What is an iPod?
The iPod is a portable music player available for the Mac and PC, which were first started being sold on October 23, 2001. It is the most widely used MP3 player in the world developed by Apple. The iPod is very portable, easy to use, and has the potential to store 10,000 songs. These features and its great look make it more popular. It’s compatible with both Macs and PCs, although it’s an Apple product. The Apple iPod is shown in the image below.
Apple has also developed the iTunes software that enables the users to organize and transfer songs as well as playlists to the iPod. It is different from an iPhone due to missing just a few features. Apple iTunes is used by multiple iPod users to purchase and download songs; however, it is not required. There are various kinds of audio formats supported by both iPod and iTunes, such as MP3, WAV, AAC, and AIFF. AAC is a format used by the iTunes Music Store, and MP3 is the most common audio compression format. AIFF and WAV store CD-quality audio as they are nearly identical formats.
Several new versions of the popular device have been released by Apple since introducing the iPod in 2001. These devices include iPod, iPod shuffle, iPod photo, iPod mini, and iPod Special Edition. iPod mini holds fewer songs and comes in different colours; it is the smaller version of the iPod. iPod photo enables the users to play music and hold and view a library of photos; it comes with a colour screen. iPod shuffle does not have a screen and is capable of holding only a couple of hundred songs; it is an extra small iPod.
Except for the iPod Shuffle, all iPods use the internal hard drive to hold data, whereas iPod Shuffle holds data on flash memory. It means that all iPods can be used as a hard drive. An iPod may be used as an alarm clock, a rudimentary organizer, and a backup device in addition to playing music. First, you need to connect your iPod to your computer with the help of using a USB or Firewire cable if you want to transfer files to the iPod. iTunes has the potential to transfer your songs and playlists automatically, or the program’s preferences can also be changed in order to manually update the iPod.
Because of its superior interface and unparalleled simplicity of use, the iPod has set the standard in the portable music player industry. Also, the “cool factor” of owning an iPod helped to make it more popular.
How to Set up and use the iPod touch
When you have purchased your latest iPod touch, you are required to set up the iPod to use its features. The process of setting it up is much simple and quick. When you have completed the setup of iPod, you can get more benefits such as:
- It allows you to add your own music.
- You can buy music from iTunes.
- You can use the Music app, as well as get apps from the App Store.
- Also, you can set up FaceTime.
Once you have learnt the basic features of your iPod touch, then not it’s time to learn some advance topics, which are given below:
- Learn about how to create folders to store apps.
- Rearranging home screen icons
- Using AirPlay
- Setting and changing your wallpaper.
- Discovering the many uses of the Home button
iPod Touch Models
The iPod touch was first released in September 2007, and it has been upgraded several times since then. The iPod is available in a variety of variants, which are listed below:
1st Generation: The first model, the original model, has a Wi-Fi Internet connection with storage capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB.
2nd Generation: This model had networking and capacity features same. However, it provided a better battery as compared to 1st generation of iPod and included advanced hardware features like Nike+ integration, updated shape, and an accelerometer.
3rd Generation: In this model, the storage capacity increased up to 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. Also, it gained greater performance in order to more powerful graphics hardware and a faster chip.
4th Generation: This model includes two cameras, of which one support FaceTime and records video at 720p HD. Additionally, it gained a high-resolution Retina Display screen.
5th Generation: This model is much like the iPhone 5. It is very light and thin, support Siri, and includes a speedy A5 processor and 4-inch screen. Also, it is available on the market with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models.
6th Generation: This iPod touch model incorporates a number of hardware enhancements from the iPhone 6 series while remaining the same size and weight. Features include the M8 motion coprocessor and A8 processor, 128 GB storage capacity, an 8-megapixel camera.
7th Generation: This model was the first upgrade to the iPod touch in in four years, and it looks a lot like the iPhone 7 series. It includes up to 256 GB of storage and Apple A10 Fusion processor, which make it similar to the iPhone 7 series.
Hardware Features of the iPod touch
Although the physical specifications of all early iPod models were the same, the features of the 6th generation make the iPod a viable alternative to the iPhone, as the 6th generation’s options are contemporary and powerful.
Screen: It has the same features as the iPhone 5, such as multi-touch, a 4-inch high-resolution Retina Display screen, and pinching to zoom in and out. A 3.5-inch screen is used by the 4th generation touch and earlier versions. The Retina Display screen, which was debuted with the 4th generation model, is now standard.
Home button: The home button, which is placed in the bottom centre of the iPod touch’s face, is used for a variety of tasks. Also, it is used in multitasking and quitting programs.
