   #copyright

IPod

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Computing hardware and
infrastructure; Engineering

          The correct title of this article is iPod. The initial letter is
          shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

   A white fifth generation iPod with a sleeve and earphones.
   Enlarge
   A white fifth generation iPod with a sleeve and earphones.

   iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by
   Apple Computer and launched in 2001. Devices in the iPod range are
   primarily music players, designed around a central scroll wheel
   (although the iPod shuffle has buttons only). The full-sized model
   stores media on an internal hard drive, while the smaller iPod nano and
   iPod shuffle use flash memory. Like many digital audio players, iPods
   can also serve as external data storage devices. Apple chose to focus
   its development on the iPod's simple user interface and its ease of
   use, rather than on technical capability. The only iPod that does not
   have a screen built in is the iPod shuffle. The iPod shuffle is named
   that because it has a switch allowing the songs to be shuffled so they
   are not in order. Later, all iPods were given this functionality
   through a software command.

   As of October 2005, the lineup consists of the video-capable fifth
   generation iPod; the smaller iPod nano; and the display-less iPod
   shuffle. These models were updated in September 2006.

   The bundled software used for transferring music is called iTunes. As a
   jukebox application, iTunes stores a comprehensive library of music on
   the user's computer and can play, burn, and rip music from a CD. It can
   also sync photos and videos.

   The iPod is currently the world's best-selling digital audio player and
   its worldwide mainstream adoption makes it one of the most popular
   consumer brands. Some of Apple's design choices and proprietary actions
   have, however, led to criticism and legal battles.

History and design

   The iPod came from Apple's digital hub strategy, as the company began
   creating software for the growing market of digital devices being
   purchased by consumers. While digital cameras, camcorders and
   organizers had well-established mainstream markets, the company found
   digital music players lacking in user interface design and decided to
   develop its own. "iPod" was a name that Apple registered for Internet
   kiosks, but never put to use.

   Apple's hardware engineering chief Jon Rubinstein assembled a team of
   engineers to design it, along with engineers Anthony Fadell and Stan
   Ng. They built the product in less than a year, and it was unveiled on
   24 December 2001. CEO Steve Jobs announced it as a Mac-compatible
   product with a 5 GB hard drive that put "1000 songs in your pocket."

   Jonathan Ive (Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple
   Computer) led the team that designed the iPod, which has established
   Apple as the dominant presence in the mp3 player market.

   Uncharacteristically, Apple did not develop the iPod's software
   in-house. Instead, Apple used a Design Chain and contracted with
   PortalPlayer, who already had a reference design (based on 2 ARM cores)
   with rudimentary software running on a commercial microkernel embedded
   operating system. PortalPlayer had previously been working on an
   IBM-branded MP3 player with Bluetooth headphones. Apple contracted
   another company, Pixo, to create and refine the user interface, under
   the direct supervision of Steve Jobs.

   Once established, Apple continued to refine the software's look and
   feel. Starting with the iPod mini, the Chicago font (once used on early
   Macintosh computers) was replaced with Espy Sans, which was originally
   used in eWorld and Copland. The most recent iPods switched fonts again
   to Podium Sans — a font similar to Apple's corporate font Myriad. The
   iPods with colour displays have adopted some Mac OS X themes like Aqua
   progress bars and brushed metal in the FM tuner and lock interfaces.

User interface

   The recent iPods with displays use high quality anti-aliased graphics
   and text, with sliding animations. These iPods have five buttons: and
   newer generations have the buttons integrated into the scroll wheel, an
   innovation which gives an uncluttered, minimalistic interface. The
   buttons are:
     * Menu — to traverse backwards through the menus, and toggle the
       backlight on older iPods
     * Centre — to select a menu item
     * Play / Pause — this doubles as an off switch when held
     * Fast Forward / Skip Forward
     * Fast Reverse / Skip Backwards

   The Click Wheel has become the standard form of input for all new
   iPods, largely because of its space-efficient design.
   Enlarge
   The Click Wheel has become the standard form of input for all new
   iPods, largely because of its space-efficient design.

