IPod mini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The correct title of this article is iPod mini. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
| iPod mini | |
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| Manufacturer | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital Music Player |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0/FireWire |
| Retail Availability | February 20, 2004 - September 7, 2005 |
| Operating System | Proprietary |
| Camera | None |
| Media | Hitachi Microdrive |
| Input | ClickWheel/Hold Switch |
| Power | Battery (Capacities noted in article) |
| CPU | ARM |
| Display | 1.67 inches diagonal |
The iPod mini was a smaller version of Apple Computer's iPod portable audio player. It was announced on January 6, 2004, and released on February 20 of that same year. The device interoperated with both Macintosh and Windows PCs, with limited third-party support for Linux and other Unix workalikes. A second generation version was announced on February 23, 2005. The iPod mini line was officially discontinued on September 7, 2005, after being replaced by the iPod nano.
The device retained the popular touch-sensitive scroll wheel of the third generation iPod; however, instead of the four touch buttons located above the wheel, the buttons were once again made mechanical beneath the wheel itself (hence, the new wheel was known as a "click wheel"). To access one of the four buttons, a user physically pushed the edge of the wheel inward over one of the four labels. Like its predecessors, the wheel was developed for Apple by Synaptics. The click wheel is now also used in the fourth and fifth generation iPods as well as in the iPod nano; although in the case of the nano + 5G iPods, the clickwheel is now developed in-house, as opposed to Synaptics.
Above the wheel was a monochrome display which showed menus or information about the currently selected track. Newer generation iPods have since moved to color displays.
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So far, the iPod mini has not only been the best selling iPod but also the best selling portable digital music player. In the formative years of portable mp3 players, iPod established itself as the forerunner with its capabilities and pricing compared to other models. More recently, other models such as the Creative Zen have estalished themselves as direct competition for the iPod, but due to brand-name recognition the iPod still has the majority of the market.
The two generations of the iPod mini were externally almost identical, with the differences lying in their storage and battery capacities. Both versions were 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches (91 by 51 by 13 mm) and weighed 3.6 ounces (102 grams). Its case was composed of anodized aluminum. First generation iPod minis were available in five colors: silver, gold, pink, blue, and green. The gold model was dropped from the second generation range due to unpopularity. Also in the second generation updates, the green, blue, and pink colors were all made much brighter. The silver model remained unchanged. While the button labels were gray on the first generation iPod, the second generation iPod sported button labels that matched the color of the case.
The iPod mini used ultra-thin Compact Flash Microdrive hard drives made by Hitachi. First generation models were available in a 4GB size, while second generation models were available in both 4GB and 6GB versions (capable of storing roughly 1,000 and 1,500 songs, respectively) and eventually had the drive size laser etched on the case to help distinguish between the two. Apple laser etched 2 lines of 32 characters each on the top of the reverse side of the iPod mini for free as a promotion in the first generation and continued through the second generation, which had originally cost additional money.
The battery life of the first generation of iPod mini was about 8 hours (similar to the 3G iPod that was available when the mini was released), which led to some criticism of the battery's short duration. This problem was addressed in the second generation models which had a claimed battery life of about 18 hours. Real-world battery life often exceeded 18 hours, though (iLounge tested an iPod mini that lasted 26 hours on one charge). However, the 2nd generation iPod minis no longer came with a FireWire cable or an AC power adapter, which were left out to reduce the selling prices of the new iPod minis. iPod mini batteries tend to run down to 80% capacity after 400 full charge cycles.
A proprietary dock connector was provided on the bottom of the device for a connection to a computer (Hi-Speed USB or FireWire). The unit's battery was charged during connection. Along the top it had a hold switch, a headphone jack, and a remote port for accessories.
Like the iPod, the iPod mini supported MP3, AAC/M4A, WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless audio formats. It also retained the iPod's seamless integration with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, allowing for true auto-sync between the software application and the iPod mini.
Original pricing for the iPod mini was US $249 for the first generation (4GB model). The release of the second generation lowered the starting price to $199 and kept the 4GB model. An increased-capacity 6GB model sold for $249.
[edit] iPod nano
On September 12, 2006, Apple released the second generation iPod nano. The new nano's design is essentially a smaller version of the iPod mini, even going as far using the minis' signature colors (aside from gold, which was replaced by black). The nano also uses the aluminium previously exclusive to the mini in the iPod family. The only difference in external design is the click wheel's select button, which is colored to match the nano's color. Black is the only exception, having the entire click wheel darkened.
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| Apple hardware since 1998 | |
|---|---|
| Consumer Macs: | iMac | iMac G3 | iMac G4 | iMac G5 | iMac Core Duo | iMac Core 2 Duo | Mac mini | eMac | iBook | MacBook |
| Professional Macs: | Power Macintosh G3 | Power Mac G4 | Cube | Power Mac G5 | Mac Pro | Xserve | PowerBook G3 | PowerBook G4 | MacBook Pro |
| iPods: | iPod | iPod mini | iPod photo | iPod shuffle | iPod nano |
| Accessories: | AirPort | iSight | Cinema Display | Xserve RAID | Mighty Mouse | iPod Hi-Fi |
| Italics denote discontinued products | |
