iPod is a term familiar to many. Basically it is a media player device manufactured by Apple Computers. It was first released in 2001. iPod Classic, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and even the iPhone are direct descendants of the iPod. The classic models used hard drive based storage solutions while the other products included a flash based storage. This resulted in the miniaturization of the products.

One of the notable features of the same is that the storage of these devices can be used as external storage in emergency situations. The device can be synchronized with a computer running Mac OS or Microsoft Windows using the included iTunes software. iTunes isn't the only method to get the peripherals connected, various open source alternatives have also been actively developed by enthusiasts. The UI (User Interface) of the product was given much importance than the technical capabilities.

The device can play a number of formats such as MP3, AAC, MP4, WAV etc. Pictures of the common image formats can also be viewed in the iPod. Some of the third generation devices can even play MPEG 4 and Quicktime videos. The only gripe with the device is that open source formats cannot be played on it, due to the custom nature of the firmware. The user interface of the same is also praiseworthy. Five buttons can be found in all the devices except iPod Touch and Shuffle.

Songs can be purchased and downloaded using the Apple's iTunes store. The songs are encrypted using advanced codec mechanisms. Third part softwares are available to break the encryption, but this will lead to reduction of the song quality. iTunes Wifi stores were also made online by September 2007. HFS+ and Fat 32 file systems are being employed in the device to make it work with Mac OS and Windows OS respectively.

Also mere copy pasting which can be found in traditional music players cannot be utilized in iPods. The songs have to be transferred using the proprietary software supplied along with the iPod. The files in the iPod are by default hidden and can be accessed by enabling hidden folder view in Windows OSes. The equalizer present in the device does a poor job in enabling high quality audio as the song tends to get distorted at higher levels of bass. Firewire is the main connectivity option which was introduced with the iPod. This helped in charging the device when connected to a computer, as well as transfer of songs. Later stages saw the introduction of USB enabled dock connectors.

As of today the firewire connectivity option has been exclusively removed from the iPod. Various accessories for the same are also available which are custom manufactured by third part vendors. Since its release the digital music player market has been dominated by the iPod only. With the introduction of the new iPod mini, the final nail was put into the coffin of other similar device vendors. Over 163 million units have been sold according to an official statement of Apple.