2009

March 11, 2009: Apple announced the world's smallest music player, the third generation iPod shuffle. The new shuffle was now smaller, thinner and lighter than ever before, finished in anodized aluminium and was about the length of your little finger. The secret for this size reduction was the repositioning of the controls on to the earphones cable. The Shuffle also came with a new feature called VoiceOver, which would tell you the name of the track that is playing and of the playlists that you have on the memory. The new shuffle was sold in two colors; silver and black and came in only one memory capacity, 4 GB.

September 9, 2009: About a month ago. Apple updated the entire iPod range again. Starting with the smallest, the iPod shuffle got three new color options; blue, green and pink along with black and silver. An option of 2 GB model was also added. Also, there was another special edition -- iTunes Store exclusive iPod shuffle finished in polished aluminium available in 4 GB capacity at $79.

 

Next we come to the iPod nano. The iPod nano got the biggest upgrade of all the iPods this year. Most importantly, it now has a video camera built-in which records videos in VGA resolution at 30 FPS in H.264. It also has a bigger 2.2" display with a 240 x 376 pixel resolution.

The new nano also has a built-in FM radio with the live Pause feature that lets you pause live radio and then begin from where you paused without missing anything. There is the VoiceOver feature, carried over from the shuffle, which helps those with visual disability to find their way around the menu and know what song is playing. It also got a pedometer and Nike + iPod support and can now record videos with the built-in microphone and playback music without headphones with the built-in loudspeaker.

As for the physical changes the new nano has a polished aluminium finish and comes in the same set of colors as the previous model but the yellow and the (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition are now an iTunes exclusive. Most astonishing thing however is that despite the hardware upgrade the new nano measures in at the exact same dimensions as the previous generation model.

It was widely believed that the iPod classic would be discontinued this year but Apple has given its aging player another shot in the arm by upgrading the memory capacity from 120 GB to 160 GB while maintaining the price. Apart from that there has been no other change to the classic.

Next we arrive at the iPod touch. The new iPod touch is available in three models 8 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. The 8 GB model is the same as before and has just received a price drop and the new OS 3.1 update. The 32 GB and 64 GB model have gained much more. Specifically, there is now a more powerful processor underneath both these which is essentially the same as the one in the new iPhone 3GS.

 

The new processor promises to make the new touch about 50 % faster than before which means your games and applications will load faster and run smoother. It also has support for OpenGL ES v2.0, which would let developers create games with superior graphics. Apart from this the new touch also has Voice Control, a feature carried over from the iPhone 3GS, which in the touch, lets the user control the music playback or get information on the currently playing track or play any other track simply by using his/her voice.

The new earphones that come with the 32 GB and 64 GB iPod touch have a microphone and playback control built-into it. Two features not available as of now is support for Wi-Fi 802.11n and FM radio receiver and transmitter, both of which were discovered during the teardown of the iPod touch. So although the hardware is there, the software to utilise these features is yet to be made available by Apple. There has also been a tiny space for camera that was noticed inside the new touch. Although the fact that the new touch did not get a camera was disappointing, we can expect an update soon enough with a camera built-in, probably the same as the one on the new nano.


So there you have it, a timeline of history's most popular range of music players till date. From the basic and bare bones 1st generation iPod to the latest iPod touch, the iPod series have come a long way and we can only expect more advancement.  Thinner, faster and with more memory, we can only imagine how the new iPods will be, as Apple will go ahead and make something that will shock us once again and make us wonder how they manage to do it. Having used all the products in the current iPod line-up and many of the ones that came before them, we can say for sure that all the success that the iPods got over the years was well deserved. Here's hoping the series continues for a long time with many more innovations along the way.

2008

In January 2008, Apple added one more color to the list of available colors for the iPod nano 8 GB model - pink.

 

In February, the iPod shuffle got a capacity update in the form of a 2 GB model that would sell alongside the previous 1 GB.

Then came September, the month that got famous in the world of iPods as the month when the entire range got an update. Once again we will start from the bottom and make our way to the top of the price ladder.

The iPod shuffle got nothing more than a cosmetic update, with the lighter colors changing back to the previous bright metallic shades. Now the shuffle came in silver, blue, green, pink and (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition.

The iPod nano got the biggest update of all. Staying true to the tradition of launching a new nano every year in September, the 4th generation nano went back to the slender vertical design of the older generation nano and ditching the shrunken iPod classic design of the 3rd generation model. The new nano now had a display in portrait mode for the first time since its launch in 2005 (the resolution and size remained the same). The new nano continued its tradition of being the slimmest music player in the world and measured an astounding 6.2mm.

 

The new nano got a new interface keeping with the revised display orientation; the body had a curvy design with a flat top and bottom. The nano also gained an accelerometer that auto-rotated the UI and enabled features such as "shake to shuffle". The new nano came in an entire rainbow of colors, which included silver, black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink and (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition. The nano was sold in 8 GB and 16 GB models (there were also reports of 4GB models being spotted at some places).

