Music buffs are just crazy about iPods. Do you know why? iPods offer excellent quality of digital music. The success of iPod can be attributed to its fantastic features like

• iPod delivers rich quality digital music

• It is available in small, compact size and is highly portable

• iPods are bundled with in-built media library software, called as the iTunes media library software. This feature enables the user to manage their songs efficiently

• iPods can play DRM protected files from iTunes

• It connects to user's computer for downloading and managing music files

• iPods sport a display screen, which makes this gadget more user-friendly

• Improvised iPods also had PDA's (Personal Digital Assistants)

• Apple, the creators of iPod kept on improvising it, and thus many models of iPod have rocked the market

• The iPod line can play several audio file formats including MP3, AAC/M4A, Protected AAC, AIFF, WAV, Audible audiobook, and Apple Lossless

Many consumers are often confused between various models of iPods. They are summarized here according to the chronological order.

First Generation iPods :

Initially the iPods were released with 5GB hard drive, and hard drive capacity increased to 10 GB later. These iPods have a mechanical scroll wheel with a select button in the middle. This device was a huge hit in the US commercial market, but now they rarely exist due to the release of new and improvised models.

Second-generation iPods :

These devices had a thicker body and they supported 20 GB hard drive. They have a touch sensitive wheel instead of a mechanical one. They were compatible with the windows. They also sported cases and wired remotes.

Third generation iPods :

These iPods were thinner than the previous versions, the 30-pin dock connector and all-touch interface were introduced with this series. The touch sensitive buttons were a great hit among masses. It did not have buttons surrounding the wheels and hanging parts. It supported hard disks upto 40 GB.

Fourth generation iPods :

The only difference, the fourth generation iPods had over the third generation is the introduction of click wheels. They also sported the same monochrome screen. However, premium versions have color screens. Apple enabled the battery to be charged through the USB connection.

Color iPods :

Color iPods are a part of premium fourth generation iPods. As the name suggests these devices had a color screen and the ability to store and display JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG images. They supported 65,536 colors. They supported photo library and accessories like iPod camera connector.

Fifth generation iPods :

Aimed at reducing hard drive noise, they came in a wide variety of sizes, colors and hard drive capacities. They are generally known for their larger screens and video playback ability. They supported additional features like the World Clock, Stopwatch, and Screen Lock applications. In addition, the earphones plug was smaller.

Sixth Generation iPods :

These iPods supported hard disks upto 160 GB capacity. This is the last version in what is popularly known as iPod classic model. It has a new interface and aluminum front plate.

iPod mini :

The iPod mini is smaller and resembled the earlier versions in its features. But it did not support third party accessories. They introduced micro-drive hard drive as the storage medium. The minis were further improvised as the first generation and second-generation devices. It had rich case colors and was a big hit in the market.

iPod nano :

iPod nano also had the flash memory but it came with a color display. It also included a number of features such as world clock, stopwatch and screen lock options. The fifth generation iPod nano included a video camera.

iPod shuffle :

iPod shuffle is one of the smallest music players in the market. Flash memory was introduced through these gadgets, but they did not have a screen so navigation of music files is a little difficult. However, the controls are placed on right earphone cord for easy manipulation in addition to a voice over feature announcing song information. It is known as the best sounding audio device in comparison with the other models.

iPod Touch :

iPod touch has support for Wi-Fi and multi-touch interface. It has a native web browser and can connect wirelessly to iTunes store and video sharing sites such as YouTube. iPods are getting trendy with their designs and features, with the latest iPods have several advanced features such as Bluetooth and remote earphones.

iPod has come a long way since its introduction way back in 2001 and are a favorite with music lovers all over the world. The market leadership is a result of sheer innovation and user-friendly features. No doubt, we can expect even better iPods in future.