Ipod, Ipod

As ordered by CEO Steve Jobs, Apple's hardware engineering chief Jon Rubinstein assembled a team of engineers to design the iPod line, including hardware engineers Tony Fadell and Michael Dhuey, " 2007 Engineer of the Year Finalist Michael Dhueys Hardware Knowledge Helps Breathe Life Into iPod, TelePresence ", Design News , 24 September 2007.

Jobs announced it as a Mac-compatible product with a 5 GB hard drive that put "1,000 songs in your pocket." http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/origin-of-the-ipod.html Apple did not develop the iPod software entirely in-house, instead using PortalPlayer's reference platform based on 2 ARM cores. The platform had rudimentary software running on a commercial microkernel embedded operating system. PortalPlayer had previously been working on an IBM-branded MP3 player with Bluetooth headphones.

Later iPods switched fonts again to Podium Sansa font similar to Apple's corporate font, Myriad. iPods with color displays then adopted some Mac OS X themes like Aqua progress bars, and brushed metal meant to evoke a combination lock. In 2007, Apple modified the iPod interface again with the introduction of the sixth-generation iPod Classic and third-generation iPod Nano by changing the font to Helvetica and, in most cases, splitting the screen in half by displaying the menus on the left and album artwork, photos, or videos on the right (whichever was appropriate for the selected item).

Kane Kramer patented the idea of a "plastic music box" in 1979, which he called the IXI. Boffey, Daniel Apple admit Briton DID invent iPod, but he's still not getting any money Daily Mail , 2008-09-08. Retrieved on 2008-09-08.

Joseph N. Grasso of New Jersey had originally listed an "iPod" trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in July 2000 for Internet kiosks. The first iPod kiosks had been demonstrated to the public in New Jersey in March 1998, and commercial use began in January 2000, but had apparently been discontinued by 2001. The trademark was registered by the USPTO in November 2003, and Grasso assigned it to Apple Computer, Inc. in 2005. Serial No. 78018061, Registration No. 2781793, records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. InPub, LLC, filed an "IPOD" trademark on 1 June 1999, for "computer software and hardware." The trademark was abandoned May 18, 2000, without commercial use.

MIDI files also cannot be played, but can be converted to audio files using the "Advanced" menu in iTunes. Alternative open-source audio formats, such as Ogg Vorbis and FLAC, are not supported without installing custom firmware onto an iPod (e.g. Rockbox).

Each time an iPod connects to its host computer, iTunes can synchronize entire music libraries or music playlists either automatically or manually. Song ratings can be set on an iPod and synchronized later to the iTunes library, and vice versa. A user can access, play, and add music on a second computer if an iPod is set to manual and not automatic sync, but anything added or edited will be reversed upon connecting and syncing with the main computer and its library.

It was introduced on 29 April 2003 and it sells individual songs, with typical prices being US$0.99, or $1.29 AU$1.69 (inc. GST), NZ$1.79 (inc. GST), 0.99 (inc. VAT), or 0.79 (inc. VAT) per song. Since no other portable player supports the DRM used, only iPods can play protected content from the iTunes Store. The store became the market leader soon after its launch iTunes Music Store Catalog Tops One Million Songs , Apple Inc. , 2004-08-10. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.

Up to five authorized computers and an unlimited number of iPods can play the files. Burning the files onto an audio CD, then re-compressing can create music files without the DRM, although this results in reduced quality. The DRM can also be removed using third-party software. However, in a deal with Apple, EMI began selling DRM-free, higher-quality songs on the iTunes Stores, in a category called "iTunes Plus." While individual songs were made available at a cost of US$1.29, 30 more than the cost of a regular DRM song, entire albums were available for the same price, US$9.99, as DRM encoded albums. On 17 October 2007, Apple lowered the cost of individual iTunes Plus songs to US$0.99 per song, the same as DRM encoded tracks.

The original iPod had the game Brick (originally invented by Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak) included as an easter egg hidden feature; later firmware versions added it as a menu option. Later revisions of the iPod added three more games in addition to Brick : Parachute , Solitaire , and Music Quiz.

When unzipped, they reveal executable files along with common audio and image files, leading to the possibility of third party games. Apple has not publicly released a software development kit (SDK) for iPod-specific development.

With the advent of the Windows-compatible iPod, the default file system used on the iPod line switched from HFS+ to FAT32, although it can be reformatted to either file system (excluding the iPod Shuffle which is strictly FAT32). Generally, if a new iPod (excluding the iPod Shuffle) is initially plugged into a computer running Windows, it will be formatted with FAT32, and if initially plugged into a Mac running Mac OS X it will be formatted with HFS+.

Usually iTunes is used to transfer media to an iPod, though several alternative third-party applications are available on a number of different platforms.

The hidden content can be accessed on the host operating system by enabling hidden files to be shown. The media files can then be recovered manually by copying the files or folders off the iPod. Many third-party applications also allow easy copying of media files off of an iPod.

The battery could also be charged with a power adapter that was included with the first four generations. The third generation began including a 30-pin dock connector, allowing for FireWire or USB connectivity. This provided better compatibility with non-Apple machines, as most of them did not have FireWire ports at the time. Eventually Apple began shipping iPods with USB cables instead of FireWire, although the latter was available separately. As of the first generation iPod Nano and the fifth generation iPod Classic, Apple discontinued using FireWire for data transfer (while still allowing for use of FireWire to charge the device) in an attempt to reduce cost and form factor. As of the second-generation iPod Touch and the fourth-generation iPod Nano, FireWire charging ability has been removed. The second and third generation iPod Shuffle uses a single 3.5 mm jack which acts as both a headphone jack and a data port for the dock.

Some peripherals use their own interface, while others use the iPod's own screen. Because the dock connector is a proprietary interface, the implementation of the interface requires paying royalties to Apple.

This market is sometimes described as the iPod ecosystem. Darlin, Damon.

The first generation iPod Shuffle uses a dual-transistor output stage, rather than a single capacitor-coupled output, and does not exhibit reduced bass response for any load.

Apple previously had to remove iPods from shelves in France. Fried, Ian.

Creative then announced its intention to produce iPod accessories by joining the Made for iPod program.

In January 2007 the iPod market share reached 72.7% according to Bloomberg Online.

In July 2005, HP stopped selling iPods due to unfavorable terms and conditions imposed by Apple.

In April 2007, Apple reported second quarter revenue of US$5.2 billion, of which 32% was made from iPod sales.

Examples include CD copy-protection schemes, Apple, iPod, and CD Copy Protection , MacRumors . Retrieved on 2007-02-17.

For example, the fifth generation 30 GB iPod is advertised as having up to 14 hours of music playback. An MP3.com report stated that this was virtually unachievable under real-life usage conditions, with a writer for MP3.com getting on average less than 8 hours from an iPod.

Compounding the problem, Apple initially would not replace worn-out batteries. The official policy was that the customer should buy a refurbished replacement iPod, at a cost almost equivalent to a brand new one. All lithium-ion batteries eventually lose capacity during their lifetime The Curse of Lithium Ion Batteries , MP3 Newswire , 2006-01-06. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.

Fifth generation iPods have their battery attached to the backplate with adhesive. Ecker, Clint.

In late 2005, many users complained that the surface of the first generation iPod Nano can become scratched easily, rendering the screen unusable.

Source: Wikipedia > Ipod