Choosing the Right iPod

More than twenty-five years ago, I was a trendsetter in portable audio. I had bought a used portable Sony cassette recorder that was about the size and weight of a brick. Designed for reporters, this device recorded through two microphones on the top of the device—you can just picture the journalists sticking in the faces of politicians, and getting aches in their arms and shoulders from holding it up for too long. It also had a headphone jack so you could listen to your sound bites in privacy.

This was the predecessor of the Walkman; I bought this device in early 1979—about six months before the Walkman took the world by storm—and immediately started taping my LPs so I could listen to The Clash, Yes, The Grateful Dead, and my other favorite bands as I walked to and from friends’ houses. I would get strange glances as people saw the headphones on my ears and the very large bulge in my coat (this device was so heavy that it was only usable in cold weather, when a large coat pocket could hold it). I would walk around with just a few tapes; since they took up a lot of space, I couldn’t carry my entire collection.

Don’t worry—I’m not planning to bore you with any more old fogey’s reminiscences of the good old days; especially because they weren’t so good. When I look back, I realize that, with big pockets, I could carry a dozen hours of music at best. Today, with one iPod, I can carry several dozen days of music. What a long, strange trip it’s been!A few years ago, buying an iPod was easy. To paraphrase Henry Ford, you could get one in any color, as long as it was white. Things were easier back then… iPods came in one size, one color, and with one connector. Only Apple sold them; you couldn’t buy them from retailers, nor could you get one on an impulse in an airport vending machine. There were few accessories, cases or other add-ons. The iPod was strictly a computer gadget for geeks.

But that was before the iPod became a status symbol and, eventually, a cultural icon. The first iPod, released way back in October 2001, held (a mere) 5 GB of music. It required a FireWire connector, and—sorry to all you Windows users—was Mac-only. Not surprising from a company like Apple. But this first iPod seems, in retrospect, to have been little more than a trial balloon. Apple didn’t wait long before bringing Windows users into the fold, releasing PC-compatible iPods in July 2002.

Once the iPod was available to the majority of personal computer users, it started selling like ice cream cones on a hot summer day. Apple followed up in January 2004 when the company announced a Windows version of iTunes, giving the “other” computer users the same power and flexibility in managing their music.

Since then, in just 5 short years, Apple has released some a few dozen different iPod models, if one takes into account the different capacities, colors and feature sets available over the years. White has gone the way of the Edsel, at least somewhat; while the large iPods are still available in white, you can buy them in black as well, you can get the iPod mini in a choice of colors.

So, how do you choose the right iPod? You need to determine three things:

• How much music you have (or want to carry around)
• Which other features you want (or need)
• How much you can afford

Apple now has a total of three segments in the iPod product line: the iPod video (the big models), the iPod nano (the smaller models), and the iPod shuffle (the tiny model). Here’s an overview of these three segments, why you’d want to choose one over another, the colors available, and, while I’m at it, links to Amazon.com (if you use these links to purchase an iPod, or purchase anything else after clicking thim, you’ll help support Kirkville without paying any more–I get about 6% of the purchase price.)

The iPod video is the big iPod; with capacities of 30 or 80 GB, these iPods do audio, photos, video, the new iPod games, and a handful of other features (such as notes, alarms, contacts, calendars and more). You can buy them in in two colors. So there are four models:
30 GB white, 30 GB black, 80 GB white, and 80 GB black. The 80 GB model is only $100 more, so if you have a lot of music, you’ll probably want to go for the biggest. Also, if you have lots of videos, they fill up the iPod very quickly; a movie is around 1 GB. Also, think ahead: while you may not have that much music now, you’ll certainly be getting more during the life of your iPod…

You’ll want an iPod video if you want to watch video, obviously, but also if you have a lot of music. The iPod nanos hold only up to 8 GB, and the largest capacity model costs the same as the 30 GB iPod video. Also, if you want to play any of the new iPod games, you need an iPod video; these games are not compatible with the iPod nano.

The iPod nano, however, swaps capacity for size. The new models, in a total of four colors (though not all colors are available for each capacity) are in anodized aluminum, eliminating the scratching problems that the previous iPod nano had. These babies are sleek, slim and small. For most people, 8 GB is enough music; 2 or 4 GB might be enough for you. Here are the available iPod nanos: 2 GB silver, 4 GB silver, 4 GB green, 4 GB blue, 4 GB pink, and 8 GB black. As you can see, the only model in black is the largest one, and the smallest one, the 2 GB is only available in silver. So if you want several iPod nanos to match your outfits, you’ll have to opt for the medium size: not too large, not too small; just right!

Finally, there’s the iPod shuffle. This tiny 1 GB device, available now in five colors, has no screen, and is ideal for exercising, listening to music occasionally, but mostly in random order. My son bought one to listen to music on the bus to and from school; I got one to take with me when I go for walks. It’s a sleek little device, even smaller than the first iPod shuffle, and, while it’s clearly not made for listening to lots of music, or even choosing what you listen to, it has its advantages. One strong point is for people who listen to audiobooks–just dump a book on it and start listening (not in random order, of course). It’s great for that, because when you listen to a book, you usually don’t need a screen to navigate.

So there you have it. If you’ve been waiting to get a new iPod, you now know the difference between the various models, and I hope this has helped you choose the best one for you. Music is great, and these new iPods give you plenty of ways to listen to music.