iPod (4G - 40GB) Review

When I decided to get a MP3 player, the word iPod automatically came into my mind. Although the only things I knew about it at the time (Sept. 03) was that it was made by Apple, it was white, and it played MP3s, I knew it was the most popular MP3 player in the world.

Q: How much media exposure has the iPod received since launch?

A: An incredible amount. The iPod has been prominently featured in music videos, television shows, and massive product giveaways, say nothing of thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, and a number of books. Apple's partnership with the rock band U2 increased both the band's and the iPod's profile almost exponentially around the world.¹

I knew any MP3 players, especially hard drive based ones, at the time were going to be quite expensive, so obviously I went on the net to do some research. The iPod is quite new actually; it first shipped on Nov. 10, 2001. I was also surprised to find out how many versions or "generations" of iPod there were.

iPod Review Obvious differences in size, thickness, and materials aside, the iPod has gone through a number of changes since its debut in 2001. While the first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) iPods featured a FireWire data port up top next to the headphone port and hold switch, this data port was removed from the top of third-generation (3G) iPods, fourth-generation (4G) iPods, iPod minis and iPod photos in favor of a bottom-mounted Dock Connector port.

Placement of the four Menu/Play/Forward/Reverse buttons also changed; the original collection of four curved buttons surrounded the 1G and 2G iPods' Scroll Wheels, but were transformed into circular buttons above the Scroll Wheel for the 3G iPod, and then integrated into the Click Wheel of the iPod mini, 4G iPod, and iPod photo, beginning with the iPod mini.

Finally, the wheel mechanism itself has changed: while the 1G iPod used a wheel that physically moved, each subsequent iPod has used a touch-sensitive circle that emulates the movement of a wheel - a subtle, yet unquestionably superior design.¹

Luckily for me, Apple announced the new iPod mini on January 6, 2004 and the 4G iPod on July 19, 2004. Now I was more inclined than ever to get an iPod. The price was the only thing preventing me from getting one as soon as possible. At the time, a 4GB iPod mini costs $329.99 CDN, a 20GB 4G iPod costs $429.99, and $559.99 for the 40GB! I thought about getting a mini, mainly because it was the cheapest, but also the different colors and small size made it unique. However, my MP3 collection consisted over 10 GB of songs at the time, so the mini's capacity was a bit small for my tastes. Furthermore, an extra $100 can get me five times more capacity. To keep it short, I got the 40 GB because for $230 more I got ten times more capacity and a dock, a $70 value.

¹Jeremy Horwitz and Dennis Lloyd

iPod Specification

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