The iPod is a pocket-sized portable music-playing device produced by Apple and sold across the world. It's the best-known family of MP3 players and comes in a variety of models.
The various iPod models
• iPod - standard model, capable of playing video files• iPod Mini - a smaller version of the standard iPod
• iPod Photo - an iPod with the capability of storing and displaying pictures on the LCD.
• iPod Nano - small iPod with a small screen.
• iPod Shuffle - a much smaller iPod with no LCD
• iPod Touch (iTouch) - capable of playing music, running apps, and a connecting to the App store via a Wi-Fi connection.
Features and benefits of an iPod
• iPods can store several thousand songs, the exact number depending on the model.
• Most models can now play video, store images and run 'apps'.
• It's easy to connect to a computer and manage an iPod's music library and playlists via iTunes.
• The iPod Touch has 'FaceTime' enabled, a video-calling facility between iPod Touches and various other Apple products such as the iPad range.
• iPod Classic models store media on an internal hard drive, while all other models use flash memory, which means the devices can be smaller and thinner.
History of the iPod
• The first iPod was released to the market by Apple in 2001. • The iTunes Store was launched in 2003, enabling users to purchase music to download and listen on their iPods.• Introduced in 2004, the iPod Mini used flash memory to save space.
• The familiar click-wheel control that dominated the main iPod models for several years was also launched in 2004.
• The iPod Nano replaced the iPod Mini in 2005.
• 2007 saw the first of the touch-screen iPods, to match the newly introduced iPhone
Since introducing the iPod in 2001, Apple has released several new versions of the popular device. These include iPod, iPod mini, iPod Special Edition, iPod photo, and iPod shuffle. iPod mini is a smaller version of the iPod that comes in various colors and stores fewer songs. iPod Special Edition is a variation of the basic iPod (the first being a black U2 iPod with the signatures of the band members on the back).
iPod photo is an iPod with a color screen that allows users to store and view a library of photos as well as play music. iPod shuffle is an extra small iPod that only holds a couple hundred songs and does not have a screen.
All iPods store data on an internal hard drive, except the iPod Shuffle, which uses flash memory. This means each iPod, including the shuffle, can also be used as a hard drive. Aside from being a music player, the iPod can serve as a backup device, a basic organizer, and an alarm clock. To transfer files to the iPod, you must first connect it to your computer using a USB or Firewire cable. iTunes can automatically transfer your playlists and songs or you can change the program's preferences to manually update the iPod.
Because of its superb interface and unmatched ease of use, the iPod has become the staple product of the portable music player market. Granted, the "cool factor" of owning an iPod has certainly helped it gain popularity as well.
The iPhone 5 and 5s had the same screen resolution as the iPhone 4. The iPhone 6, released in September 2014, provided a larger 4.7" display with 1334x750 pixels. The iPhone 6 Plus, released at the same time, came with an even larger 5.5-inch 1920x1080 pixel display. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have the same screen sizes as the 6 and 6 Plus.
Internally, the iPhone runs the iOS, an operating system developed by Apple for portable devices. This allows the iPhone to run "apps," or applications developed specifically for the iPhone. Apps can be downloaded from Apple's App Store, which can be accessed through iTunes or directly from the iPhone's built-in App Store app. There are hundreds of thousands of apps available from the App Store, which provide the iPhone with limitless functionality.