What a difference a decade makes. When Apple introduced the very first iPod back in October 2001, it was a bulky chunk of white plastic, chrome, and glass that held a mere 5 gigabytes of music. But its concept was simple and enticing: you could carry 1,000 songs around in your pocket. And people did.
Fast-forward 10 years, and the iPod line has blossomed into a quartet of very different models: the Internet-friendly Touch; the fitness-minded Nano; the tiny, no-fuss Shuffle; and the versatile, old-school Classic. From that original ur-Pod, Apple has created a family of iPods with something for just about everybody— as long as you know what features they offer and where to find them.
That’s where this book comes in. iPod: The Missing Manual shows you how to use all the impressive capabilities of the Touch, Nano, Shuffle, and Classic in one convenient volume.
Like that original 2001 model, all of today’s iPods play music. But most of the gadgets in the line have evolved to become full-fledged media players, too. The Touch, Nano, and Classic all show off your photos. The Touch and the Classic let you watch Hollywood movies. The Nano offers an FM radio and a pedometer. The Shuffle, which doubles as a very entertaining lapel pin, can talk back to you with the push of a button. And the Touch, the most popular of all iPods, shoots video, surfs the Web, and can run half a million practical little mini-programs called apps, making it a real pocket computer.
Along with this guide to your device, you’ll get a detailed look at iTunes, Apple’s desktop media manager for all iPods, and learn about the Touch’s new iOS 5 system software and iCloud syncing service.
As the iPod line moves into its second decade, some things hold true: You can still create your own inner world of music and have it right there in your pocket. But on the iPods of 2011 and beyond, you can now fit a big part of the outside world in your pocket, too. Like most 10-year-olds, the iPod keeps on growing.
