The Good Things You Get Out of Cheap iPods

People today are wireless. Everything is on the go. The young generation, according to the older people, cannot live or stay by themselves for a long period of time. That is quite true, you can see that almost everybody has a pair of earphones, and are listening to, either the oldies music or the latest tracks, or watching videos on their portable gadgets. We can say that today’s generation is dependent on the new technology.

The most popular wireless device on the market today is the APPLE’s ipod. It is popular because it is very small, which makes it very easy to bring, plus you no longer have to bring a cd, otherwise known as compact disc, or a cassette tape to play on it. But with this convenience comes also a flaw. It is quite expensive (make that oftenly impractically expensive). Yes, it is and that is why not all people can enjoy such luxury because of its high price.

As you must know, life is rough and every cent counts. So these gadgets are no’t the first priority for a lot of people, approximately half of the globe’s population. If you are rich and your money does not have much to go on, this want is not a problem for you. But if you are on the harder side of life, then you have to depend on prayers to avail of a gadget like the said ipod.

So if you want to have an ipod but your low on budget, there, on the market exists cheap ipods. These cheap ipods are not necessarily copies or imitations, or worse, fakes. Its just that these cheap ipods were probably built with cheaper materials and are may also not be so super in its special features. The cheapest model is the 512 megabyte iPod shuffle. This device can hold up to a whopping 120 songs. You can spend a day without taking your earphones off your ears with this one. This is about $70 or 3570 pesos.

That is the cheapest ipod that you can buy. The price actually differs on the memory of the ipod. Though they are all the same, they are all ipods, the memory they contain are different with one another’s. Some have bigger memories that allow them to save more songs, while others have a smaller memory that opposes the function of the bigger memory. The bigger the memory, the more expensive it is going to be. So if you just want to have a device which is portable and can play music, the cheap ipod isgoing to be the device for you.

Hey, 120 songs is a lot for this small ipod. Considering the comfort, convenience and enjoyment it will bring you. The price is really cheap. Instead of spending too much on a music player, an ipod, you can just spend your left money on things that are more helpful for your being. So it is recommended that you avail of the cheaper models of ipod.

Next on the line of cheap ipods is, the ipod shuffle. It is not as big as the other ipods that have been invented but they still play good music, so there is not much of a difference. Ipod shuffles are designated under the category of cheap ipods, though you should be mindful that it only has a memory span of 1GB.

It is not much, but it can still allow you to save a big number of your favorite hits. Since it has a bigger memory, also compared to those others, it is much more expensive than the other one. This cheap ipod can play up to 240 songs, double of that of the cheapest ipod. This mars the saying that goes “Entertainment is a price to pay”.

You do not have to pay so much, so high an expense, just to be entertained. The ipod shuffle does that for you, entertains you, yet it does not cost so largely. This product is about 100 dollars or 5000 pesos. Again, you’ll have more song selections but the physical appearance of your ipod is the same. That’s about the cheapest ipods you can buy on the market.

With these cheap ipods, you not only save money, but you get to own one of the latest technological trends in this generation. So grab one of those cheap ipods now.

Cheap iPod Anyone?

Having an iPod these days is not a status symbol anymore. For those like me who works for the web and designs graphics with high MB file size, iPod nano, iPod mini, or iPod shuffle is an investment. With iPods's 6 to 60 GB capacity, it is a dream of every techie. You can save all of your important files in a small, sleek and very elegant iPod.

But of course, a $300 to $400 ++ iPod nano or iPod video costs too much for some of us. If you want to have a cheap iPod and wouldn't want to settle for anything less (and go for the cheap flash audio players around), then you may need to read my suggestions below to be able to have that cheap iPod that your money can buy (and your conscience to allow).

GO FOR REFURBISHED

No one would notice that your iPod nano, iPod video, iPod mini or iPod shuffle was bought from a cheap iPod refurbished e-store. In fact if you buy a new iPod, it will look the same like the refurbished cheap iPod after a few months of use. No one would try to look for your receipt just to know you bought your iPod nano, iPod video, iPod mini or iPod shuffle from an Apple store and not from a cheap iPod store, or would they?

