Apple’s first iPod sold more than 700,000 units to become the best selling MP3 player to date. Many would argue that the original iPod was perfect and didn’t need to be updated but nevertheless Apple has endeavoured to improve a proven product and it really has done a good job of it.
As you hold the new 15Gbyte iPod in the palm of your hand it is hard to comprehend just how so small a device can hold quite so much data. To put the storage capacity of this device in perspective for you, consider this; I have already used up just under 5Gbyte of the iPod’s capacity, my iPod now holds a staggering 970 songs (or nearly three days worth of continually played music) and there is still enough free space to accommodate twice what I’ve already uploaded to it.
Apple has a well-earned reputation for producing technology that is stylishly designed, simple to use and most importantly, won’t let you down in terms of functionality. The iPod is no exception to this. The design is fairly similar to the original generation of iPods, the front of the case is still white plastic, and the back is polished steel. The moving scroll wheel has been replaced with a touch sensitive wheel, the four operational buttons have now been moved to just above the wheel and these are now touch-sensitive too. The screen is a 2-inch monochrome display and its resolution has been improved for this generation of iPods.
The 15- and 30Gbyte models now come with a docking cradle, that acts as a means of both recharging the iPod and transferring data by FireWire for Macintosh users and by USB 2.0 for Windows users (the USB 2.0 lead is not available until June and must be purchased separately). The cradle also contains a ‘line out’ socket to allow you to easily connect the device to your home stereo amplifier. Also provided with the iPod is an adapter that will turn any AC outlet into a power-supplying FireWire port, should your iPod need charging when you’re away from your computer.
The new iPod is as simple and intuitive to use as its predecessor is. Apple has added a few improvements to the already excellent graphical user interface. The user can now customise the main menu; this allows you to prioritise which features of the device you like to use regularly and to remove features such as games that may not be important to you. An ‘On-The-Go’ playlist has also been added. This allows you to create custom playlists on the iPod without having to connect the device to your computer, simply select a song, album, or artist, hold down the centre button and your selection has been added to the ‘On-the-go’ playlist.
Macintosh users will be pleased to hear that the iPod will now play ‘AAC’ files. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) files such as MP3 files are a means of storing audio in a compressed file size. AAC files deliver a better quality of sound than MP3s and are also smaller in file size. Quite simply, this means that you can pack more songs at better audio quality onto your iPod. Apple’s newly released iTunes 4.0 now supports AAC files and for Macintosh users is definitely the best tool for syncing with the iPod.
All in all, the latest iPod is an improvement on an already excellent product. Apple haven’t exactly re-invented the wheel with this version, but to be fair many would argue (myself included) that they had already revolutionised portable music players with the release of the original iPod. If you’re thinking of replacing your old MP3 player or buying your first, you really should consider the iPod. Right now it is the best of it’s kind on the market and is likely to remain so for some time to come.
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