iPod Buying Guide
- If You Want an iPod, a Cutting-edge Mobile Device, and a Portable Game Player
- If You Want a Lot of Capacity
- If You Want a Small, Feature-Packed Touchscreen Player That's Great for Exercising
- If You Just Want to Have Some Music, Podcasts, or Audiobooks Handy
- Handy Chart guide
What Kind of iPod Is Right for Me?
They're everywhere: white headphone cords trailing from a pocket or bag to the bobbing heads of music lovers enjoying their tunes on the go. Deciding you want to be in on the fun is the easy part; deciding exactly which player to buy can be a bit more challenging. Although the basics of the many iPod options are the same, the details make each player as individual as the person who owns it.
When looking for the best iPod, the key is knowing what you want. Figuring out exactly which features you would like in your player is an important first step. Read below for a detailed explanation, or check out our handy chart that compares all current iPod models side by side.
If You Want an iPod, a Cutting-edge Mobile Device, and a Portable Game Player
With each generation, the iPod touch gets closer to being an "iPhone without the phone." The fourth-generation iPod touch (released September 2010) took things to a new level, by finally including a camera. Actually, make that two cameras: one for capturing brilliant photos and HD video, as well as a front-facing lens that can be used with Apple's FaceTime video calling. It also got the 960-by-640-pixel Retina display, for great-looking graphics and text, and an ultra-thin design makeover, at just 7.2-millimeters thick.
Things changed under the hood as well. The 8 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB models all feature Apple's new A4 processor, which is ready to take on multitasking, 3-D graphics, video editing, FaceTime calls, and plenty more. A three-axis gyroscope is another new feature, which adds advanced motion sensing to the existing accelerometer, for more precise motion gestures in gaming or other applications. All three iPod models ship with Apple's powerful iOS 4 software, providing a multitude of options right out of the box. Enjoy built-in apps like FaceTime or the Game Center, download from hundreds of thousands of free or paid apps in the App Store, take advantage of multitasking, rent TV shows right from your iPod, organize your apps and e-mail accounts with ease, and more. iOS 4 marked a huge update to Apple's mobile OS, and iPod touch benefits greatly.
Like any member of the iPod family, the iPod touch is also great for music and media. The 8 GB model holds 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video. The 32 GB model gives you up to 7,000 songs, 40,000 photos, or 40 hours of video. And with the 64 GB model, you can carry a whopping 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos, or 80 hours of video along with you. All three models include earphones with a remote for controlling iPod volume/playback as well as an in-line microphone for use with Voice Control, FaceTime, or other applications. A microphone is also now included on the iPod itself, for use without the earphones.
Of course, the iPod touch is more than just a media player--it's a cutting-edge mobile device that's on par with the latest and greatest smartphones, tablet devices, and even laptops. Built-in Wi-Fi means you can quickly and easily surf the web, send e-mail, update your Facebook status, find nearby restaurants, check the weather, and access an ever-growing collection of Internet-connected applications--all on a device that fits in your pocket.
Finally, the iPod touch has become a wonderful gaming platform, and with all those fourth-generation hardware updates--the built-in gyroscope, immersive Retina display, and powerful A4 processor--it's enticing more and more developers to offer exciting games in the App store. Apple's iOS 4 takes it a step further with the included Game Center app, a one-stop center for social gaming. Invite friends or challenge strangers, whether they're next door or around the world. And games constitute just a fraction of the thousands of apps available for the iPod touch, in categories like music and entertainment, social networking, education, travel, fitness, lifestyle, and more.
• Read over 700,000 books--no Kindle required.
• Get the best reading experience available on your iPhone or iPod touch.
• Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you.
• Our Whispersync technology syncs your last page read, notes, bookmarks, and highlights across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.
Get the best reading experience available on your iPod touch
• Shop the Kindle Store for 700,000+ Kindle books, including new releases and 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. More than 550,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 73 New York Times Best Sellers.
• Choose from thousands of free classics, such as Pride and Prejudice or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
• Get free book samples; read the first chapter for free before you decide to buy.
• Customize your reading experience by choosing the background color, font size, and either portrait or landscape format.
• Instant dictionary word lookup with 250,000 entries and definitions. Tap and hold the word to view the definition. Use the Google and Wikipedia links to get more information.
• Search inside the book to find a character, topic, or section you want to revisit.
• You can also read your Kindle books on your Kindle, Kindle DX, PC, Mac, Android phone, and BlackBerry. Our Whispersync technology syncs your last page read, notes, bookmarks, and highlights across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.
Start shopping for an iPod touch.
If You Want a Lot of Capacity
Maybe your media library is gigantic. Maybe you don't like updating your iPod every time your mood changes, or choosing between your favorite pictures and a video that you can't stop watching. Either way, if you're craving space for all of your music, movies, and photos on a single device, then the iPod classic is for you. The current generation comes with an impressive 160 GB of storage for the same price as the previous 120 GB model. That's room for up to 40,000 songs, 200 hours of video, 25,000 photos--or a combination of all three.
