iTunes exclusively (and vice versa). Two aspects of this "lock" exist:


 * Apple has maintained tight control of its FairPlay AAC format, electing not to licence it to other companies. As a result, other online music stores cannot sell music files encoded with FairPlay AAC, and competing devices from companies such as Creative Labs and iRiver cannot play such files. Consumers who want to download songs from the extensive iTunes music catalog to their digital audio players have no choice but to purchase an iPod.


 * The iPod does not support other DRM-protected formats (such as the DRM-protected version of WMA), so iPod users who wish to purchase DRM protected music online must do so through iTunes. Protected music purchased from other online stores will not play on an iPod.

In addition, Apple remains the only major music player manufacturer that does not provide support for Microsoft's WMA format, with or without a DRM protection scheme. This inconveniences some iPod users with existing libraries of WMA files (for example, users who also own solid state music players, a market segment Apple did not enter until the January 2005 release of the iPod shuffle).

This issue erupted into controversy in July 2004, when RealNetworks debuted an application called Harmony, which used a technological workaround to allow iPod users to purchase music files from RealNetworks' RealRhapsody service and convert them into a FairPlay-compatible format. Apple responded by accusing RealNetworks of "adopt[ing] the tactics and ethics of a hacker to break into the iPod." Apple later released a firmware upgrade that rendered fourth-generation iPods and the iPod Mini incapable of playing files converted with Harmony. RealNetworks has vowed to develop another workaround.

Key personnel

 * Tony Fadell
 * Ben Knauss
 * Jeff Robbin
 * Sanjeev Kumar
 * Steve Jobs
 * Jonathan Ive