   The other operations such as scrolling through menu items and
   controlling the volume are handled by the scroll wheel in a rotational
   manner, with clockwise denoting downward movement and counterclockwise
   signaling upward movement. The first generation used a "Scroll Wheel"
   that physically turned, with the buttons clustered around it. The
   second generation replaced it with a "Touch Wheel" that reacts to human
   capacitance. The third generation rearranged the buttons, but the touch
   wheel was left in place. On the fourth generation iPods forward, and
   all minis and nanos, the buttons are integrated directly into the
   wheel, now called a "Click Wheel". The wheel is still used for
   scrolling, and buttons, which must be physically pressed, control
   playback. This innovation gives an uncluttered, minimalistic interface.

   The iPod shuffle 1st and 2nd generation are the only 2 iPods without a
   screen and consequently its five buttons function differently than the
   larger models. It has a Play / Pause button in the centre, surrounded
   by four buttons; two control volume while the other two control track
   skipping.

   A Hold switch on the top of all iPods prevents accidental button
   presses. Newer iPods automatically pause playback when the headphones
   are unplugged from the headphone jack, but playback does not resume
   when the headphones are re-inserted. An iPod that has crashed or frozen
   can be reset by switching 'Hold' on then off, then holding Menu and
   Centre (Menu and Play on the 3G iPod) for 6 seconds.

Software

   The iPod can play MP3, AAC/ M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible
   audiobook, and Apple Lossless audio file formats. The fifth generation
   iPod can also play MPEG-4 ( H.264/MPEG-4 AVC), .mp4 and QuickTime video
   formats, with restrictions on video dimensions, encoding techniques and
   bitrates. Apple does not support Microsoft's WMA audio format — unlike
   most other media players — but a converter for non-DRM WMA files is
   provided with the Windows version of iTunes. MIDI and Ogg Vorbis files
   cannot be played on the iPod, but can be converted to audio files using
   the "Advanced" menu on iTunes. Alternative open-source audio formats
   such as FLAC are not supported.

   Each time an iPod connects to its host computer, iTunes can synchronize
   music playlists or entire music libraries and the user can choose for
   automatic or manual synchronization. Song ratings can be set on the
   iPod and synchronized later to the iTunes library.

iTunes Store

   The iTunes Store (formerly iTunes Music Store) is an online media store
   run by Apple and accessed via iTunes. It was introduced on 29 April
   2003 and it sells individual songs relatively easily and cheaply, with
   typical prices being US$0.99, EU€0.99, or GB£0.79 per song. iPods are
   the only portable music players that can play the purchased music. TV
   episodes and sometimes TV movies are available for $1.99, though prices
   vary. The store became the market leader soon after its launch and
   Apple announced the sale of videos through the iTunes Store on 12
   October 2005. Full-length movies became available on 12 September 2006,
   ranging in prices from US$9.99-$14.99.

   Purchased audio files use the AAC format with added encryption. The
   encryption is based on the controversial FairPlay digital rights
   management (DRM) system. Up to five authorized computers and an
   unlimited number of iPods can play the files. Burning the files onto an
   audio CD removes the DRM, at a cost of reduced quality when
   re-compressed from one lossy format to another.

   iPods cannot play music files from other competing music stores such as
   Napster or MSN Music which use rival DRM technologies like Microsoft's
   protected WMA or RealNetworks' Helix DRM. RealNetworks claims that
   Apple is creating problems for itself, by using FairPlay to lock users
   into using the iTunes Store. Steve Jobs stated that Apple makes little
   profit from song sales, but Apple uses the store to promote iPod sales.

File storage

   All iPods can function as mass storage devices to store data files. If
   the iPod is formatted on a Mac OS X computer it uses the HFS Plus file
   system format. If it is formatted on Windows, the FAT32 format is used
   because Windows cannot access HFS filesystems. The user must use iTunes
   or a compatible third-party software to load audio, videos, and photos
   in such a way that they are playable and viewable on the iPod. Unlike
   PlaysForSure-compatible and other MP3 players, simply copying files to
   the drive will not allow the iPod to properly access them. Some third
   party iPod software allows this however.