Also, if you bought a new iPod from an Apple iPod store and then the time came that you needed an iPod battery replacement, you will need to pay Apple iPod store 59 bucks for a refurbished iPod nano, iPod video, iPod mini or iPod shuffle, only this time, with a fresh iPod battery.

cheap iPod nano, iPod video, iPod mini or iPod shuffle costs for about $190 to $250 from the cheap iPod or refurbished iPod e-stores.

BID AT EBAY

Try your luck at Ebay and you might get a cheap iPod that costs only $250 for a brand new line.

Many people bid their equipment at Ebay because they need the money far better than the equipment immediately and badly. So most of the times, Ebay sellers sell cheap iPod and part ways with their sleek and sexy iPod because if the immediate need for large sums of money.

You can bid for cheap iPods at Ebay simple by searching "cheap iPods" or sale iPods. There is a chance that you might get a cheap iPod for a brand new iPod nano, iPod video, iPod mini or iPod shuffle.

Take your chance at Ebay, you may never know, you might get that cheap iPod that you want for as cheap as 100 bucks!

BUY YOUR FRIEND'S USED IPOD

All of us have friends who can afford to buy a brand new iPod without the need to starve for a few months of saving or can buy a Porsche car and still remain mortgage free. If you don't have this kind of friends, your friends maybe have this kind of friends.

Apple iPod regularly changes their models; regularly as in every 6 months since the last two years. iPod fanatics do not want to be caught tinkering on their old and already cheap iPod, they want to have the latest model in the market.

These kind of people, your friends or your friends friends, will gladly sell their 3 month old Apple iPod for a cheaper price.

Cheap iPod doesn't always come in a persons way that easily, so grab the chance when someone offers you a cheap iPod for sale!

GO TO EXCHANGE CENTERS

There are some exchange centers on the net or on local newspapers that offer cheap iPod, brand new and refurbished, in exchange of any items of, more or less, equivalent amount. If you have some items that are still of superb condition and might interest those people who are selling cheap iPods, offer your equipment or items in exchange of the cheap iPod.

If you think you don't need your 3G celfone, you can have it exchanged to a person offering brand new but cheap iPod. Or if you have two items that you think with their selling amounts combined could match that of the cheap iPod, then you can part with those items.

Remember to test first the cheap iPod before you make the exchange.

Apple iPods on Parade

At the time when everything is going digital and the technological world had been bombarded with digital this and digital that -- digital camera, digital camcorder, handhelds, digital celfone, laptops -- Apple Computers saw nothing much digital in audio technology, except maybe for the compact disc players. In 2000, Apple had decided to tap this unchartered market, with Jon Rubenstein as the Chief Engineer of the iPod project. A year after, released the first generation of Apple iPods.

GENERATIONS OF APPLE iPODS

Currently, Apply iPods come in three iPod names. Technical specifications of these Apple Ipods differ either in storage capacities or in exterior design, weight, and size. As of February 7, 2006, the Apple iPods are classified into the following:

- iPod (Original) (Capacity: 30 GB and 60 GB)
- iPod Nano (Capacity: 1GB, 2GB, and 4 GB)
- iPod Shuffle (Capacity: 512 MB and 1GB)

Two years ago, in 2004, Apple released Ipod Mini (4 GB and 6 GB in various pastel colors). iPod Mini's marketing was discontinued in September 2005 and was replaced by iPod Nano, which was 62% thinner and has a color screen.

Since Apple iPod's release in 2001, Apple has sold 42 million units. Which is why Apple iPods has been constantly re-engineered to cater the growing demands for faster, sleeker, and feature-packed Apple iPods.

Apple iPods have evolved from monochrome (black and white) screen, the first generation, to its color screen with video player, the fifth generation of Apple iPods.

APPLE iPODS ON PARADE

1. Apple iPods (Original)
1.1. First Generation of Apple iPods

Criticized for being costly for an initial release, the $399 First Generation Apple iPods were, nonetheless, instant hit. Apple iPods, after the October 29, 2001 release, dominated the digital audio player market, quickly overtaking sales of MP3 players (such as JukeBox and the NOMAD).

