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Today's iPod works with iTunes on either Windows computers or Macs, but that wasn't always the case. The first-generation iPods work only with Macs. In 2002, Apple introduced the second generation — one version for Windows and another for the Mac, using the same design for both. Subsequent versions work with both Windows and the Mac.
For a nifty chart that shows the differences between iPod models, see the "Identifying iPod different models" page on the Apple iPod Web site.
Here's a sampling of what's available from Apple.
Third-generation iPods
The third-generation models include the 10GB, 15GB, and 30GB models introduced in 2003, and the 20GB and 40GB models introduced later in that same year. All third-generation models share the same basic features and work with the Mac or Windows, and Apple continually provides software updates for these models.
Models of the third generation use touch-sensitive buttons with audible feedback. Most of the third-generation models also use a dock connector to connect to a computer or power supply (see Figure 1). The dock keeps your iPod in an upright position while connected and lets you connect a home stereo or headphones through the dock.
Figure 1: The third-generation iPod in its dock connected to the power adapter.
iPod mini
The iPod mini is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (see Figure 2). Its smooth, ultra-thin, anodized aluminum case comes in five different colors. The original model houses a 4GB drive that can hold about 1,000 songs; newer models sport a 6GB drive that holds about 1,500 songs.
Figure 2: iPod mini fits in a shirt pocket.
Besides its smaller size, another of iPod mini's distinguishing characteristic is the click wheel, which offers the same functions as the third-generation iPod touch wheel but is more suitable for such a small device. The click wheel combines the scroll wheel and buttons, with pressure-sensitive buttons underneath the top, bottom, left, and right areas of the circular pad of the wheel.
 | iPod mini has the same features as full-size third-generation iPods except that it uses a different set of accessories because of its size, and it offers up to 18 hours of battery time between charges. |
Fourth-generation and color-display iPods
Fourth-generation iPods use the same click wheel and buttons that iPod mini uses. Fourth-generation iPod software includes the ability to randomly shuffle song playback with the press of a button, and to charge up the iPod through the USB connection to your computer. The fourth-generation iPods were at first available in 40GB and 20GB models with black-and-white displays. Currently, Apple offers 20GB and 60GB models with color displays that can store photos and display slideshows.
The fourth-generation units with black-and-white displays offer up to 12 hours of battery time between charges. You can play up to 15 hours of continuous music on a color-display iPod between charges, or up to five hours of continuous slideshows with music. The battery is the same type as used in other models — the improvement is in how the software manages power in the iPod. Like third-generation iPods, the fourth generation also uses a dock connector to connect the iPod to a computer or power supply, and the dock itself is available separately from the Apple Store. The fourth-generation iPods connect to computers using either FireWire or USB connections.
| The fourth-generation iPod models differ from earlier models by offering a top-level Music choice in the main menu and the ability to create multiple on-the-go playlists. You can also play audio books at slower or faster speeds while maintaining natural-sounding pitch. |
Considered a "fifth generation" by some, the iPod color display models, including the earliest model known as iPod photo, let you store and view color digital photos as well as store and play sound; it also does everything a fourth-generation iPod can do and uses the same accessories. As of this writing, Apple provides a 20GB model and a whopping 60GB model that can hold up to 15,000 songs and full-color album cover art — or as many as 25,000 photos.
Doing the iPod shuffle
If the regular iPod models are not small enough to fit into your lifestyle, try the iPod shuffle, which is as much a fashion statement as a state-of-the-art music player — this one you can wear! The iPod shuffle, shown in Figure 3, is 3.3 inches long, less than 1 inch wide, and about a third of 1 inch thick — so tiny it weighs only 0.78 of an ounce, which is little more than a car key or pack of gum. You can hang it from your ears using the supplied earbuds and wear it around your neck like a necklace.
The 512MB iPod shuffle can hold 120 songs, and the 1GB model can hold 240 songs — assuming an average of 4 minutes per song, using the AAC format at the High Quality setting. Remember, the iPod shuffle is not for storing music permanently — you use it just to play selections from your iTunes library on your computer. It has no display, but that's actually a good thing, because it keeps the size and weight down to a minimum — and you don't need a display to play a couple of hundred songs in random or sequential order. You can also use your iPod shuffle to hold data files, just like an external flash memory drive.
Figure 3: The iPod shuffle weighs less than an ounce and offers skip-free playback.
The iPod shuffle's battery, similar to those used in other fourth-generation iPods, offers up to 12 hours of power between charges.
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