• The iPod is an iconic range of portable media players from Apple. iPods have around 70% of the market for music players.

    iPod users can add music to their device by "ripping" their CDs using iTunes, by purchasing music from the onlne iTunes store, or by adding media files from other sources to their iTunes library.

    1. Manufacturer: Apple
    2. Launched: October, 2001
    3. Current Versions: iPod Classic, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle, iPod Touch
    4. Highest selling range of digital audio players
    5. 140 million sold worldwide
    6. iPod and phone in one:: iPhone

  • iPod History

    The iPod grew of necessity. Apple believe that the existing MP3 Players were large and cumbersome or small and useless. Engineering chief Jon Rubinstein enlisted the help of Tony Fadell, Michael Dhuey, and Jonathan Ive. The software was not created in-house, but used the program PortalPlayer, previously used by IBM. The creation of the iPod took less than one year, making its debut on October 23, 2001.

  • iPod Format Capability

    The iPod is capable of storing many types of files, including MP3, AAC/M4A, protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless for audio files. JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG for picture files, and newer models, also called third generation iPod's can also play MPEG-4 and QuickTime video formats.

  • iPod Touch

    Their most recent innovation, the iPod Touch was released September 5, 2007. It boasts a WiFi mobile platform, Apple's Safari web browser, YouTube, email, maps and widget capabilities and is the first iPod to enable wireless access to iTunes.

  • Future of the iPod

    In July 2009, Apple reported the for first time ever that iPod sales were down on the corresponding quarter of the previous year. In the first quarter of 2009 10.2 million sold in North America, compared to 11m for the same period in 2008.

    Apple said this was a forseen trend, and it is expected that future iPod development will take the product more into the direction of a multi-purpose mobile device, like the current iPod Touch.

    As BusinessWeek put it: "The iPod is Dead, Long Live the iPod".http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2009/tc20090726_261031.htm

  • MP3 Players

    For more information about MP3 players, check out our MP3 Player page.