It’s that time of the year again!  The holiday buying season.  Undoubtedly, some of us will see “iPod” on our gift wish lists.  There have never been so many iPod models to choose from.  So, here’s everything you need to know about selecting the right iPod for the right special someone.

iPod shuffle.  About the size of a large, thick postage stamp with a built-in clip, the shuffle is perfect for music junkies on the go, whether walking or running (it’s really the perfect jogging accessory).  Five colors, one gigabyte of RAM storage, holding around 240 songs.  Around 24 hours of battery life.  $79.  Although the shuffle has no screen, it’s easy, using iTunes, to keep it loaded with your favorite music.

iPod nano.  Already the world’s most popular music player and totally redesigned this year, the nano comes in two RAM storage sizes: 4 GB for $149 and 8 GB for $199.  The nano’s two-inch-diagonal, bright, sharp display lets you watch up to four hours of movies, TV shows, or home movies.  Up to 1000 songs and four hours of video in the 4 GB model and 2000 songs and eight hours of video in the 8 GB model.  24 hours battery life for music, 5 hours for video.

iPod “classic”.  The only hard drive based iPod.  The same basic form factor as previous big iPods, but now lighter and more streamlined.  80 GB memory (20,000 songs, 100 hours video) for $249, a whopping 160 GB (40,000 songs and 200 hours video) for $349.  Nice high-resolution 2.5-inch diagonal screen.  Great battery life – up to 40 hours for music and 7 hours for video.  Also doubles as an external USB2 drive to transport data.

iPod “touch”.  Basically a slightly smaller, slimmer, lighter brother to the iPhone, but with no phone capabilities.  Same amazing 3.5-inch, high-resolution screen.  Uses the iPhone’s revolutionary “multi-touch” interface.  Two RAM storage options: 8 GB for $299 and 16 GB for $399.  Excellent battery life – 22 hours audio, 5 hours video.  Holds 20,000 photos.  Browse the web, watch YouTube videos with built-in WiFi.  Purchase and download music directly from Apple’s iTunes Store via WiFi.  Sync music, video, photos, calendar, contacts and web bookmarks easily through iTunes.

All iPods except the shuffle can play their media on a TV (standard or High Definition) with an optional $50 cable