Weighing in at just over 4 ounces, and with a slender metal enclosure less than half an inch deep, the new classic is still available in two striking colors: black and silver. The 2.5-inch color LCD lets you enjoy photo slideshows, movies, and TV shows from the iTunes store or your own collection, and iPod games like Vortex, iQuiz, or Klondike.
Does the thought of scrolling through every song you've ever downloaded make you cringe? No need to worry. In addition to traditional iPod navigation, the classic includes Cover Flow, which makes it possible to search for songs by album art. Use the click wheel to flip through album covers, then select one to automatically see its track list.
Another feature of the classic is Apple's Genius feature. If you like a song and want to hear others like it, Genius finds the songs in your library that go great together and makes a Genius playlist for you. Count on Genius to create a mix you wouldn't have thought of yourself.
Start shopping for an iPod classic.
If You Want a Small, Feature-Packed Touchscreen Player That's Great for Exercising
If the iPod touch is the heavyweight champion of the iPod line, the iPod nano remains the crowd favorite. With its curved aluminum design and spectrum of brilliant colors, it's always been quite the eye catcher. The sixth-generation model (released September 2010) threw everyone for a loop, abandoning the slim, upright design of previous generations in favor of a touchscreen model nearly half the size and weight of its predecessor.
It's still available in an array of colors, and eager to house your songs, podcasts, photos, and more. Capacity remains the same at 8 GB (2,000 songs, 7,000 photos) and 16 GB (4,000 songs, 14,000 photos), and you can count on battery life to last through 24 hours of music or 5 hours video on a single charge.
But plenty of changes are afoot. Most noticeable is the 1.5-inch multi-touch display, letting you navigate and control the device with the same gestures you use on iPod touches or iPhones. This also means the nano is more nano--well under 2 inches on its longer side. A new built-in, rotatable clip makes it a breeze to snap the nano on your sleeve, bag, jacket, etc., as with the iPod shuffle.
You may have noticed video wasn't mentioned along with the capacities above. That's because Apple has opted not to include video playback, also leaving behind the camera, built-in speaker, and games selection of the fifth-generation model. You will, however, still be able to take some choice photos along for the ride. The new nano uses a pared-down version of Apple's iOS 4, with a predetermined set of apps for your enjoyment. Navigate and enjoy your music, complete with Apple's Genius function for creating playlists on the fly; dial in your favorite radio station and rewind as far as 15 minutes thanks to the new Live Pause feature; or use the VoiceOver feature, which announces the current song's title and artist. The nano's upgraded touchscreen lets you view album art and photos in 240-by-240-pixel resolution, and the accelerometer's still on board, allowing the fun "Shake to Shuffle" feature (just give the nano a quick shake and it'll pull up a new random tune).
Lastly, previous generations of the nano were embraced for use as a more sophisticated fitness player, especially after the pedometer and support for Nike + iPod were introduced in the fifth-generation model. Apple has kept the pedometer, so you can still track your steps and work on those fitness goals. Add a Nike + iPod Sport Kit and you've got what amounts to a personal trainer.
Start shopping for an iPod nano.
If You Just Want to Have Some Music, Podcasts, or Audiobooks Handy
The smallest member of Apple's family still packs a mighty punch. Almost impossibly small--it measures just 1.1 x 1.2 x 0.3 inches (H x W x D) and weighs less than half an ounce--the iPod shuffle puts rapid access to music at your fingertips. The fourth-generation iPod shuffle (released September 2010) brought back some old features, including the more square-like form factor and play/track/volume buttons that skipped the previous model.
Available in five vibrant colors, the shuffle keeps things simple. With 2 GB of storage, it has room for up to 500 songs, which are now controlled using the play/track/volume buttons rather than the headphone remote of its predecessor. A single switch on the top lets you decide if you want to play all of your music in a random order or if you want to hear playlists and albums in the order you saved them using iTunes. All of this atop a sturdy clip that lets you take your music anywhere--without any hassle. And it makes a great workout partner for those who don't need the pedometer and other iPod nano features. Clip it to your shirt and go, without the worry of dropping some high-capacity video MP3 player.
Apple's VoiceOver feature is also included, and it's perfect for the fitness buffs or anyone else whose hands are occupied. Say you're listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist; with the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you without interrupting your music.
Not only is the package appealing, but so is the price. Checking in at well below $100--considerably less than its screen-bearing cousins--the shuffle is easy on your pocketbook. Many find it so affordable that they use it as a second device, either for a specific purpose (maybe it's loaded with motivating music for workouts, or it could be your audiobooks-only player) or for times when you just want to clip it on and go.
Start shopping for an iPod shuffle.