Wi-Fi: In all modern modes, the touch connects to the Internet through Wi-Fi, utilizing the 802.11b/g standards. Compatibility for 802.11a/n/ac is included in the 6th generation model, as well as support for the 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
Camera: The 6th generation iPod touch includes two cameras; one is a user-facing camera, a lower-resolution used for FaceTime video chats and selfies, and a higher resolution located on the back for photography.
Hold button: This button is used to puts the device to sleep and lock the screen, which is located on the top right corner of the touch iPod.
Volume control: A button is located on the left side of the touch, which can be used to perform two tasks, increase or lower the volume with the help of pressing in two directions up and down.
Dock Connector: This slot is used to connect some accessories, and to sync content between a computer and the device; it is placed on the bottom of the touch. All earlier models used the older, bigger 30-pin version, whereas the 5th and 6th generation models make use of the smaller Lightning connector.
Accelerometer: A sensor, which allows the touch to respond to how the device is held and moved, is most commonly employed in games. It allows gamers to influence onscreen activity in a more exciting and immersive way.
iPod Touch Help
The iPod touch is not completely trouble-free; however, it is a great device. You may face problems in the situations where it freezes in your early days of using it. If you are encountering these kinds of issues, you should be known how to restart them. There are multiple precautions that you can follow to protect your device as well as yourself at the time you are using the touch, including:
- Dealing with a wet iPod touch
- Avoiding hearing loss
- Improving security
- Guarding against theft
You may see some reduced capacity in the touch’s battery when your touch becomes a few years old. To improve its battery life, you need to squeeze more juice out of it with tips. Finally, you have to decide whether to pay attention to battery replacement services or to purchase the latest new MP3 player.
History of iPod
Since the mid-1990s, portable MP3 players had been existing; but they had no good user interface, and Apple found it had a big and clunky or small interface, which were “unbelievably awful.” Apple thought the hard-drive-based players were very large in size, and the flash memory-based players did not feel able to carry enough songs; therefore, the company decided to develop its own. The Philips Velo and Nino PDA had previously been developed by Fadell. Also, Fadell began a company named Fuse Systems, which was started to build the Mp3 player; But it had been turned down by Philips, Sony, and RealNetworks.
Later, Apple gave support to Fadell for his project. In 2001, Apple Computers engaged Fadell as an independent contractor to work on the iPod project, code-named P-68. Due to less timing, Fadell was forced to develop several components of the iPod outside Apple. PortalPlayer teamed up with Fadell to create the software for Apple’s new iPod music player, which was dubbed iPod OS. A prototype was completed within eight months by PortalPlayer and Tony Fadell’s team.
The power supply was created by Michael Dhuey, while the display was designed by Apple design engineer Sir Jonathan Ive. Apple hired Pixo to assist in the design and implementation of the user interface. Vinnie Chieco proposed the name iPod; he was a freelance copywriter. Apple contacted him to inquire about how to publicise the new player.
The device was introduced on October 23, 2001, and it was created in less than a year. Jobs announced the launch of a Mac-compatible device with a 5 GB hard drive and 1,000 songs. A trademark was researched by Apple, but it found that this trademark was already in use. Joseph N. Grasso of New Jersey registered an “iPod” Trademark Office (USPTO) and trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for Internet kiosks in July 2000.
In New Jersey in March 1998, iPod kiosks had been demonstrated that was the first iPod demonstrated to the public. And, in January 2000, it was begun to use commercially but had apparently been discontinued by 2001. In November 2003, the trademark was registered by the USPTO, and later it was assigned to Apple Computer, Inc. by Grasso in 2005.
As development progressed, Apple continued to improve the iPod’s user interface and tried to refine the software’s look and feel. The iPod’s font was improved like the Chicago font was replaced with Espy Sans; and later Espy Sans was also replaced by Podium Sans, which was the same as to Apple corporate font, Myriad.
In 2006, Apple released a special edition of the iPod 5G featuring Irish rock band U2. It has the autographs of the four members of the band etched on the rear, same like the pre-models. It was also the first time the firm altered the metal’s colour. This iPod had only 30 GB of storage capacity to hold data.
In 2007, it was a time when the iPod interface was modified again with the release of third-generation iPod Nano and the sixth-generation iPod Classic.
The current version of iTunes, 12.2, was released in mid-2015, and it introduced a slew of new colour schemes for all existing iPod models. The photos were received by Belgian website Belgium iPhone after putting in an iPod for the first time, and Pierre Dandumont uncovered other leaked photos.
Apple discontinued the iPod Nano and Shuffle on July 27, 2017, therefore ending the company’s standalone music player production. The iPod Touch is Apple’s only iPod model at the moment.
Does Apple still make iPods?
Apple said on July 28, 2017, that all iPod devices that do not run iOS would be phased out. The iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle are two iPod models that have been declared obsolete.