The first generation of Apple iPods was designed with a mechanical scroll wheel that was divided in four buttons that worked as Menu, Play or Pause, Back, and Forward. Apple iPods' scroll wheel has become a prominent design and feature of Apple iPods.

1.2 Second Generation of Apple iPods

This was the first generation of an iPod that was compatible with Microsoft Windows OS. Although it also had the prominent scroll wheel feature, the mechanical wheel of first generation was replaced by a touch-sensitive wheel, now know as teh "touch wheel."

1.3 Third Generation of Apple iPods

The "ultrathin" Apple iPods were shown to the public on April 28, 2003. Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced these slightly smaller, and with beveled edges iPod series to the public as the third generation line of Apple iPods.

Aside from being ultrathin, this was the first set of Apple iPods that had a built-in Hi-Speen USB connectivity.

1.4 Fourth Generation of Apple iPods

If third generation Apple iPods were called ultrathin, I don't know what to call the fourth generation of Apple iPods which are slimmer than the ultrathin line. The sleek and trendy design had skyrocketed Apple's sales, and made the name iPod synonymous with digital audio player.

This generation of iPod was introduced with the monochrome screen; but after a few months, only, it was marketed with a color screen and thus named: iPod photos.

1.5 Fifth Generation of Apple iPods

Apple launched in October 12, 2005 the fifth generation and was quickly known to the public as video iPod or iPod video, although Apple refer to it as the Fifth Generation iPod

2. iPod Nano

2.1. iPod Mini

Digital player manufacturers such as Creative and Digital Networks released digital audio players smaller than that of iPods sometime in 2003. Their Zen Micro and Rico Carbon products were starting to attract a number of supporters and this had prompted Apple to create their own line of small iPods; thus, the birth of iPod Mini. The 4 to 6 GB storage of iPod mini was made possible by using Microdrive hard drives.

2.2. iPod Nano

On September 7, 2005 Apple announced that marketing of iPod minis would be discontinued to be replaced by a thinner and color screen iPod, which Apple named as "iPod Nano."

3. iPod Shuffle

Apple iPods were known for using Microdrive hard drives. Although most of iPod's competitors were already using flash memory for their digital audio player, Apple didn't jumped the flash bandwagon immediately. Apple waited until 2005 to release an iPod using flash memory instead of Microdrive, and named it "iPod Shuffle."

Keeping up with the taglines, "Give chance a chance" and "Life is a random," iPod shuffle plays music in random order although users can still play songs in order that has been set in iTunes.

iPod Shuffle has no screen. Its size is as small as a pack of chewing gum, and weighs less than an ounce.

The Apple Ipod and the Nano

What do people love about an Apple ipod? These are the cold hard facts people say they love about Apple ipod:

1. The original ipod can hold about five thousand songs.
2. The original ipod can give the user up to forty gigabytes of harddrive space.
3. The original ipod comes with an easy to use wheel.
4. The original ipod also has a battery with a life that lasts up to about 12 hours.
5. The original ipod can also provide you with the ability to set-up a play list.
6. And last but not the least, the original ipod has a shuffle function.

Even with a minimum layout of the features of ipod, users have agreed that the original ipod gives one an exhilarating experience of music.

With basic ergonomics, the Apple ipod has captured the heart of millions of music lovers all over the world.

The Apple Ipod Nano

With the list of facts regarding the original ipod enumerated above, the characteristics of the new Apple ipod nano would reveal a measure of smaller comparison:

1. The Apple ipod nano can hold about one thousand 1,000 songs. That is with the 4 gigabytes version, the one with the full color album art.

2. Another version of the Apple ipod nano can hold about five hundred songs in a smaller four megabytes of space.

3. The Apple ipod nano has a medium sized Click Wheel and a full color screen. With the click Wheel, you can fast forward, rewind, pause, play or access the menus. The full color screen is about 1.5 inches of display.