Coming to the iPod classic, Apple discontinued the 160 GB model and increased the capacity of the 80 GB model to 120 GB while retaining the price. Apart from this the only other addition was Apple's 'Genius' feature.

Finally, we arrive at the iPod touch. The new touch had a slightly redesigned shape with tapered sides and was slightly thicker than the previous generation touch but only at the centre. The sides were thinner, which gave the illusion of a thinner overall design. The new iPod touch now had a built-in loudspeaker and volume controls, just like the iPhone. The new iPod touch also had hidden Bluetooth support, but it was only unlocked later when Apple released the OS 3.0. This iPod touch came with OS 2.0, which apart from some minor features, added support for App Store right into the device. The iPod touch was available in 8, 16 and 32 GB models.

2007

In January 2007, Apple gave the tiny iPod shuffle four new colors; orange, pink, blue and green taking the total color count to five. Everything else remained the same.

September 2007. Once again the entire iPod line got a major update. Let us start with the smallest and make our way up the price ladder.


The shuffle got another cosmetic update. The previous metallic colors of the shuffle got softened a bit and the new shuffle now came in light green, light blue, purple, (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition, apart from the standard silver (pink and orange discontinued).

 

Now let's come to the iPod nano. The new nano broke the long and narrow mould of the previous two generation nanos and adopted a shorter and fatter design that made it look like a smaller iPod classic. This new design, however, met with much criticism from people and not many people were fond of the nanos new shape. Technically, the nano now had a bigger 2.0" display with QVGA (320 x 240) display and it was now capable of playing back videos along with just music. The 2 GB model of the previous model was axed and now it was only available in 4GB and 8 GB. The 4 GB model was only available in silver, though the 8 GB came in silver, black, light blue, light green and (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition.

 

The standard iPod was now renamed to iPod classic. However, apart from the new name it received little new. The changes included a slightly new interface design; same as the one on the new nano, an anodized aluminium front face plate and a 160 GB model, the highest capacity till date on any iPod. At the same time the 30GB model was discontinued.


 

Now coming to the most important iPod of the year, the iPod touch. The iPod touch was nothing more than the standard iPhone with the phone features such as calling and messaging stripped off. This means the iPod touch had an instant advantage over any media player out there. Not only could you play your music and movies on it, but also browse the web, check your mail, use Google Maps for navigation and install additional applications and games in future when Apple would start the applications service. This means the iPod touch was not just a media player but also a pocket computer and gaming device all in one. The original iPod touch was available in 8 and 16 GB models only.

2006

In February 2006, Apple added a 1 GB model along with the previous 2 GB and 4 GB models. The shuffle also saw a price drop.

September saw a major overhaul of the entire iPod line. There was now a new shuffle that was even smaller, approximately half the size of the previous one. The new shuffle had a built-in clip to attach the player to your bag or clothes. The USB plug was no longer built-in however. The new shuffle was available in 1 GB capacity.

Then there was the 2nd generation iPod nano that was launched on the same day. The new nano had an anodized aluminium finish which made it scratchproof, as the previous model was notorious for attracting a lot of scratches. The new nano was available in multiple color options and in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB memory capacity.

Not to be left out of the party, the standard iPod also got some minor upgrades. First of all it got a brighter display, which made watching videos or viewing images an even better experience. The battery life also got a boost and there were some minor additions as well.


In October Apple launched the (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod nano. Apart from looking great, the special part about the (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition nano was that, part of the purchase price went to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

 

2005

In January 2005, Apple launched its first flashed based player, the iPod shuffle. The tiny shuffle was about the size of a pack of gum and had the USB plug built-in so you could directly plug in the device in your computer without having to bother with a cable. The shuffle came in two capacity options, 512 MB and 1 GB.

In February the iPod mini went through minor changes which included brighter colours and the discontinuation of the gold colour model. The letters on the click wheel were now body coloured. There was also a new 6 GB model available now.
Apple discontinued the 40GB model on both the standard iPod and the iPod photo and but replaced it with a 30 GB model for the iPod photo while the standard iPod was now only available in 20 GB.

In July that year, the iPod and the iPod photo got merged into one product and the monochrome display finally was put to rest on the iPod. The new colour screened iPod was now available in 320 GB and 40 GB models.

 

This same year saw the release of one of the most popular iPods ever, the iPod nano. Sadly this meant the early demise of the iPod mini which actually was doing quite well in the market. The new nano was the slimmest music player ever and the secret to that was it used flash memory just like on the shuffle. The nano also had a colour display and could show images and album art in all their glory. It had a click wheel as well, just all the others before it. The glossy finished nano was available in two colours, black and white and was available in 2 GB and 4 GB capacity.

