Understand the Different iPods and Choose the Right One
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Do you know why you don’t actually get the amount of hard disk space on the iPod as advertised? Get all the details on what your iPod or iPod Mini can do, and how the two differ from each other. Find out the improvements in this third generation's software such as AAC playback. (From
How to Do Everything with Your iPod and iPod Mini, by Guy Hart-Davis, 2003, McGraw-Hill, 0072227001).
If you don’t already have an iPod or an iPod mini, you’ll need to beg, borrow, or buy one before you can make the most of this book. This short chapter tells you what you need to know about what an iPod (or iPod mini) is and does, and what it isn’t and doesn’t do. It explains which different types of iPod are available at the time of writing, and shows you how to distinguish among them and how to differentiate them from the iPod mini. Finally, it suggests how to choose the iPod that will best suit your needs.
If you’re already the proud owner of an iPod or an iPod mini, you may prefer to skip directly to Chapter 2, which shows you how to get up and running with it.
Saying “iPod or iPod mini” every sentence is a little awkward, so in this chapter (and the rest of this book) I’ll use the term iPod to cover all iPods, including the iPod mini. Where the iPod mini behaves differently, or there’s something you need to think about if you plan to use an iPod mini rather than a regular iPod, I’ll tell you. I’ll use regular iPod to refer to a full-size iPod.
What Is an iPod? What Is an iPod Mini?
An iPod—the regular, full-size iPod—is a portable music player with a huge capacity, a rechargeable battery good for eight to ten hours of playback, and easy-to-use controls. An iPod mini is a smaller and cuter version with more modest capacity. Your iPod or iPod mini connects to your Mac or PC via a FireWire cable or USB cable that enables you to transfer large quantities of song files and other files quickly to the player.
Built around the type of hard drive used in small laptop computers, a regular iPod doubles as a contact database, calendar, and note board, enabling you to carry around not only all your music but also your vital information. You can also put other textual information on your iPod so you can carry that information with you and view it on the iPod’s screen. With extra hardware, you can extend your iPod’s capabilities even further. For example, with a custom microphone, you can record audio directly onto it. With a custom media reader, you can store your digital photos on your iPod’s hard disk without using a computer. This capability can make your iPod a great travel companion for your digital camera—especially a camera that takes high-resolution photos.
The iPod mini is built around the type of hard drive used in the tiniest laptop computers and some consumer electronics, such as cell phones that have swallowed a PDA and decided that extra storage would improve their digestion. The iPod mini has most of the capabilities of the regular iPod, but at the time of writing, it doesn’t support recording audio or downloading digital photos from third-party devices.
If music, contacts, calendar, notes, and other text aren’t enough for you, you can also use your iPod as an external hard disk for your Mac or PC. Your iPod provides an easy and convenient means of backing up your data, storing files, and transporting files from one computer to another. And because your iPod is ultra-portable, you can take those files with you wherever you go, which can be great for school, work, and even play. The iPod mini scores even higher on portability than the regular iPod, but because its capacity is so much lower, it’s not so great for carrying around huge quantities of files.
Your iPod supports various audio formats, including Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MP3 (including Audible.com’s Audible files), WAV, and AIFF. Although the iPod doesn’t support other formats—such as Microsoft’s Windows Media Audio (WMA), RealNetworks’ RealAudio, or the open-source audio format Ogg Vorbis—at this writing, you can convert audio files in those formats to AAC, MP3, or another supported format easily enough so that you can put those files on your iPod.
Your iPod contains a relatively small operating system (OS) that lets it function on its own—for example, for playing back music, displaying contact information, and so on. The OS also lets your iPod know when it’s been connected to a computer, at which point the OS hands over control to the computer so you can manage it from there.
Your iPod is designed to communicate seamlessly with iTunes, which runs on both the Mac and Windows. If you prefer, you can use your iPod with other software as well on either operating system. If you use your iPod with iTunes, you can buy music from the iTunes Music Store, download it to your Mac or PC, and play it either on your computer or iPod.
 This chapter is from How to Do Everything with your iPod and iPod Mini, by Guy Hart-Davis (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2004, ISBN: 0072254521). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now. |
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