4. The Apple ipod nano has a battery life that would last to about fourteen hours. Fourteen hours is about a day without charging.

5. The Apple ipod nano also has a shuffle function like the original ipod.

6. The Apple ipod nano is available to make use of the armband accessory. All that is needed is a USB external cord that would also charge the Apple ipod nano.

7. The Apple ipod nano has a skin that acts as a sort of protection for the ipod.

8. The Apple ipod nano also has the iTrip. The iTrip lets you play the music you want via any radio. This accessory is very much in demand when buying an Appled ipod nano.

9. The Apple ipod nano has about the following statistical measurement: 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches and about 1.5 ounces in weight.

10. The Apple ipod nano also boasts of a perfectly skip-free playback and works well on either a Mac OS X or a Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

11. The Apple ipod nano, just like any other Apple ipod can play music, podcasts and audiobooks.

12. The Apple ipod nano can also hold up to about twenty five thousand photos.

13. The Apple ipod nano can also be used to synchronize contacts and calendars and to do lists.

As you can observe from the available features, what you love about the original ipod, take all of it and try to shrink it a bit and you got the Apple ipod nano. Not yet a believer? Put on the headphones and try to volume up the music. Everything now becomes clear -- it is an ipod.

This pencil thin ipod packs into your ears the entire original ipod experience. What makes it unbelievable is despite its small frame, it can still hold a 3 days worth of music and can play for 14 hours straight.

Accessories of the Apple iPod nano includes a leather case, an in-ear Lanyard headphone, armbands, dock where the iPod takes its rest, a radio remote, a USB power adaptor, an AV connection kit and Tubes, the iPod skins.

Integration of the ipod Nano in Cars

Users can take the ipod music experience on the road by seamless integration of the ipod and the car. Top automakers like Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, BMW, Acura, Honda, Infiniti, Mercedez Benz and others have designed elegant solutions to both their new and prior year car models.

Top automakers call this strategy as part of their After-Market Solutions. They have available options to the car user of iPod integration products for use. Available options vary from iPod-ready head units to self installation options as wells as professional interface installation. People now can customize their ride with iPod music.

You can also opt to have iPod integration options from car stereo accessory stores and manufacturers available within your area. They can outfit any car to play well with the iPod nano.

The Apple iPod Mini

Owners of the original Apple iPod clamors for more from the makers of the iPod music experience. The latest ipod player available in the market comes in a smaller and leaner frame, and is marketed in a rainbow of colors. This is the Apple iPod mini.
The Apple iPod mini has a platform of MAC or Windows OS. Some original Apple iPod users have already seen the Apple iPod mini with a new four gigabytes harddrive space for a US$ 249 price tag. It is not a secret that an additional of US$ 50 will get you a fifteen gigabytes iPod that would store somewhere around 2,700 more music files. That is a lot more than the Apple ipod mini.

This is because hard drive space is so much important for Apple iPod users, the original Apple iPod have so much space available to the user of about forty gigabytes. This amount of space can store more than five thousand songs. Aside from this, the original Apple iPod also has a longer battery life.

However, criticizers should consider the frame of the Apple iPod mini. It is slender and is more styled, that which made it seem more functional and more attractive to the eyes and has a more ergonomic feel to the fingers. To most people, it would not be the ideal music player, but to the 99,000 or so Apple iPod mini users, they beg to disagree.

The Too Sexy Apple iPod Mini

The Apple iPod mini is compared to a US$ 1,200 purse from Chanel. This is because the US$ 249 Apple iPod mini, with its variety of five colors, brings out class and posh.

It has an anodized body made of aluminum and weighs about 3.6 ounces. It measures about 2 inches in width, 3.6 inches in height, and only about half an inch in thickness. It does not look like it at first glance, but the Apple ipod mini is almost like a featherweight than the original Apple iPod.

It is also silky to the touch and smooth. It also fits wonderfully in your palm. This is the reason for the premium price tag.

