CoolMacintosh.com: The Macside: "Music Comes To The Digital Hub: iPod"

The Macside:
Music Comes To The Digital Hub: iPod

10/28/01

By Nick Canfield
A while ago Apple announced it's digital hub strategy. This is their idea that the Mac is at the center of your "Digital Lifestyle." The strategy's four parts are: Digital Music, Digital Movies, DVD Authoring, and Pictures. Apple has tackled all these issues in the software aspect with applications such as iTunes, iDVD, iMovie, and Image Capture in MacOS X.

However, Steve Jobs himself said that although the iApplications are trying to work with the hardware, the hardware isn't trying to work with the iApplications. Enter iPod, Apple's own MP3 player. Apple is trying to use its unique position as the only PC company that makes both the hardware and the software to move in on the MP3 player market.

But that is a good thing as Apple brings its legendary innovation to the table.

Picture: Apple Computer inc.

Apples new baby, the iPod..

iPod is a wonderful item, but it all starts with the Mac. Apple has announced iTunes 2 (to be available in early November as a free download) which will sync with iPod. This is the first unique thing about iPod, iTunes will automatically update all the songs, artists, playlists etc. on the iPod. Your iTunes organization is kept perfectly intact on your iPod.

All of this is done via FireWire so it is extremely fast. Apple claims that you can transfer an entire CD of music onto iPod in 5 -10 seconds.

But that super fast transfer rate doesnÕt mean anything if you donÕt have lots of space to make it worthwhile. Apple has included a 5GB hard drive in the iPod. This is exceedingly useful and it goes well with the FireWire transfer method. But what makes it really amazing is that the iPod is about the size of a standard deck of cards.
This 5GB hard drive is also useful for another purpose. The iPod can be used as a standard hard drive. You can not only fill up that 5GB with music but with data as well for easy transfer of large files to another computer. iPod also comes with earbud headphones and 20 minutes of skip protection for you joggers out there.

Apple has created a unique interface as well. The iPod contains a scroll wheel for easy browsing. This allows you to use the iPod with one hand.

The screen is large and has a backlight. The large screen accommodates the wealth of ways through which you can choose a song. You can browse by song, artist, album, or playlist. iPod is also capable of displaying in several languages.

However all these features come at a price. The iPod is $400. I am sure that most people not buying iPod will do so because of the price. The Nomad Jukebox has a 6GB hard drive and costs $100 less. Of course it is much larger, connects via USB and is heavier too. Aside from the price the only other possible inadequacy is earbud headphones. Some people may find them uncomfortable for they might not fit well.

Overall I like the iPod. I feel that Apple has done a good job and has again created a product that seems so simple and yet so genius, as if all the other companies should have though it up all along.

Apple will undoubtedly set a trend with the iPod and we will see some law suits for sure.

© CoolMacintosh.com

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