Understand the Different iPods and Choose the Right One - Distinguish the Three Generations of iPods and the iPod Mini

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As of March 2004, Apple has released three generations of regular iPods and one generation of the iPod mini:

• The first generation of regular iPods consisted of 5GB and 10GB iPods and worked only with the Mac, to which they connected directly via FireWire. iPod enthusiasts developed ways of making the iPods work with Windows and Linux as well.

• The second generation of regular iPods consisted of 5GB, 10GB, and 20GB iPods. These iPods came in separate versions for the Mac and for Windows (Linux users were still out of luck), but still connected to the Mac or PC directly via FireWire. The 10GB and 20GB models included a wired remote control and a carrying case.

NOTE: Second-generation Mac iPods were sometimes called MiPods, and Windows iPods were sometimes called WiPods. You could convert an iPod from MiPod to WiPod, and vice versa, if necessary, but because doing so reformatted the iPod’s hard disk, it wasn’t a great idea even at the best of times.

• The third generation of regular iPods started with 10GB, 15GB, and 30GB iPods in Spring 2003, then progressed to 20GB and 40GB iPods in September 2003. Third-generation iPods have a slimmer case and sleeker look than first-generation and second-generation iPods, and they work with both the Mac and Windows straight out of the box. Most models include a new iPod Dock for connecting the iPod to the Mac or PC via FireWire, a wired remote control, and a carrying case. You can also connect third-generation iPods to a PC via USB if you buy a custom cable for doing so.

• The iPod mini, released in February 2004, has a 4GB capacity, is smaller than the regular iPods in all three dimensions, is lighter and cuter, and comes in different colors.

As you can see from that list, there’s a fair amount of overlap, including three different 10GB iPods and two different 20GB iPods. And by the time you read this, Apple may well have released higher-capacity third-generation iPods or a fourth-or subsequent generation, complicating matters even further.

You can tell the capacity of any regular iPod easily, because it’s engraved on the back—for example, “10GB” or “40GB.” (The first generation of iPod mini has a 4GB capacity, but it’s not written on the player.) You can also tell easily whether a regular iPod is third-generation or not:

• The third-generation iPods are more streamlined and have the four control buttons (Previous, Menu, Play/Pause, and Next) arranged in a backlit line under the screen, as shown on the right in Figure 1-1.

• The first-and second-generation iPods are squarer and have the four control buttons arranged around the scroll wheel, as shown on the left in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1

The differences between third-generation iPods and earlier iPods are also easy to see from the top, as you can see in Figure 1-2:

• The third-generation iPods are shallower in depth than the first-and second-generation iPods.

• The third-generation iPods have a slimmer Hold switch than the earlier iPods.

• The third-generation iPods have a plain headphone socket rather than a headphone socket with an extra ring of contacts for the remote control.

• The first-and second-generation iPods have a FireWire socket on the top, while the third-generation iPods don’t.

Figure 1-2

The differences on the bottom is even clearer: third-generation iPods have a socket for a Dock connector, while earlier iPods have nothing (see Figure 1-3).

Distinguishing first-generation iPods from second-generation iPods requires a closer look. The first-generation iPods have no cover on their FireWire port, while the second-generation iPods’ This illustration shows how to tell third-generation iPods from earlier generations. The first-and second-generation iPods have a squared look, with the four control buttons arranged around the scroll wheel. The third-generation iPods have a sleeker look and the four control buttons arranged under the screen.

The top of third-generation iPods is substantially different from the top of earlier iPods.

FireWire port is covered with a flexible plastic plug. Beyond that, try using the scroll wheel: in the first-generation iPods, it is mechanical, while in the second-generation iPods, it uses a sensor (and so doesn’t move to the touch).

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.

Next: Understand Apple’s Software Improvements to First- and Second-Generation iPods >>
 

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