   An iPod formatted as HFS Plus is able to serve as a boot disk for a Mac
   computer, allowing one to have a portable operating system installed.
   The older iPods with FireWire ports could additionally function in
   FireWire Disk Mode. With the advent of the Windows-compatible iPod, the
   iPod's default file system was switched from HFS Plus to FAT32,
   although they can be reformatted to either filesystem (excluding the
   iPod shuffle which is strictly FAT32). By default, windows-installed
   ipods are formatted in the FAT32 file system.

   iTunes cannot transfer songs or videos from device to computer
   (although iTunes 7 allows it for music purchased online). The media
   files are stored on the iPod in a hidden folder, together with a
   proprietary database file. The hidden content can be accessed on the
   host operating system by enabling hidden files to be shown. The audio
   can then be recovered manually by dragging the files or folders onto
   the iTunes Library or by using third-party software.

Additional features

   The larger models also have limited PDA-like functionality and can
   display text files. Contacts and schedules can be viewed and
   synchronized with the host computer, and some built-in games are
   available including Brick, Parachute, Solitaire and Music Quiz. Brick
   (which is a clone of Breakout) was originally invented by Apple
   co-founder Steve Wozniak in the 1970s.

   A firmware update released in September 2006 brought several new
   features to 5th generation iPods including downloadable games,
   adjustable screen brightness, and gapless playback.

Connectivity

   Originally, a FireWire connection to the host computer was used to
   update songs or recharge the battery. The battery could also be charged
   with a power adapter that was included with the first 4 generations.

   The third generation began including a dock connector, allowing for
   FireWire or USB connectivity. This provided better compatibility with
   PCs, as most of them did not have FireWire ports at the time. However,
   the device could not be charged over USB, so the FireWire cables were
   nonetheless needed to connect to the AC adapter. The dock connector
   also brought opportunities to exchange data, sound and power with an
   iPod, which ultimately created a large market of accessories,
   manufactured by third parties such as Belkin and Griffin. The 2nd
   generation iPod shuffle uses a single 3.5 mm jack which acts as both a
   headphone jack and a data port for the dock.

   The fourth generation iPod allowed recharging via USB and eventually
   Apple began shipping iPods with a USB to Dock connector cable instead
   of a FireWire cable. A FireWire cable was available separately from
   Apple however. The fourth generation iPod could use either FireWire 400
   or USB 2.0.

   As of the 5th generation iPod, Apple has discontinued using FireWire
   for information transfers preferring USB 2.0 due to the broader
   popularity of the port over FireWire; this change was greatly eased by
   the similar transfer rates between the two types of connection.
   However, FireWire is still supported for charging the iPod, and Apple
   offers FireWire cables for purchase.

Chipsets and electronics

   CAPTION: Some electronic components used in iPods

   Model Storage medium Microcontroller Audio chip
   iPod 1G, 2G, 3G 1.8 inch, 4200rpm (46 mm) ATA hard drives (with
   proprietary connectors), made by Toshiba Two ARM 7TDMI-derived CPUs
   running at 90 MHz. Various audio codecs manufactured by Wolfson
   Microelectronics
   iPod 4G, 5G Variable speed ARM 7TDMI CPUs, running at a peak of 80 MHz
   to save battery life.
   iPod mini 1G, 2G 1 inch Microdrives manufactured by Hitachi
   iPod nano 1G Flash memory from Samsung, Toshiba and others 2 ARM 7TDMI
   CPUs @ 80 MHz
   iPod nano 2G Samsung System-On-Chip, based around an ARM processor
   iPod shuffle Flash memory SigmaTel STMP3550 chip that handles both the
   music decoding and the audio circuitry.

   The iPod's operating system is stored on its dedicated storage medium.
   An additional NOR flash ROM chip (either 1 MB or 512 kB) contains a
   bootloader program that tells the device to load its OS from the
   storage medium. Each iPod also has 32 MB of RAM, although the 60 and 80
   GB fifth generation have 64 MB. A portion of the RAM is used to hold
   the iPod OS loaded from firmware, but the majority of it serves to
   cache songs from the storage medium. For example, an iPod could spin
   its hard disk up once and copy about 30 MB of upcoming songs into RAM,
   thus saving power by not requiring the drive to spin up for each song.

