The first iPod was released by the company Apple in 2001 under the slogan 'A Thousand Songs in Your Pocket'. At that time, it was the smallest portable player, because it used a 1.8 '' hard drive, while all competitors' models worked with 2.5 '' drives. 2.5-inch drives are now used in laptops.
The iPod classic line includes 6 generations of portable media players. Initially, they could only be connected to Mac computers, but from the second generation they began to work with Windows.
At first glance, the decision to invest in compatibility with the operating system of competitors seemed strange, but the positioning of new items from Apple as mobile devices, convenient for any user, determined the company's further popularity in the market of portable gadgets. One generation of iPod almost instantly succeeded another, precisely for the reason that this media player was convenient and well-bought.
In 2002, even during the first generation version with a capacity of 10 GB, Apple PDA functions were added: viewing text files, synchronizing contacts and schedules with a computer. Of all the iPod models, the Touch line stands out in appearance – players with a touch screen are more like a smartphone. The rest of the players from Apple have a minimalist, intuitive interface that has changed little since 2001. The body became thinner, the screen and memory increased, but the Click Wheel, the visually recognizable circle of buttons below the screen, continues to be associated with Apple.
IPod classic
The entire line got the name classic when its last, sixth generation was released. In 2014, the company Apple stopped production of the classic model, which had already been replaced by touch players. Although the classic had touch scrolling, the touch line now has a multi-touch interface, and these players are not much different from iPhone. The control wheel – without a screen – is preserved in the shuffle players.
The color screen was first introduced with the fourth generation Apple iPod classic. Special editions were timed to coincide with the event – a version in black and red design by U2 with signatures of all band members and the possibility of free download of songs, as well as a version with the Hogwarts coat of arms engraved on the steel cover. The fifth generation iPod is already adept at playing videos. This model was also released in a special edition from the U2 group.
Interestingly, the classic still has the largest storage capacity of any iPod, with the latest generation, often referred to as the seventh generation, with 160GB of storage. This is due to the use of 1.8 '' hard drives, which had a lower cost compared to flash memory. Now they are not produced due to a decrease in demand.
IPod mini
This line lasted less than two years, from January 2004 to September 2005, and was released in just two generations. Mini players differed from classic players in smaller size, bright colors of the case, designations of buttons on the control wheel, as well as the material of the case – for compactness it was made of anodized aluminum, one-piece, without division into front and back covers.
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The display of the mini models is monochrome, with a diagonal of a little more than 4 cm, with an adjustable contrast level and a fairly bright backlight. The design was similar to the classic version, but buyers were pleased with the variety of colors – these players were produced in blue, green, pink and silver cases. All these colors had a pronounced metallic sheen.
IPod shuffle
The 1st generation iPod shuffle went on sale in January 2005. This model is even smaller than the mini, as the company Apple first started using flash memory in this line. And most importantly, shuffle players do not have a display, only control buttons. The name comes from the English word for random playback of songs.
The models of the next generations of this line became even smaller, but at the same time they received more memory. The shuffle players also had a rich color scheme compared to the classic version. Already their second generation was launched in five colors, and the fourth generation in seven. Red players marked Product Red are available in limited editions. Part of the money from their sale Apple is transferred to international charitable organizations.
IPod nano
The first generation iPod nano was also released in 2005. This line has absorbed the best from the classic and shuffle models. The nano players replaced the mini, which was discontinued at the same time. In 2011, the first generation model could be exchanged for the sixth model free of charge. The company Apple made such a decision after learning about the constant overheating of batteries in the first generation players.
The fourth generation iPod nano, which appeared in 2008, added many functions that are no longer related to music: games, notes, calendar, contacts. The player began to sync with the headset from iPhone, and now double and triple clicks on the headset answer button have replaced pressing the buttons on the player, and you do not need to take it out of your pocket to stop playback or switch to the next song.
The fifth generation has a video camera. The last generation, the seventh, went on sale in 2012. This model can sync with wireless headphones and headsets using Bluetooth.
IPod touch
The first player model Apple with Wi-Fi support and multi-touch display. Already, the first generation players allowed browsing the web in the Safari browser and watching videos on YouTube, as well as listening and downloading songs in the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. The second generation players now have support Bluetooth and a built-in speaker.
The fourth generation was equipped with an HD camera. In addition, Apple used a proprietary A4 processor for the first time. By the fifth generation of the line, the processor from Apple became dual-core, by the sixth generation – quad-core. 5th and 6th generation models are available in different colors. An accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope were introduced.
In 2017, the press service Apple announced the end of support for all iPods, except for the touch line. The latest models of the touch line perform almost all functions iPhone, except for those that require a SIM card. Cameras, screen quality – all characteristics of the iPod are not inferior iPhone.
But now the Internet has become so common in the life of any gadget user that Wi-Fi alone is not enough. If a person has a smartphone that suits him, there is a chance that the player from Apple will no longer be useful, especially when you consider that the price of the latest model starts at 14,000 rubles. But still many music lovers buy a separate device to listen to it, so as not to depend on the battery charge of the phone or tablet.