Cassettes hold 10-12 songs. Compact discs hold 16-20 songs. An iPod, depending on its memory capacity, holds at least 500 songs! The iPod refers to a class of portable digital audio players designed and marketed by Apple Computers. It stores and plays music, but without the aid of cassettes or discs. You can attach a set of headphones to your iPod and listen to music like you would listen to your Discman or Walkman. And, like your computer, this device also stores music and information.

The amount of music you store in an iPod is directly related to the memory of its hard drive or flash drive and can vary according to the model. In a nutshell, iPod a music player that is big enough to hold your music and small enough to slip into your shirt pocket or even into a chewing gum packet!

Features

iPods are more than just music players. They have a host of features that effectively act like a portable hard drive and can store a lot of information. These include:

Music: Store and listen to music all day long or as long as your battery lasts. From 100 songs to more than 10,000 songs, the iPod’s capacity varies but the fun doesn’t! Connect your ear phones or head phones to the iPod and start grooving.

Podcasts: Download and listen to music from podcast directories. Podcasting is a method of publishing audio broadcasts via the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a set of new files (usually MP3s). It allows users to subscribe to a feed and receive new files, usually free. Podcast directories are a list of songs and other radio like shows that have been uploaded on to the Iinternet which can be downloaded to your iPod and heard.

Here are some Podcasting sites you might want to check out: Podcast Alley, iPodderX, PublicRadioFan, and iPodder.org.

Photos

Store photos transferred either directly from your camera or your computer. This way, the memory cards in your digital cameras will not get flooded with pictures.

Calendar and contacts

Keep a tab on all your dates and appointments and also maintain a directory of your phone numbers.

World clock

Stay abreast of the time around the world. Personalise your iPod to show different country timings and zones. The clock feature also lets you set alarms to ensure you are on time for all your chores.

Games

Play games if the music doesn’t satisfy your appetite for fun.

How does it work?

When you buy an iPod, it is empty space that you have purchased. This space can be utilised for the features su-pported by the iPod.

— The concept of iTunes comes in here. iTunes is the software provided by Apple to transfer music from your computer to the iPod. The iTunes installer CD is provided by Apple free of cost when you buy an iPod. The iTunes software is like a music manager installed on your computer. It stores all the songs your computer has and makes it easy to transfer them

to your iPod. This is

the only way to transfer music from your computer to your iPod.

— Now that the music is on the computer, let’s see how to transfer it to the iPod. This happens through your computer’s Universal Serial Bus port 2.0, a plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices (such as mobile phones, audio players, scanners and printers). The USB port is now available on all computers, but, if your machine is older and has no ports, try this. The USB acts as a buffer between the computer and the iPod and facilitates transfer of information.

In essence, the iPod has to be connected to some other device for it to gain information.

What more can I do?

Your iPod is like clay, which can be modelled into anything you like. This means that, since the iPod is just memory space or a hard drive, we can use a lot of applications on

it as long as it is compatible with the device. All these applications mentioned below are accessories and hence have to purchased separately at iPod stores or downloaded from the Internet.

iTalk: A programme that helps you record your own voice or anything you want on the device.

iTrip: An FM transmitter which when, connected to your iPod and tuned into a local radio station, enables you to listen to your iPod in your car.

Media reader: A software that helps you transfer and store photos from your camera to your iPod.

iPod Wizard: This programme lets you modify the graphics and fonts that come with your iPod so that, for example, you are greeted by your own company logo or a photo when you start it up.

Me and my iPod

Wondering when to you use your iPod? Here are some ideas.

During your commute: Get ready for the day ahead with some music.

At work: Store files to take home or for a review with a client. Keep your calendar, contacts and to-do lists on your iPod.

At home: Connect iPod to powered speakers or a stereo system.

On campus: Listen to music between classes.

On vacation: Going on a trek? Extend battery life with the optional backup battery pack. This pack is powered by the normal AA sized batteries that are easily available. Download guides to restaurants and other attractions. Get the information on your computer and then you can transfer it to your iPod before you set out for your vacation.