   The current iPod models use internal lithium-ion batteries. The first
   and second generations used lithium polymer batteries. The larger
   models use touch wheels provided by Synaptics.

   On 26 April 2006, EE Times reported that Samsung had won the contract
   to provide the media processor for a future model iPod, replacing
   Apple's previous design supplier PortalPlayer.

iPod models

   Model (and generation) Image Capacity Changes introduced Connection
   Original release date Launch price (US$)
   iPod 1G iPod 1G 5, 10 GB First release. The mechanical scroll wheel
   physically turned. FireWire 23 October 2001 $399, $499
   2G iPod 2G 10, 20 GB Touch sensitive wheel. The FireWire port had a
   cover. FireWire 17 July 2002 $399, $499
   3G iPod 3G 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 GB Dock Connector port introduced; this
   became the standard for all future iPods. Central row of touch
   sensitive buttons. FireWire (USB for syncing only) 28 April 2003 $299,
   $399, $399, $499
   4G / photo iPod 4G 20, 30, 40, 60 GB Buttons integrated to "Click
   Wheel". Colour display with photo viewer introduced in October 2004 and
   replaced the monochrome model in June 2005. FireWire or USB July 2004
   $299, $349, $399, $599
   5G iPod 5G 30, 60, 80 GB Slimmer design. Larger screen with video
   player and lyrics support. Introduced in white and for first time,
   black. No AC adapter, Universal Dock, or A/V cables included.

   The September 2006 revision featured a brighter display, longer video
   battery life, and a music search function. The 80GB model was
   introduced to replace the 60GB model, which was discontinued.
   USB (FireWire for charging only) 12 October 2005 $299, $399 (later
   $249, $349)
   iPod mini 1G iPod Mini 1G 4 GB First release. Available in 5 colors.
   USB or FireWire 6 January 2004 $249
   2G 4, 6 GB Brighter color variants with longer battery life. Click
   Wheel lettering matched body color. No AC adapter. . Gold colour
   discontinued. USB or FireWire 22 February 2005 $199, $249
   iPod nano 1G 1G iPod nano 1, 2, 4 GB First release. Successor to the
   iPod mini. Slimmer design with flash memory, colour screen and lyrics
   support. USB (FireWire for charging only) 7 September 2005 $149, $199,
   $249
   2G 8GB black iPod nano. 2, 4, 8 GB Anodized aluminium case in 6 colors.
   Brighter screen and longer battery life. USB 12 September 2006 $149,
   $199 $249
   iPod shuffle 1G 1G iPod shuffle 512 MB, 1 GB First release. The iPod
   without a screen or wheel-like input. USB 11 January 2005 $99, $149
   (later $69, $99)
   2G 2G iPod Shuffle 1 GB Aluminium case with smaller form factor., plus
   built-in clip. USB (via dock only) October 2006 $79
   Timeline of iPod model releases

   Each new generation usually has more features and refinements whilst
   typically being smaller and lighter than its predecessor. Notable
   changes include the touch sensitive wheel replacing the mechanical
   scroll wheel, colour displays, and flash memory replacing hard disks.
   Discontinued models include four generations of the full-sized iPod,
   two generations of the iPod mini and the first generations of the nano
   and shuffle. More information about all released iPods is available on
   Apple's website.

   The first generation iPods were Mac compatible only. Apple later added
   limited Windows support and at this time, Windows users required
   third-party software such as Musicmatch Jukebox, ephPod or XPlay to
   manage their music. Musicmatch was included on the bundled CD. From
   July 2004 and onwards, every iPod was made fully compatible with either
   Mac or Windows, after Apple released the Windows version of iTunes on
   16 October 2003.

Special edition and colour variants

   In December 2002, Apple unveiled its first limited edition iPods, with
   either Madonna’s, Tony Hawk’s, or Beck’s signature or No Doubt's band
   logo engraved on the back for an extra US$49.

   On 26 October 2004, Apple introduced a special edition of its fourth
   generation monochrome iPod, designed in the colour scheme of the latest
   album ( How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) by Irish rock band U2. It had
   a black case with a red scroll wheel and the back had the engraved
   signatures of U2's band members. This iPod was updated alongside the
   iPod photo and fifth generation iPod.

