To date, there has been a number of Apple iPod models. Well, with the release of the new iPod Video, there are now officially three iPod models for the 5th generation of iPods. The earlier 4th generation models, including the popular iPod Mini, iPod Photo, U2 and 20GB iPod are now officially history.

iPod is one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history. It is the best selling mp3 / mp4 player in the market today. The combination of sound quality, sleek design and unique user interface, made the iPod a hit, causing an entire industry of accessories to emerge almost overnight.

iPod represents a wide array of moveable media players which have been designed and are sold by Apple Inc. It was first launched in October 2001. iPod models generally cover digital audio players with a central click wheel to iPod Shuffle that uses various buttons because of its small size. iPod Nano, a fifth generation, was launched in September 2006. This led to discontinuation of iPod mini, which it stored the data on an internal hard disk. iPod Shuffle and Nano employ flash type of memory for smaller size. These devices also act as an external medium for data storage.

People have intense love affairs with their machines, like some men are known to be enthusiastic about their cars, and some women are known for some household appliances. But the iPod seems to top them all and seems to pull strings at the heart with such consistency that some people, irrespective of age, sex, color, and creed, make the mp3 player device an extension of themselves, an extension of their personalities, and an extension of their lifestyles!

Apple currently offers three iPods -- the Shuffle, Nano and iPod (video) -- and one is probably just right for you. Although there are certainly aesthetic reasons for buying an iPod (who can resist the beauty of design of a Nano), in this article I'll describe some of the more logical reasons for selecting an iPod.

Besides the ‘Tiki Bar' video podcast I couldn't really find something for free. Everything had a price tag of $1.99. Why couldn't Apple give some short Pixar movies away for free? As Apple owns Pixar there would be no problem with license fees.

The iPod seems to have induced a certain trend in the consumer electronics industry as many companies on the market rushed to manufacture accessories for the little device that allows you to take music with you wherever you go. Speakers and headphones were among the first choices as iPod accessories for consumer electronics companies. The next step was wireless speakers and headphones to allow more freedom of movement. We'll try to discuss the pros and cons of wireless peripherals for the iPod as well as the models that each wireless component works with.

Nowadays, you can throw a party anywhere as long as you have an iPod and a set of iPod speakers. They are so tiny, yet they can boom the bass and shake up the place.

Sometimes we are left wondering what we are doing with our lives. A similar revelation took place recently when I read an article on Apple selling its 100 millionth iPod. Having heard about it all these years as a wonder gadget, I'd just let it pass by, assuming it to be an advanced version of the Sony walkman, or Diskman at most. How wrong I was! A visit to the Apple website opened my eyes. Starting from the smallest sized Mini that has a capacity of 1GB, to the latest fifth generation 80GB Video there is a huge variety to suit each need. Besides these two, iPods are available in sizes of 2GB, 4GB, 10GB and 30GB. When I pause to think that just a few years ago I was the proud owner of a PC with a HDD of a then princely 4 GB, I feel humbled. Why, even my current laptop (bought the latest available three years ago) has a now seemingly low 30GB of space. One look at the iPod and I didn't know where to hide! Is it time for me to exchange my laptop for the little magical gadget, then? Well, maybe not quite, but even that time is not far I guess. The iPod offers multiple choices for its users, the very basic being its function of allowing you to download music from the Apple website and a host of others.

iPods seem to be taking over the world. One sees them everywhere one goes, being used by adults and children alike. One sees them on the television and in the movies. It seems that people are going insane over them! It is actually not surprising that this little device is attracting such fanatical devotion; it is indeed a fantastic device; it might even be the coolest thing to show up ever!