IPod Models

1st generation iPod

The first generation iPod is Apple’s first iPod model announced on October 23, 2001,

the original iPod cost $ 399 with a 5GB hard drive.

Critics criticized the unit’s price, but it turned out to be an instant hit on the market, quickly

outperforming older hard drive MP3 players like the NOMAD Jukebox. In March 2002 Apple

announced a 10GB version priced at $ 499.

Apple designed a mechanical scroll wheel and outsourced implementation and development

Synaptics, a company that also developed the trackpad for Apple PowerBooks.

The first-generation iPod featured four buttons (Menu, Play / Pause, Back, and Forward) arranged

around the circumference of the trackball and a Select button in the center.

Second generation iPod

The second-generation iPod arrived in 10GB and 20GB capacities and was introduced on July 17, 2002,

at Macworld, and the original mechanical scroll wheel was replaced with a touch-sensitive one,

a non-mechanical one (manufactured by Synaptics), called a “touch wheel.”

Due to Toshiba’s new hard drives, the 20GB iPod slightly outperformed its first-generation counterpart in

thickness and weight, while the 10GB model was thinner. It came with a carrying case and a wired remote control and was the first to be compatible with Windows.

In December 2002, Apple released 4 Beck Limited Edition Laser Etched Autographed iPods,

Tony Hawk, Madonna and No Doubt. They sold for $ 50 above normal retail price in each capacity until discontinued.

3rd generation iPod

The third-generation iPod featured the four buttons above the touch wheel with “select” in the center.

and slightly smaller than its predecessors and was introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs on April 28, 2003. They had more distinctive beveled edges and Apple produced 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, 30GB and 40GB versions. .

These iPods use a 30-pin connector called the Dock Connector (longer and flatter than a FireWire connector). The iPod Dock was included with all iPods except the cheapest, and it was also sold separately. It featured touch-sensitive buttons located between the screen and the touch wheel. The new buttons featured red backlighting, allowing easier use in the dark.

The touch-sensitive buttons, which were built on top of the touch-sensitive scroll wheel introduced in the second

Next-gen iPod makes it unique in that it has no external moving parts (aside from the retention slider on the top of the unit) and is the only iPod that doesn’t have its buttons around the wheel.

Apple stopped shipping separate versions of the drive for Mac and Windows, and instead all iPods shipped with their hard drives formatted for Macintosh use; they included a CD-ROM with a Windows utility that could be reformatted for use with a Windows PC.

4th generation iPod

The fourth generation iPod integrated all four buttons on the scroll wheel and is considered the model in

whose sales increased enormously, thus initiating the “Madness of the iPod”. In the most obvious difference from its predecessors, the fourth generation iPod carries the click wheel design introduced in the iPod Mini and was introduced in July 2004.

Some users criticized the click wheel for not having the backlighting that the third-generation iPod buttons had, but others noted that having the buttons at the compass points largely eliminated the need for backlighting.

Apple also claimed that the updated software in the new iPod allows it to use the battery more efficiently and increase the battery life to 12 hours.

Other minor changes included the addition of a “Shuffle Songs” option to the top-level menu to make it more convenient for users.

After many requests from users requesting that these enhancements work on older iPods as well, Apple released a firmware update on February 23, 2005 that brings the new menu items to 1st and 3rd generation iPods.

Originally, the fourth-generation iPod had a monochrome screen and did not have the ability to take pictures, like its predecessors. It comes in 20GB and 40GB sizes.

In February 2005, Apple discontinued the 40GB model and began selling only a 20GB monochrome version. The fourth-generation monochrome iPod, slightly thinner (about a millimeter less) than the third-generation iPod, introduced the ability to charge the battery via a USB connection.

Fifth generation iPod

The fifth-generation iPod is often called the video iPod or the video iPod was released on October 12, 2005 and is available in 30GB and 60GB capacity models.

It has the ability to play MPEG-4 and H.264 video with resolutions up to 480 x 480 (maximum macroblock count (16×16 pixels) of 900) and 320 x 240 (maximum macroblock count (16×16 pixels) of 300), respectively. (Videos purchased from the iTunes Music Store are limited to 320 x 240).

It can reproduce widescreen resolutions up to 640×360 using MPEG-4 and 400 x 192 using H.264 (the total macroblock count is within the maximum set).

Fifth generation models have a 65,536 color (16-bit) display, with a 320 x 240 QVGA transflective TFT display, and can display video on an external TV via the AV cable accessory, which connects to the headphone mini jack and is divided into compound. video and audio output connectors with RCA connectors.

You can also display video on an external TV using the iPod AV or S-video cables with the Universal Dock for iPod. The dimensions are 103.5 x 61.8 x 11.0mm for the 30GB version and 103.5 x 61.8 x 14.0mm for the 60GB version.

The screen size is now 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) diagonally, 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) larger than the previous iPod. It is 30% thinner than the previous full-size iPod. The 30GB battery life is 14 hours and the 60GB battery is around 20 hours. Watching movies reduces that amount to 2 and 3 hours respectively.

The click wheel design is the same as the previous generation, but is slightly smaller (1.5 “in diameter) than before. The new click wheel is completely flat, unlike older models where the central button is slightly rounded and raised.

Apple stopped producing iPods with the click wheels used in the fourth-generation iPod and iPod Mini from its previous vendor, Synaptics, and now uses an in-house solution.

Like the iPod Nano, the fifth-generation iPod comes in two colors, black and white, and has the World Clock, Stopwatch, and Screen Lock applications.

Additionally, the headphone jack is smaller and comes with a slim sleeve, probably in response to many complaints regarding the iPod Nano’s surface being easily scratched.

Apple also discontinued the inclusion of an AC adapter and a FireWire cable, and you must purchase these items separately to charge iPod from a household outlet or use a powered external USB hub.

The fifth-generation iPod no longer supports file transfers via FireWire, but it still supports uploading via FireWire. This is most likely due to the growing popularity of Hi-Speed ​​USB 2.0 in the consumer market, as well as lower manufacturing component costs by reducing the complexity of circuit boards and eliminating accessories. unnecessary.

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