first generation
Apple introduced the first-generation iPod on October 23, 2001, with the slogan "1,000 songs in your pocket". The first iPod had a black and white LCD (liquid-crystal display) screen and featured a 5 GB hard drive capable of storing 1,000 songs encoded using MP3 and was priced at US$399. Among the iPod's innovations were its small size, achieved using a 1.8" hard drive, whereas its competitors were using 2.5" hard drives at the time, and its easy-to-use navigation, which was controlled using a mechanical scroll wheel (unlike later iPods, which had touch-sensitive scroll wheels), a center select button, and four auxiliary buttons around the wheel. The iPod had a rated battery life of ten hours.
On March 20, 2002, Apple introduced a 10 GB model of the first generation iPod for US$499. vCardcompatibility was added, as well, allowing iPods to display business card information synced from a Mac.
second generation
The second generation iPod was introduced on July 17, 2002. Using the same body style as the first generation, the hold switch was redesigned, a cover was added to the FireWire port, and the mechanical wheel was replaced with a touch-sensitive wheel. The front plate also had rounded corners and edges. The second-generation class was available in 10 GB for US$399 and 20 GB for US$499. The first-generation 5 GB iPod was carried over, but its price was reduced to US$299.
Notably, Apple began selling Windows-compatible versions of the iPod starting with the second generation. These versions came with a 4-pin to 6-pin FireWire adapter and were bundled with Musicmatch Jukeboxinstead of iTunes.
In December 2002, Apple unveiled its first limited edition iPods, with either Madonna’s, Tony Hawk’s, orBeck’s signature or No Doubt's band logo engraved on the back for an extra US$50.[4]
third generation.
On April 29, 2003, Apple announced a completely redesigned third-generation iPod. Thinner than the previous models, the third generation models replaced the FireWire port with a new Dock Connector (which is still used today) and introduced the Touch Wheel, a completely non-mechanical interface with the four auxiliary buttons located in a row between the screen and the touch wheel. The front plate had rounded edges, and the rear casing was slightly rounded as well. A new wired remote connector was introduced. Whereas first and second generation iPods had an auxiliary ring around the headphone port for the remote, the third generation iPods had a 4-pin jack adjacent to the headphone port. A 10 GB model was sold for US$299, a 15 GB model for US$399, and a 30 GB model for US$499. All iPods were now compatible with Mac and Windows out of the box, simply requiring Windows users to reformat the iPod before use on a PC and both iTunes and Musicmatch were bundled with all iPods. The battery life was reduced to 8 hours, partially due to the use of a lithium-ion battery as opposed to a lithium polymer battery.
The 15 GB model was replaced by a 20 GB model and the 30 GB model was upgraded to 40 GB on September 8, 2003. The Windows-based Musicmatch software was made obsolete by and replaced byiTunes 4.1, the first version available for Microsoft Windows.
Fourth generation.
Announced on July 19, 2004, the fourth-generation iPod replaced the touch wheel from the third generation iPod with the Click Wheel from the iPod Mini, putting the four auxiliary buttons underneath a touch-sensitive scroll wheel. The casing was also slightly slimmer. Pricing was reduced and the lineup was simplified, as the 20 GB model was sold for US$299 and the 40 GB model for US$399. Notably, Apple began reducing pack-in accessories starting with the fourth generation. While a dock, carrying case, and wired remote were previously included with higher-end iPods, the higher-level 40GB iPod only came with a dock, earphones and an interchangeable proprietary cable capable of USB and FireWire interface. In addition to using the iPod Mini's Click Wheel, the fourth generation iPod used the more energy-efficient components of the Mini, allowing the fourth generation iPod to over 12 hours of battery life while using the same battery as its predecessor.
A special U2 edition was announced on October 26, 2004, to cross-market U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb album. The plastic front piece of the U2 edition iPod was black and the scroll wheel was red, to coincide with the color scheme of the U2 album. With 30 GB and the signatures of all four members of U2, the special edition iPod was priced at US$349 and also included a US$50 coupon for a US$149 collection of U2's entire back catalog. U2 iPods had special privileges, such as downloading songs for free.
A Special Harry Potter Edition was announced on September 7, 2005. It was released in conjunction with the Harry Potter Audiobooks in iTunes.[5] It had a Hogwarts logo engraved on the back, and all 6 Harry Potter Audiobooks which were available at the time preloaded.
Fifth generation.
The fifth generation iPod was introduced on October 12, 2005, shortly after the introduction of theiPod Nano. The fifth generation iPod featured a 2.5" 320x240 QVGA screen and a smaller Click Wheel. It was also known as the iPod Video and it was the first iPod to be able to play videos.
The iPod Video is the first iPod to be available in an alternative color scheme in a non-special edition form, as a black option was added alongside "Signature iPod White", and marked the second full redesign of the iPod's aesthetic with its re-arranged proportions, its return to a fully flat front plate, and its more rounded rear casing. The 4-pin remote port was removed as well, causing backwards compatibility issues with certain accessories. A 30 GB model was offered for US$299 and a 60 GB model was offered for US$399. The iPod Video was also offered in the U2 special edition for US$349 with 30 GB. The iPod Video was the last model to have a plastic face.
Videos or photo slideshows may be played from the fifth generation iPod on a television set, projector or monitor with the use of the Apple iPod AV cable or via a dock using an S-Video cable. It is also possible to do this using some camcorder cables with an RCA connection at one end and a three-banded eighth-inch (3.5 mm) A/V plug at the other, although the red and yellow plugs (normally the audio right and video signals respectively) must be swapped around in order to achieve the correct signal.The iPod Video plays video in MP4 (up to 2.5 Mbit/s) andH.264 (up to 1.5 Mbit/s, baseline profile only) formats. Video such as TV shows, podcasts, music videos, and movies may be purchased from online stores such as the iTunes Store, or downloaded from Google Video and other sources, then imported to the iPod via iTunes software.
Sixth generation.
During a special iPod-centric event on September 5, 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the sixth generation iPod and the suffix "classic". Featuring slightly thinner bodies, the sixth generation iPod also sported dramatically improved battery life, claiming up to 36 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video playback.[6] The iPod Classic has a 2.5" backlit display at a resolution of 320x240. The front plate of the iPod is now made of anodized aluminuminstead of polycarbonate plastic, and "Signature iPod White" has been replaced by silver. This means that it is the first time that white is not a color option for an iPod in the iPod family. The sixth generation iPod also introduced a completely overhauled user interface, incorporating more graphics and Cover Flow. The iPod Classic was offered in an 80 GB model for MSRP US$249 and a 160 GB model for MSRP US$249. The U2 special edition has been dropped.
During the 'Let's Rock' Apple Event on September 9, 2008, the 80 GB and the thicker 160 GB model were discontinued in favor of a thin 120 GB version retailing for US$249. It introduced Genius and audio recording capabilities which are also available in other iPod models released at similar times; no firmware update provides either features to the first generation iPods.[7]
Prior to the 'It's Only Rock and Roll' event on September 9, 2009, the price of the 120 GB version was dropped to US$229. During the event Apple re-introduced the 160 GB version with the same slim profile as the 120 GB version, retailing at US$249. The 120 GB model has now been dropped and the only option available is the 160 GB model.
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