   On 13 October 2006, Apple released a special edition red 4 GB iPod nano
   as part of the (PRODUCT)^RED campaign. Three weeks later, an 8 GB
   version was released and both of them sold for the same price as the
   standard colour models. US$10 from each sale is donated to the Global
   Fund to fight AIDS.

   Apple has also released Special Edition Harry Potter iPods. These were
   engraved with the Hogwarts Crest on the back and were available only to
   purchasers of the Harry Potter audiobooks. They first appeared with the
   iPod photo (late fourth generation), and then were updated with the
   fifth generation iPod. They have since been discontinued.

   The first generation iPod nano and fifth generation iPod were released
   in black and white variants. The second generation iPod nano inherited
   some of its case design from the mini.

Criticisms

Battery life advertising

   Apple stated that the original fifth generation 60 GB and 30 GB iPods
   had battery lives of "up to 20 hours" and "up to 14 hours" music
   playback respectively, when used on controlled and limited tests. For
   real-world use, many users report battery lives of less than 8 hours
   with the 30 GB video iPod.

   In 2003, class action lawsuits were brought against Apple complaining
   that the battery charges lasted for shorter lengths of time than stated
   and that the battery degraded over time. The lawsuits were settled by
   offering individuals either $50 store credit or a free battery
   replacement.

   Apple later complained that its competitor, Sony, had misled consumers
   in its advertising for Sony's music player. Apple complained that Sony
   had not considered real-world usage.

Non-replaceable battery

   The battery in all iPods is not designed to be removed or replaced by
   the user, although some users have been able to pry the case open to
   replace the battery, as some online stores sell them. Compounding this
   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
   (guidelines are available for prolonging life-span) and this situation
   led to a small market for third-party battery replacement kits.

   Apple announced a battery replacement program on 14 November 2003, a
   week before a high publicity stunt and website by the Neistat Brothers.
   The initial cost was US$99, but it was lowered to US$59 in 2005. One
   week later Apple offered an extended iPod warranty for US$59.
   Third-party companies offer cheaper battery replacement kits that often
   use higher capacity batteries. For the iPod nano, soldering tools are
   needed because the battery is soldered onto the main board. On the
   fifth generation iPod, the battery is held onto the backplate with
   adhesive.

Bass response

   The third generation iPod had a weak bass response, as shown in audio
   tests. The combination of the undersized DC blocking capacitors and the
   typical low impedance of most consumer headphones form a high-pass
   filter which attenuates the low-frequency bass output by up to 10 dB.
   Similar capacitors were used in the fourth generation iPods. The
   problem is reduced when using high impedance headphones and completely
   masked when driving high-impedance (line level) loads. The first
   generation iPod shuffle uses a dual transistor output stage rather than
   a single capacitor-coupled output, and thus does not exhibit reduced
   bass response for any load.

Equalizer

   If the sound is enhanced with the iPod's software equalizer (EQ), some
   EQ settings — like R&B, Rock, Acoustic, and Bass Booster — can cause
   bass distortion too easily.

   The equalizer amplifies the digital audio level beyond the software's
   limit, causing distortion ( clipping) on songs that have a bass drum or
   use a bassy instrument, even when the amplifier level is low. Notable
   song examples include Bob Sinclar's Love Generation and Jem's Wish I.
   One possible workaround is to reduce the volume level of the recorded
   MP3 by modifying each audio file. However, this cannot be done with
   DRM-encrypted music, and different tools are needed for each different
   file format.

Reliability, quality control

   According to a 2005 survey conducted on the MacInTouch website, the
   iPod's reliability has generally improved for each new generation,
   although Apple reported that between September and October 2006, a
   minority of 5th generation iPods carried a virus called RavMonE.exe.
   The virus affects Windows operating systems and can be cleaned using
   anti-virus programs and with instructions from Apple's website.