The year 2005 saw the release of one more iPod, the 5th generation model that finally gained the ability to playback videos, a first for any iPod. The new iPod (commonly called iPod video) had a 2.5", 320 x 240 color display. It could playback movies in VGA resolution at 30 FPS in H.264 format. Apple also updated the iTunes software to playback videos and soon videos and TV shows started appearing on the iTunes Music Store for downloading and playing on the iPod. The 5th generation iPod was also slimmer and smaller than before and was now available in 30 GB and 60 GB capacities.

2004

In January 2004, Apple announced the first alternative to the standard iPod, the iPod mini. The new mini, as the name suggested, was much smaller, lighter and thinner than the standard iPod and had a micro drive with a 4 GB capacity. It was finished in anodized aluminium and was available in five colors, giving users a lot more options. The mini was also the first to introduce the 'click wheel'. The wheel on the previous models had the buttons separate but this one had the buttons embedded within the wheel itself.

In July 2004, Apple introduced the fourth generation iPod. The new iPod gained the click wheel from the iPod mini. The iPod was now available in 20 GB and 40 GB models. Three months later, in October, Apple launched the iPod photo, which had a color display and gained the ability to store and display photos in full color. The new iPod photo was available in 40 GB and 60 GB models and came in a new U2 special edition model in a stunning black color with a red click wheel, which stood out from the usual boring white iPods.

 

2003

In the year 2003, Apple released the third generation model to the iPod. This new model had an increased capacity and came in 20 and 40 GB models. The new iPod was also thinner and smaller than the previous model. The new iPod also had the controls surrounding the click wheel of the previous model moved above the display and the rotating click wheel was now replaced by a fixed solid state wheel, same as the ones we see on today's iPod classic and nano. It also came with USB 2.0 support for compatibility with PCs.

2002

The year 2002 saw the iPod getting upgraded to second generation, which came out in March. The internal capacity had been upgraded to 10 GB and the iPod could now store contacts on its memory apart from music. Apple also introduced the ability to engrave text on the back of the iPod, which came at an added cost of $49 over the $499 standard price (approx Rs. 24,000).

Later that year Apple also announced the availability of a 20 GB model, which also came with other additions such as a touch wheel and a flap for the FireWire port and a minor software upgrade that added additional options in the song categorization.

However, the iPod was still able to sync only with a Mac computer. But then later that year Apple made the iTunes available for the Windows platform and now Windows users could also sync the iPod with their computers. This made the iPod open to a much wider base of users and the iPod was no longer an exclusive toy for those with a Mac but now something that just about anyone with a computer could use.

Timeline of Apple iPod

The world is divided in two types of people: those who have heard of the iPod and those who live in a cave. To say that the iPod is an incredibly popular device is a gross understatement. Since its launch in October 2001, the iPod has sold over 220 Million units worldwide making it not only the highest selling music player, but also the highest selling gadget ever. Period. Such is the popularity of the iPod that for most people a 'portable music player = iPod', the way 'burger = McDonald's'. It has a cult following of its own and many people swear by it and for them it is the best music player in the world.

So how did the iPod attain this status? We put on our helmets and take a ride in our trusty time machine to take a look at all the iPods that ever came out of Cupertino, California. See its progress from a revolutionary music player to an iconic one.

2001

The one that started it all, the first generation iPod was launched on October 23, 2001. The first generation iPod had a design that isn't far from the current iPod classic. The original iPod had a 5 GB hard disk which could store up to 1000 songs. The iPod had the revolutionary Click Wheel, which really was a physically rotating wheel back then with the playback buttons placed around the circumference of the wheel.

The original iPod had a 160 x 128 pixel monochrome LCD display. The iPod used the Firewire interface to connect with the computer, which was much faster than the USB 1.1 interface available back then. And speaking of computer, the first generation iPod only worked with a Mac and Windows users were out of luck. The iPod was launched at a price of $399 (approx. Rs. 19,000) and was available in the distinctive white color, with matching white earbuds.

HTC Tattoo [Review]

Google's mobile operating system

- Android OS - is very impressive and is the only one which can come close to the iPhone

OS in terms of usability but has so far been restricted to high end mobile devices, with no phone yet under the 20k mark. However, HTC's new Tattoo intends to change that by being the first sub-20k Android phone that packs nearly as many features as its older brothers. This means you get almost the same Android experience but now at a more affordable price.

But lower price is not just the main feature of the Tattoo. The phone's special rear cover, with its unique pattern, is reason for it being named 'Tattoo'. But the best part is that you can have the rear covers engraved with a pattern of your choice. So what more does this phone have to offer. Read on to find out.
 

Bundle

• HTC Tattoo
• Battery
• Charger
• Headset
• USB Data Cable
• Stereo Headset
• 1 GB microSD card
• User Manual