Secrets of the iPod, Third Edition - Softcover

Breen, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0321223713 ISBN 13: 9780321223715

Publisher: Peachpit Press, 2003

Synopsis

Got 10 seconds? Download an album! That's the kind of magic Apple's new iPod digital music players afford. That, and enough storage space for more than 7,000 songs; a slim, super lightweight design (weighing less than two CDs!); and access to the iTunes Music Store and its 200,000 or so songs. And these represent just the tip of the iceberg! To get the inside skinny on all you can do with the latest iPod models, you need this fun, practical, thoroughly updated volume from popular Mac columnist and author Christopher Breen. A reengineered, all-touch interface; customizable menus; on the-go playlists; support for more (and better) audio formats; a new travel alarm clock; wired remote control; an elegant and convenient charging and syncing dock; and a trio of fun games are just some of the new features covered here. You'll also find hints for accessorizing and protecting your iPod, tips for maximizing its storage capabilities, and troubleshooting advice for when it refuses to cooperate.

About this title

Review

Everyone loves the iPod (though for a lot of us it's a fairly abstract love, given the gizmo's sticker price). In Secrets of the iPod, Christopher Breen--you may know him from TechTV--does a brain-dump on the latest version of the iPod. His coverage is complete, easy to read, and clearly reflects the personal experience of a man who likes to be able to listen to Monkees tunes wherever he goes. You're sure to learn a lot about your iPod--or deepen your wish to have one--by reading this book.

It's possible to criticize this book for explaining the obvious: No one really needs a tutorial on how to download music from the iTunes store, which was carefully set up to be easy to figure out. On the other hand, such documentation--which may be needed for the sake of completeness--takes up little space next to the many pages devoted to relatively obscure features. Readers get the complete run-down on using their portable music players as spare hard disks, and as contact-management utilities. There's also lots of coverage of third-party hardware and software that's sprung up to unlock additional iPod capabilities. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to use the Apple iPod, iTunes, the iTunes Music Store, and the various hacks that have grown up around the iPod. There's good coverage on hooking the iPod to a Microsoft Windows machine, and some troubleshooting tricks.

About the Author

Christopher Breen has been writing about the Macintosh since the latter days of the Reagan Administration for such publications as MacUser, MacWEEK, and Macworld. He's the author of Mac 911 and Macworld's tips and troubleshooting column.

Edition details

• Publisher: Peachpit Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0321223713
• ISBN 13: 9780321223715
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 272