| The iPod is definitely a great music player, but it is much more than that, as you will learn throughout this part of the book. For now, here are just some of the great things you can do with an iPod: Take your entire music collection, or at least part of it, with you wherever you go. Play your music in many different ways, such as by album, artist, genre, song, playlist, and so on. Eliminate the need to carry CDs with you anywhere; using an adapter or an FM transmitter, your iPod can provide music in your home, car, or any other place you happen to be. note  | Additional accessories are required to perform some of the tasks on this list. And not all models (most notably the shuffle) can do all of them. The shuffle is limited to only playing music (which is, of course, the primary reason to have an iPod in the first place). |
View your calendar. Access contact information for your favorite people and companies for quick and easy reference. Keep track of the time and date and have a portable alarm clock. Listen to your favorite audio book. Listen to podcasts. Transfer information between computers or back up your important files. Record sound. Store pictures from a digital camera. View pictures and slideshows and play the same on a TV (iPod or iPod U2 Special Edition).
The Absolute Minimum The iPod just might be the neatest gadget ever. After you have tried one, you will likely find it to be indispensable, and you might wonder how you ever got along without it. Before we jump into configuring and using an iPod, consider the following points: An iPod enables you to take your music with you and listen to it any time, anywhere. The iPod is actually a mini computer and includes a hard drive or flash memory, an operating system, and other computer components. There were four types of iPods in production at press time: iPod, iPod U2 Special Edition, iPod mini, and iPod shuffle. There are also variants of all models except the iPod U2 Special Edition, such as the 512MB or 1GB iPod shuffle. No matter which iPod you have, you'll be amazed at all the cool things it can do from listening to music to being your own personal portable hard drive (all models except shuffle) or flash drive (shuffle). Current iPod models work just as well for Windows and Macintosh computers. Whether you use a Windows computer, a Mac, or both, your iPod will work great. Like potato chips, I'll bet you can't get by with just one iPod. After you use one model, you'll probably want to get at least one more for yourself. For example, if you have an iPod, you might want to get a shuffle for those times when device size is important. Or, if you have a mini, you might want to a get an iPod so you can download photos from a digital camera to it. And if you have a family, expect to also need a family of iPods!
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