How to Get The Most Out of Your iPod!

All about iTunes

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So, you know about iPods and the various ways that you can enjoy them – including as you drive.  Yet there’s a very big subject that we want to cover, because this is the biggest reason that people buy this neat little device: iTunes.

It’s not difficult to understand what iTunes is, and why people are somewhat addicted to it (in the good way, of course!).  Look at it this way: the iPod is the hardware, and iTunes is the software.  Or if you’d prefer a different analogy – one that isn’t so technical – imagine that the iPod is the radio itself, and iTunes are the music stations.

iTunes is the name of an online music store that sells countless numbers of audio tracks that include music, but also include books and other material, too. 

While there are a number of websites that legally sell music, iTunes is unarguably the most popular and the most well-known; and that trend doesn’t appear to be stopped whatsoever! 

As of the end of the second quarter of 2004, iTunes had sold 70 million songs in its first year and offered 700,000 tracks.  Both of these numbers have grown substantially since then, and analysts are busy tallying up the numbers for the rest of 2004, and now into 2005.

So…just how far reaching is iTunes popularity?  Well, in England, it seems to be the favorite destination – in fact the # 1 destination of people who are looking to purchase digital music.  iTunes’ market share in the UK is 54% while Napster has only 10%.
The Magazine

 “If you love the iPod so much, why don’t you give it its own magazine?” one reader of Mac World magazine complained.  So MacWorld responded and came up with Playlist magazine – a publication that features everything about iPod, accessories, music topics of all kinds and plenty of iTunes tips. 

For any iPod enthusiast who wants to find out something and everything about iTunes, Playlist is THE definitive reference for iTunes. 

The iTunes Store

Apple recently introduced a new version of iTunes with a new user interface that is, according to Apple, simpler and more user friendly.  The new search bar lets you search your library more efficiently.  iTunes holds 2 million songs, 15,000 Podcasts, and 10,000 audiobooks.

The iTunes music store also has radio charts (to show the hot songs in top stations around the country) and a music-video section. Users who buys songs from iTunes can now play them on 5 computers (the previous limit was 3) and can burn a playlist to a CD 7 times (the previous limit was 10).  For version 4.5 of iTunes, a song costs 99 cents, while albums cost 9.99 each.

Brad Miser and Tim Robertson wrote an interesting recap of their iTunes experience (www.informit.com).  The researchers and technophiles note the following features available to iTunes members:

Ø listening to audio CDs

Ø listening to Podcasts

Ø checking out over 1000 album reviews

Ø storing all the songs you like in one space so you’d never have to fiddle with individual CDs

Ø organize your music per category

Ø create customized albums (playlists) containing songs you only like to hear

Ø create customized albums (smart playlists) based on certain criteria (like chamber music of the 18th century)

Ø mix sound quality through the equalizer

Ø share your music with other people over a wired or wireless network