Apple iPods Range Review
Apple iPods
The iPod has come a long way from its relatively
humble inception to become a phenomenon of the technology design world
as well as the word that is most frequently associated with portable mp3
playback.
It began the trend of prefixing any new piece of technology or gadget with the letter i,
a little quirk that has been mercilessly copied by manufacturers around
the world who want to grab just a bit of the iPod’s effortlessly cool
lime light.
However, most people in the industry recognise that the iPod is still
the leader in the world of portable mp3 players, and with the four
latest iterations of the iPod Apple is still the dominant global power
in its marketplace. Here’s a round up of the current iPods that you can
buy, with an analysis of their form and function and why they might be
right for you.
The iPod Shuffle
The baby of the iPod family was originally released in 2005 but is currently in the second stage of its evolution. The current Shuffle
is available with either 1GB or 2GB of on board storage which is enough
for a few of your favourite albums and features a stylish anodised
aluminium case in a variety of colours to suit most tastes. It has no
screen and uses solid state flash memory to store your tracks, and is
most suited to joggers or those who want a small, discrete mp3 player
with a 12 hour battery life. They are also a very good iPod for younger
children, as they are relatively inexpensive and built well so therefore
quite robust.
The iPod Nano
The second rung of the iPod food chain, the Nano is
really shaping up to be a pretty impressive little brother to the iPod
Touch and Classic. The current, fourth generation version has reverted
to the long design of the original best-selling first generation,
featuring flash memory storage from 4GB right up to 16GB and a 2 inch
screen for video playback and picture viewing.
There have been 9 different colour options available for the iPod
Nano, and the body is made of curved, stylish aluminium which sets it in
line with the rest of the iPod range in terms of styling. It also
features an accelerometer which allows you to activate the shuffle
function simply by shaking, and also provides added functionality in
games available for the system and also as a pedometer for use whilst
jogging or training.
The 4th generation of the Nano is also the most environmentally
friendly iPod ever according to Apple, with not only the source
materials being ethically gathered and sustainable but with much of the
technology within the Nano being easily recycled when the time comes.
The Nano is best suited to those who want a small, well featured mp3
player with video capabilities and a couple of neat extras.
The iPod Touch
The iPod touch is really the mp3 powerhouse of the
moment, stuffed with features and functionality that will have most
gadget fans drooling. There are some sacrifices for all the
functionality, however, which may mean it might not be the first choice
for music fans.
The first unique feature is the large, high resolution 3.5 inch
multitouch screen which is shared with the iPhone. In fact the iPhone
and the iPod Touch look nearly identical and share many of the same
features, though the Touch is slimmer and lighter, lacking a camera and
phone functions of the iPhone.
The Touch is available with 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of on board storage and
like the iPod has excellent gaming features thanks to a powerful
processor, coupled with an accelerometer which makes for some ingenuity
when it comes to entertainment.
The Touch also comes with Nike+ functionality which allows you to
plan out and measure your athletic training sessions. Arguably the
biggest selling point of the iPod Touch is the Wi-Fi connectivity, which
allows users to connect to their home network’s wireless connection and
browse the internet using the Safari browser or download more music
from iTunes without having to connect their iPod to a PC.
The latest version of the iPod touch also features a built in speaker
so that you can share your music with those around you. The Touch is
ideal for those who want a bit more storage and a lot more functionality
from their portable media device, especially those who want to watch
videos and access the internet.
The iPod Classic
The iPod Classic is the model for the real music
lovers out there because what it offers above all else is storage space
for all your tunes, along with classic design mixed with contemporary
touches to appeal to fans of the original iPod.
It features up to 120 GB of storage space which is as much as most
modern laptop computers and shares the traditional style click-wheel
interface with the Nano, along with a silver aluminium face plate to
keep the styling up to date. Battery life has also been improved in the
Classic, with up to 40 hours of music playback boasted along with 7
hours of video viewing possible before you need to recharge.
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