The Apple iPod mini also has no external moving parts. You will notice that underneath the smaller 1.67-inch LCD screen lie the light touch-sensitive and highly ergonomic Click Wheel. This Click Wheel is the one which incorporates the Apple iPod mini's other controls. The control's buttons are located on the pad itself. This is much different than the original Apple iPod's four function buttons that is located above the scroll pad.

Anyone who is familiar with the software for the iPod knows about the seamless integration of iPod with iTunes. In no time, you would be cruising with the tunes.

The Apple iPod mini behaves just like exactly as other newer generation Apple iPods. It now even packs a battery life of 8 hours. The original Apple iPods have a longer battery life.

Besides the smaller physical dimensions and the new warm minimalist choices of color, which can be gold, silver, pink, green and blue. A major difference observed between the original Apple iPod and the Apple iPod mini is the harddrive space capacity.

The Apple iPod mini has a tiny Hitachi hard drive that can hold about four gigabytes of music. Music files include AAC, Audible, MP3, WAV and AIFF. This is enough storage for a number of Apple iPod mini users.

Apple iPod users usually prefer to carry an entire library of music any time of the day. Rather than manually selecting and transferring specific songs to the Apple iPod mini. The Apple iPod mini can only hold as much as a fraction of the forty gigabytes music collection.

The Apple iPod mini also has accessories that include the earbuds, a USB 2.0 cable and a FireWire dock connector, an AC adapter, a belt clip, and the Apple iPod mini software.

The Apple iPod mini could have been more lenient by adding a dock or armband to teh package.

The US$ 29 armband is a great help for joggers who want to listen to good music while jogging and carrying the very lightweight and effectively skip-free Apple iPod mini.

Conclusion

To summarize, the Apple iPod mini has a sleek styling, it is a small size and has an excellent integrated Click wheel. It has a possible disadvantage to the user, though, that is the price per megabyte which is much higher as compared to the original Apple iPod.

Handling the Apple iPod Fame and Lawsuits

With the success of the apple ipod series of Apple Computer, it is no wonder that there will be an apple ipod lawsuit on the table. Apple Corps sued the apple ipod creator, Apple Computer, of a breach in their agreement over the use of their famous trademark. Last March 2006, the hearing for the Apple ipod began before the London court.

Before any of the loyal fans of this iconic device dismiss this Apple ipod case as envy,it is important to look behind the court history of these two companies. The Apple ipod case is the latest court battle of these companies. In the early 80’s, Apple Computer paid Apple Corps $80,000 and promised that they will never enter the music business. 1989 proved to be another hot year between them after Apple Corps took Apple Computer to court again, this time for a music-making program and a microphone.

The latter paid Apple Corps another $26 million and was allowed to sell goods and services for the reproduction, play, running or otherwise delivery of music content. Apple Corps maintained the rights to creative works containing music. Their agreement only prevented Apple Computer in distributing content on media like CDs and tapes. It is vague on the stand pertaining to later inventions like digital music files or even the devices that they run on.

Mainly a trademark dispute, the Apple ipod case has become a much-anticipated issue. Because of the 1991 agreement, Apple Computer says that they are allowed to use the logo on the apple ipod and iTunes because they don’t own the rights to all their music, just the digital technology to handle its distribution. Whatever they have used the trademark on is well within their agreement.

Anthony Grabiner, Apple Computer’s lawyer believes they have a strong defense against Apple Corps. Meanwhile, Apple Corps is seeking damages and demands that the company and apple ipod maker to stop its use of the apple logo on their iTunes Music Store and the in advertising for the site.

Many fans of the Apple Computer products think that the Apple ipod case has some bearing. There are those who suggest that Apple Computer should just completely change its logo to end any lawsuit from being filed against them in the future. Ilounge.com visitors see this Apple ipod case as an admission that Apple Computer has indeed violated their agreement with Apple Corps especially when they are judged by the previous settlements that the former offered.

What this Apple ipod case really shows is a warning to all companies. Trademark and copyright lawsuits can be very expensive to settle especially when your company has just picked up business. That is why many companies invest heavily in market research, branding and patents. Make sure that you check the copyright of any of your business processes, logos and symbols before releasing it to the public. Setting everything in order will help your company avoid nasty court battles such as the Apple ipod case.

