History of the iPod (Part 1)

Over the past five years the Apple iPod has been the most popular MP3 player. With four different models of iPods and all the different features it is no wonder. Here is a guide of all the iPod models and the new features of each of them.

iPod

1. The iPod that started it all is known as the first generation iPod. This iPod was released on October 23, 2001. It had only two capacity sizes, 5 and 10 GB, and was sold for $399 and $499 (US$). It was made with a mechanical scroll wheel and had a FireWire for connection.

2. The second generation of the iPod was released on July 17, 2002. It had a 10 and 20 GB capacity and was sold for $399 and $499. Changes for this iPod from the first generation were a touch-sensitive wheel, the FireWire port had a cover added, and the hold switch was revised. The only connection was the FireWire.

3. The third generation of the iPod was released on April 28, 2003 and was sold for $299-$499. It had 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 GB capacities. Changes for this generation from the previous two were a central row of touch-sensitive buttons were added and the dock connector port was introduced. The only connection was the FireWire and USB was added for synching only.

4. The fourth generation of the iPod, also known as the photo, was released on July 19, 2004. This iPod had size capacities ranging from 20-60 GB. This iPod was sold for $299-$449. The new features for this generation were buttons integrated to form a "click wheel", and a color display was added in October with photo viewer.

5. The final generation of the iPod series is the iPod video. The fifth generation of the iPod was sold for $299 and $399, and was later sold for $249 and $349. This iPod was released on October 12, 2005 and had connection with USB and used FireWire for charging only. This final iPod came with capacity sizes of 30, 60, and 80 GB. The video had a slimmer design, was introduced with white and black variants, and had a larger screen with lyric support and a video player. It also had no Universal Dock, AC adapter, or A/V cable included with it.

In September 2006 the iPod video had revisions done to it. After the revisions the new iPod video was often called generation 5.5. This iPod had a brighter display, a search function to find music, and a longer video battery life.

These are the five generations of the iPod that are currently on the market.