   The surface of the 1st generation iPod nano and of the 5th generation
   iPod can become scratched easily. Many users complained and a class
   action lawsuit was filed. Apple initially considered the issue a minor
   defect, but later began shipping these iPods with protective sleeves.
   Several products are available to remove the scratches, such as
   iCleaner, AppleSauce, and the metal polish Brasso.

   iPods, like all portable music players, may be a potential cause of
   hearing loss when used for prolonged periods with the included
   earphones. In early 2006 a Louisiana man sued Apple claiming that the
   company failed to inform the public that there was a risk, if iPods
   were listened to for a long time at high volumes. To respond to this
   Apple introduced a volume limit option for 5th generation iPods and
   nanos, and shuffles (however shuffles must be configured in iTunes).

Worker exploitation

   On 11 June 2006, a British newspaper Mail on Sunday reported that iPods
   are mainly manufactured by workers who earn no more than US$50 per
   month and work 15-hour shifts. The report stated that the five-story
   Longhua factory — owned by Foxconn — houses 200,000 workers, with most
   of them living in dormitories that house 100 people. The report also
   claimed that visitors were not allowed and that the plant is secured by
   police officers. These allegations were denied by Foxconn. Apple
   acknowledged that worker hours were "excessive" and said its supplier
   would now be enforcing a "normal" 60-hour week.

Patent disputes

   In 2005, Apple Computer faced two lawsuits claiming patent infringement
   by the iPod and its associated technologies: Advanced Audio Devices
   claimed the iPod breached their patent on a "music jukebox", while a
   Hong Kong-based IP portfolio company called Pat-rights filed a suit
   claiming that Apple's FairPlay technology breached a patent issued to
   inventor Ho Keung Tse. The latter case also includes the online music
   stores of Sony, RealNetworks, Napster, and Musicmatch as defendants.

   Apple's application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office
   for a patent on "rotational user inputs", as used on the iPod's
   interface, received a third "non-final rejection" (NFR) in August 2005.
   Also in August 2005, Creative Technology, one of Apple's main rivals in
   the MP3 player market, announced that it held a patent on part of the
   music selection interface used by the iPod, which Creative dubbed the
   "Zen Patent", granted on 9 August 2005. On 15 May 2006, Creative filed
   another suit against Apple for patent infringement with the United
   States District Court for the Northern District of California. Creative
   also asked the United States International Trade Commission to
   investigate whether Apple was breaching U.S. trade laws by importing
   iPods into the United States.

   On 24 August 2006, Apple and Creative announced a broad settlement to
   end their legal disputes. Apple will pay Creative US$100 million for a
   paid-up license to use Creative's recently awarded patent in all Apple
   products. Creative announced their intention to produce iPod
   accessories by joining the Made for iPod program. Apple also said they
   can recoup part of its payment if Creative is successful in licensing
   this patent.

Sales

   Since October 2004, the iPod has dominated digital music player sales
   in the United States, with over 90% of the market for hard drive-based
   players and over 70% of the market for all types of players. During the
   year from January 2004 to January 2005, its high rate of sales caused
   its U.S. market share to increase from 31% to 65% and in July 2005, the
   market share was measured at 74%. The release of the iPod mini helped
   to ensure this success at a time when competing flash-based music
   players were once dominant.

   In its first quarter results of 2006, Apple reported earnings of US$565
   million — its highest quarterly revenue in the company's history,
   although how much of this was attributed to iPod sales is unknown.
   Apple and several industry analysts have suggested that iPod users are
   likely to purchase other Apple products such as Mac computers.

   On 8 January 2004, Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced that they would sell
   HP-branded iPods under a license agreement from Apple. Several new
   retail channels were used — including Wal-Mart — and HP-branded iPods
   eventually made up 5% of all iPod sales. In July 2005, HP stopped
   selling iPods due to unfavorable terms and conditions imposed by Apple.