Eddie Cue, iTunes vice president at Apple Computer, took the witness stand April 3, 2006 to defend his company. Cue testified that the Apple Computer did not violate their 1991 agreement by using the Apple logo on their iTunes Music Store. What they provided was data transmission and not the original rights to the songs.

During the closing in the Apple ipod case, Anthony Grabiner defended Apple Computer’s right to use the logo because they are promoting the iTunes store and not the music itself and as long as they indicate the origin of the software and downloading services, they have not breeched anything.

Apple ipod will still remain as the most popular audio and multimedia player device in the market despite lawsuits filed against them. The apple ipod sales will continue to soar as users and patrons find more and more ways to use their apple ipod in their daily lives. Of course, there will be dissidents. By experience, anyone who can complain will complain so no matter how Apple ipod tries to meet its consumer’s needs, they can’t please everyone.

The ruling for the Apple vs. Apple trademark case is unlikely to be before the Easter break. As to how this all ends for the apple ipod, we will just have to wait and see.

Facts About Mp3 Player, Mp4 Player And iPod

The invention of the MP3 player, with MP4 player and iPod following it, has revolutionized the music industry. These lightweight, reasonably priced, portable music gadgets are almost everywhere you look. Earlier they used to be the obsession of the geeks, nerds and the electronic enthusiasts but today these players are a must have consumer electronic item for almost everyone whether it is the stay at house mom, working business executive, fitness freak joggers, teenagers or even the bored granddad.

MP3 player has personalized music like never before. The MP3 craze has reached its peak with people wanting more and more features in their players. What they want is to download their complete collection of music in their player. You can download and store more than thousands of songs inexpensively into your device and listen to it whenever you want; whether at office or at home or tolerating a boring lecture or even struggling past a heavy traffic jam. A music player seems to be in every hand nowadays. These are wireless, portable, wonders of music and entertainment that can store, systematize and play music on demand.

The three main types of digital audio players are MP3 CD Players that can play both data CDs and audio CDs with MP3 format files, Flash-based Players that are solid state devices with internal media or memory cards type external media and Digital Jukeboxes like the apple iPod and Creative Zen which can read digital audio files from a hard drive. These types of players are the most advanced in technology and have high memory ranging from 1.5 GigaByte to 100 GigaByte.

There is a myth regarding MP3 and MP4 player as Mp4 being a successor of Mp3 player, but these two are different things. Fundamentally, Mp3 is a specific category of audio format while Mp4 is actually a container format. But an Mp4 player can also play Mp3 files besides MP4 format files with complete clarity just like the original player.

The iPod was introduced by Apple Inc. and was launched in October 2001. The varieties of iPod available today include video fifth generation iPod, the small iPod nano and the display free iPod shuffle. You can use Apple`s iTunes software to transfer music of your choice to the devices. An iPod supports and plays MP3, AAC, AIFF, Protected AAC, WAV and some other audio file formats. The Apple iPod also has some additional features like displaying text files, viewing contacts and synchronizing it with the host computer, gaming facilities like the Brick, solitaire, Parachute and Music Quiz. A lot of accessories have been made for the iPod such as sound recorders, wired remote control, FM radio tuners, and cables for enabling TV connections.

iPods have often been criticized due to their short life-span, delicate hard drives.There are also some health risks associated with frequent use of these players which can lead to loss in audio capacity and can also lead to absent mindedness.

All of these music players are portable and use either a semi-permanent rechargeable battery or conventional batteries that can be disposed or recharged. Some MP3 / MP4 players also have additional features like playing FM stations, games, microphone for voice recording, address storage book and etc.

The MP3 player have created a huge mass hysteria amongst some age groups leading to many companies joining the bandwagon to design and market different types of MP3, MP4 players and iPods. It has also given rise to an entirely new industry of downloading sites. This heavy competition has forced companies to find new and innovative use of these players like incorporating features like camera, mobile and etc.

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