What did you get (or give) for Father’s Day? My awesome wife Jackie got me a new iPod! Love ya, honey!

I have been putting the little musical wonder through its paces over the last week. Mine is the 10 GB model (there’s a 15 GB and 30 GB model as well). It’s about the size of a deck of playing cards, and weighs the same as two CDs in their cases. The 10 GB model comes with a charger, a FireWire cord, and comfortable “ear pod” headphones. The larger models include a leather case, a remote control attachment for the headphones, and a “dock” stand from which the iPod can be charged, connected to the computer, and connected to external speakers.

I opened the box, connected the iPod to my Mac with the FireWire cord, and the iPod automatically began downloading the entire contents of my MP3 and AAC music library. With the fast FireWire connection, the songs transferred at roughly one song per second, and in no time the 1302 songs (9 GB worth) were ready. You can also selectively add music. The software that runs the music side of the iPod is basically an extension of iTunes, so I can browse my music by Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres and Composers. There’s also an Equalizer to select from preset formats like Rock, Pop, Classical, etc. to get the sound exactly the way you like it. One really great new feature is the On-The-Go Playlist, where you can create playlists of your favorite songs while away from the Mac.

I then used iSync to move all the contacts in my Address Book over, as well as my iCal calendars. There’s also an Alarm Clock, three games (Bricks, Parachutes, and Solitaire), and the capability to display text notes imported from the Mac. Some people use this feature to view song lyrics.
The control buttons and scroll wheel are touch sensitive, and you can do everything with just your thumb while holding it in one hand. Once you have the music started, you move a tiny switch that disables the controls so you can put the iPod on your belt or in your pocket.

And, the best thing – my sweetie had a special message engraved on the shiny metal back. What did it say? Oh, gosh, we’re out of space for this week…

Keep those emails coming to petez@macmaineiac.com, and, as always, Semper Mac! Take care.

© 2003 Peter F. Zimowski