   iPod sales according to Apple's quarterly financial results from 2002
   Q1 to the most recent data available, 2006 Q4. Sales figure below are
   not forecast sales. The fourth Apple Fiscal Quarter ends in September,
   not December; that quarter is the first of the next year. Although
   Apple now includes the number of iPods sold in the regular press
   release concerning quarterly earnings, they did not always do so in the
   early days of the iPod.
   iPod quarterly sales.
   Enlarge
   iPod quarterly sales.
   Fiscal quarter iPods sold
   2002 Q1        125,000
   2002 Q2        57,000
   2002 Q3        54,000
   2002 Q4        140,000
   2003 Q1        219,000
   2003 Q2        78,000
   2003 Q3        304,000
   2003 Q4        336,000
   2004 Q1        733,000
   2004 Q2        807,000
   2004 Q3        860,000
   2004 Q4        2,016,000
   2005 Q1        4,580,000
   2005 Q2        5,311,000
   2005 Q3        6,155,000
   2005 Q4        6,451,000
   2006 Q1        14,043,000
   2006 Q2        8,526,000
   2006 Q3        8,111,000
   2006 Q4        8,729,000
       Total      67,642,000

Advertising

   iPod Lightrail Wrap Advertising, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
   Enlarge
   iPod Lightrail Wrap Advertising, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
   An iPod billboard in midtown Toronto, Ontario.
   Enlarge
   An iPod billboard in midtown Toronto, Ontario.

   Apple has promoted the iPod and iTunes with several advertising
   campaigns, particularly with their silhouette commercials used both in
   print and on TV. These commercials feature people as dark silhouettes,
   dancing to music against bright-colored backgrounds. The silhouettes
   hold their iPods which are shown in distinctive white.

   The TV adverts have used a variety of songs from both mainstream and
   relatively unknown artists, whilst some commercials have featured
   silhouettes of specific artists including Bob Dylan, U2, Eminem,
   Caesars and Wynton Marsalis. Successive TV commercials have also used
   increasingly complex animation. Newer techniques included using
   textured backgrounds, 3D arenas, photo-realistic lighting on the
   silhouette characters, and using luminescent light trails made by
   moving iPods .

Earphones

   The iPod's white earphone cords have become symbolic of the brand, and
   advertisements feature them prominently. In fact, the earphones have
   such strong visual recognition characteristics that some have said they
   can be a liability. After a 24% rise in robbery and a in grand larceny
   in the New York City subway, a spokesperson for the NYC police
   suggested that iPods might be behind the increases.

Accessories

   Several companies produce accessories that are designed for iPods. This
   market is sometimes described as the iPod ecosystem.

   Some accessories add extra features that other music players have, such
   as sound recorders, FM radio tuners, wired remote controls, music
   transfer devices and audio/visual cables for TV connections. Other
   accessories offer more unique features like the Nike + iPod pedometer
   and the iPod Camera Connector. Other popular accessories include
   external speakers, wireless remote controls and protective cases/films
   that help prevent surface scratches and even wireless earphones.
   Notable manufacturers and resellers include Griffin, Belkin, JBL, Bose,
   Monster Cable and Apple.

Car integration

   BMW released the first iPod automobile interface that allowed drivers
   of newer BMW vehicles to control their iPod using the built-in steering
   wheel controls or the radio head unit buttons. Apple announced in 2005
   that similar systems would be available for additional vehicle brands,
   including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Acura,
   Audi, Honda (with speech recognition), Renault and Volkswagen.

   Some independent stereo manufacturers including JVC, Pioneer, Kenwood,
   Alpine and Harman Kardon also have iPod-specific integration solutions.
   Alternative connection methods include using adaptor kits (via the
   cassette deck or the CD changer port), RCA inputs, or FM transmitters
   such as the iTrip, although personal FM transmitters are illegal in
   some countries.

Airliner integration

   In mid-2007, six airlines ( Continental, Delta, Emirates, Air France-
   KLM, and United) will begin offering their passengers iPod seat
   connections which power and charge iPods during flight and allow the
   video content on their iPods to be viewed on seat back displays,
   integrating seamlessly with the airlines' In-flight Entertainment (IFE)
   system. This will also enable the IFE system to play music, television
   shows, or movies stored on the iPod, as well as function as a control
   system. In October 2006, Apple also began selling a $59 MagSafe Airline
   Power Adapter that plugs into an airline seat power port, allowing its
   MacBook or MacBook Pro notebooks (portable computers) to maintain power
   for the full duration of a flight.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod"
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