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(1) Due to the popularity of the iPod (definition #2 below), the term is often used to refer to any MP3 player, no matter which brand (see digital music player).

(2) A family of extremely popular digital media players from Apple, introduced in 2001 for the Mac and a year later for Windows. The combination of sound quality and unique click wheel user interface made the iPod one of the most successful consumer electronics (CE) products in history. More than 100 million were sold within five and a half years along with 1.5 billion songs from Apple's iTunes online store. See click wheel.

     Originally for music only with a monochrome screen, color screens, photos and video were soon added, and third-party games and applications were also developed. However, in 2008, the second generation of the operating system for the iPod touch and the iPhone relaunched the devices as handheld computers (see iPhone and iPod touch).

iTunes and the AAC Audio Format
Apple's iTunes software is installed in the user's computer. It is used to organize and download content to the iPod, keep the iPod's software up-to-date and to buy new content from the online Apple store. It ensures that protected AAC audio and MPEG-4 video files purchased from the store are played on specific iPods, iPhones and computers (see FairPlay). iPods also support unprotected MP3 and AAC files that come from ripping CDs, file sharing networks and music stores that sell unprotected files.

     AAC is considered better quality than MP3 at the same recording rate, and iTunes lets users rip songs from their CDs into MP3 and AAC, both of which result in a file about 10% the size of the original song on the CD. However, for audiophiles with large capacity iPods, the Apple Lossless format maintains CD quality, but files are five times larger than highly compressed MP3 and AAC.

     iPods do not play Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. However, numerous utilities convert WMA to MP3, and the Windows version of iTunes converts WMA to all formats that iTunes and the iPod support. See iTunes.

Batteries
Unlike other electronic devices, the rechargeable battery in the iPod is sealed and must be sent to Apple for replacement, which is free under warranty, but not thereafter. However, non-Apple sources offer replacement batteries and instructions for opening the case. See iPod compatible, iPod finger, iPod car adapter, car podding, pod slurping, MP3, AAC, FairPlay and iPhone.

File Formats
The iPod displays JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and PNG images and plays MPEG-4 and H.264 video. It supports the following audio formats.

AUDIO FORMATS
 Formats classic nano shuffle
MP3 X X X
MP3 VBR X X X
AAC X X X
WAV X X X
Audible X X X
Apple Lossless X
AIFF X

Touch - Classic - Nano - Shuffle
The "touch" (left) uses the newer iPhone-style interface, while the "classic" (next) is the largest iPod with the traditional click wheel. The flash memory iPods have less capacity, but are smaller, thinner and lighter. Following are model details ("G" means generation). (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.)

CURRENT iPOD MODELS
 -----Capacity----
Model Screen Storage Songs
touch (2g) 3.5" color 8GB flash 1,750
touch (2g) 3.5" color 16GB flash 3,500
touch (2g) 3.5" color 32GB flash 7,000
See iPod touch.
classic (5g) 2.5" color 80GB disk 20,000
classic (5g) 2.5" color 160GB disk 40,000
See iPod classic.
nano (5g) 2.2" color 8GB flash 1,750
nano (5g) 2.2" color 16GB flash 3,500
See iPod nano.
shuffle (2g) no screen 1GB flash 240
See iPod shuffle.
EARLIER iPOD MODELS
Model Screen Storage
touch (1g) 3.5" color 8GB flash
touch (1g) 3.5" color 16GB flash
touch (1g) 3.5" color 32GB flash
See iPod touch.
classic (1g-3g) 2" mono 5, 10, 15, 20,
30 & 40GB disk
classic (4g) 2" color 20 & 60GB disk
iPod Photo (4g) 2" color 30 & 60GB disk
iPod U2* (4g) 2" color 20GB disk
* = signatures of U2 band members on case
classic (5g) 2.5" color 30GB disk
classic (5g) 2.5" color 60GB disk
nano (1g) 1.5" color 1GB flash
nano (2g) 1.5" color 2GB flash
nano (2g) 1.5" color 4GB flash
nano (2g) 1.5" color 8GB flash
nano (3g) 2" color 4GB flash
nano (3g) 2" color 8GB flash
nano (4g) 2" color 8GB flash
nano (4g) 2" color 16GB flash
shuffle (1g) none 512MB flash
shuffle (1g) none 1GB flash
Mini 1.7" mono 4 and 6GB disk

iPoddery
Within a couple years, the iPod became one of the hottest consumer electronics devices on the market. In 2004, this rural Vermont family was delighted to show us their "iPoddery." On the right is the first iPod table top docking station and speaker system, from Bose. The smaller Altec Lansing unit is portable and lets our young hero carry his own iPod boom box.





A Girl's Best Friend
What did a 13-year-old crave for her birthday in 2004? An iPod Mini... in powder blue. Of course.





The Click Wheel
The iPod's first user interface. Originally rotating, and later changed to stationary and touch sensitive, the wheel is clicked and also scrolled by moving a finger around it. The click wheel was superseded by an entirely different and touch sensitive user interface, introduced with the iPhone and later the iPod touch. This iPod is in a protective, rubber housing.