Copyright 2006, 2008 Claire J Rottenberg

Apple currently offers four iPods - the Shuffle, Nano, iPod Classic, and iPod Touch - and one is probably just right for you. Although there are certainly aesthetic reasons for buying an iPod, in this article I describe some of the more logical reasons for selecting an iPod.

iPod Shuffle

The iPod Shuffle is the smallest and least expensive of the current iPod models. The Shuffle's amazingly small size, virtual weightlessness and good battery life (Apple reports up to 12 hours of use from one battery charge) make it ideal for long trips or walks. The built-in clip makes wearing the Shuffle easy and secure and it eliminates the need for or cost of an extra case. Clip it anywhere and start walking or jogging.

The main disadvantage to a Shuffle is the limited storage space for music (up to 2 GB). Some people complain that it lacks a screen, but I find a screen is unnecessary on a Shuffle since you can arrange songs on it in the order you want using iTunes and changing the volume and moving back and forth through your songs requires no visual effort. For those who must have a screen on a lightweight MP3 player, Apple makes the iPod Nano.

iPod Nano

Like the Shuffle, the Nano is lightweight and small. The battery life of a Nano for audio playback is extremely long (according to Apple, up to 24 hours of use from one battery charge), especially if you use the screen and backlight minimally. Video playback is up to 5 hours, so you can even view a full-length movie on it.

The storage capacities for a Nano are 4 GB and 8 GB. If you have a small-to-medium size music collection, and you like the idea of carrying all your music with you in as small an iPod as possible, the Nano might be perfect for you. The addition of a screen and video capabilities make the Nano a good, small, all-purpose iPod.

The major disadvantage to the Nano is the cost - it is quite expensive for the small storage capacity it has. Also, neither of the models comes with accessories except a cable to connect it to your computer or a charger, so you need to figure in the cost of at least a cover to protect the screen of a Nano. But the Nano is small and lightweight and has video capabilities, and it may be the right iPod for users with smaller music and/or video collections.

iPod Classic

The largest of the click wheel iPods is Apple's Classic iPod. The battery life for video viewing is good - up to 5 hours of use from one battery charge for the 80 GB model and up to 7 hours for the 160 GB model. The excellent resolution (640 x 480) and brightness of the screen of the iPod make viewing videos a delight.

The iPod Classic comes in two sizes - 80 GB and 160 GB - and, like all iPods (including the Shuffle), it can be used for storing data as well as audio files, photos and videos. Storing your complete iTunes library on the iPod is very easy. Just connect your iPod to your computer, set iTunes to copy your complete library to the iPod and iTunes will do the rest. Every time you update your iTunes library and then connect your iPod, your music and videos will also be updated on your iPod.

One of the advantages of the large storage capacity of the iPod is the ability to add podcasts to your music library. You can find a large variety of free podcasts through the iTunes Store (the easiest way to add podcasts) and iTunes lets you easily update the podcasts automatically or manually. You can also visit podcast websites for more podcasts, including video podcasts.

The iPod is, naturally, larger and heavier than a Nano, but it's still small enough and lightweight enough to carry in your pocket or purse. If you need the extra storage space, the iPod Classic might be the right iPod for you.

iPod Touch

The iPod Touch differs significantly from the other three iPods in several ways. First, it no longer uses the trademark click wheel of earlier iPods, but, instead, uses the newer touch screen, also found on the Apple iPhone. Second, the iPod touch has wireless capabilities that let you connect to the Internet and surf the web on your iPod. The screen on the iPod Touch is noticeably larger than the one on an iPod Classic (3.5" versus 2.5") but the resolution is the same (640x480).

The iPod Touch has good battery life - up to 22 hours for music and up to 5 hours for video. It comes in two storage capacity models - 16 GB and 32 GB.

If you're looking for the latest touch screen technology in an iPod and you want Wi-Fi and Internet capabilities, but you don't want or need an iPhone, the iPod Touch is perfect for you.

As you can see, whether your needs are for a simple, no-frills, very small, easy-to-use music player (Shuffle), for a full-featured music and video player (Nano or iPod Classic) or for a full-featured touch screen iPod with Wi-Fi capabilities (iPod Touch), there is an iPod that is right for you. To help in making a choice, you can view a comparison chart of the four current iPod models on Apple's website.

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