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What are the model numbers for all iPods?

iTunes Guru — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

All iPod models are designated MxxxxLL/A

iPod

First Generation, 1G, Original, Classic
5GB Mac: M8513LL/A
5GB Mac: M8541LL/A
5GB PC: M8697LL/A
10GB Mac: M8709LL/A

Second Generation, 2G
10GB Mac: M8737LL/A
10GB PC: M8740LL/A
20GB Mac: M8738LL/A
20GB PC: M8741LL/A

Third Generation, 3G
10GB: M8976LL/A
15GB: M8946LL/A
15GB: M9460LL/A
20GB: M9244LL/A
30GB: M8948LL/A
40GB: M9245LL/A

Fourth Generation, 4G
Black & White screen
20GB: M9282LL/A
20GB U2: M9787LL/A
40GB: M9268LL/A

Color screen (Also known as iPod photo)
20GB: MA079LL/A
20GB U2: MA127LL/A
30GB: M9829LL/A
40GB: M9585LL/A
60GB M9586LL/A
60GB M9830LL/A

Fifth Generation (Video), 5G
30GB white: MA002LL/A
30GB black: MA146LL/A
60GB white: MA003LL/A
60GB black: MA147LL/A
30GB U2: MA452LL/A

Enhanced Fifth Generation (Video, 5G)
30GB white: MA444LL/A
30GB black: MA446LL/A
80GB white: MA448LL/A
80GB black: MA450LL/A
30GB U2: MA664LL/A

iPod mini

First Generation, 1G
4GB silver: M9160LL/A
4GB blue: M9436LL/A
4GB pink: M9435LL/A
4GB green: M9434LL/A
4GB gold: M9437LL/A

Second Generation, 2G
4GB silver: M9800LL/A
4GB blue: M9802LL/A
4GB pink: M9804LL/A
4GB green: M9806LL/A
6GB silver: M9801LL/A
6GB blue: M9803LL/A
6GB pink: M9805LL/A
6GB green: M9807LL/A

iPod photo
See Fourth Generation iPod above

iPod shuffle

first-generation
512MB: MA133LL/A
512MB: M9724LL/A
1GB: M9725LL/A

second-generation
1GB silver: MA564LL/A
1GB blue: MA949LL/A
1GB green: MA951LL/A
1GB orange: MA953LL/A
1GB pink: MA947LL/A

iPod nano

first-generation
1GB white: MA350LL/A
1GB black: MA352LL/A
2GB white: MA004LL/A
2GB black: MA099LL/A
4GB white: MA005LL/A
4GB black: MA107LL/A

second-generation
2GB silver: MA477LL/A
4GB silver: MA426LL/A
4GB green: MA487LL/A
4GB blue: MA428LL/A
4GB pink: MA489LL/A
4GB red: MA725LL/A
8GB black: MA497LL/A
8GB red: MA899LL/A

See FAQ What are the differences between all the iPod models?

Palm restores Pre iTunes syncing in update

iTunes Guru — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Palm has released webOS 1.2.1 for its Palm Pre smartphone, restoring the device’s Media Sync functionality—which allows it to sync with iTunes by masquerading as an iPod—while adding the ability to sync photos. As it has done in the past, webOS 1.2.1 achieves this by identifying itself over the USB connection as an Apple product, complete with Apple’s USB Vendor ID number. This behavior was specifically mentioned and frowned upon in a letter sent last month by the USB Implementers Forum to Palm regarding Apple using its Vendor ID to restrict syncing capability to its own products. In a statement to AllThingsD, Apple said, “As we’ve said before, newer versions of Apple’s iTunes software may no longer provide syncing functionality with unsupported digital media players.” Apple first blocked the Pre shortly after its July release with iTunes 8.2.1.

Why is my iPod remote not working?

iTunes Guru — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Most likely, the remote is not pushed in all the way. Push the plug into the iPod firmly, making sure you hear it click (a slight clockwise twist while pressing it in sometimes helps). Apple has published an AppleCare Knowledge Base document on the issue: iPod: Remote Buttons Do Not Work

Updated: 12|20|02

How do I use the iPod shuffle as a portable hard drive?

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Like other iPods, the iPod shuffle can be used as a portable hard drive. The average person is more likely to use this feature with the shuffle than with other iPods, because unlike them, the iPod shuffle does not require the user to carry a connection cable, and it works equally well on Macs and PCs without drivers or reformatting.

By default, the ability to access the iPod shuffle as a hard drive is disabled. To enable it, enter the iPod Preferences page as we did above.

Here you’ll find an option entitled “Enable Disk Use.” When checked, iTunes will allow the iPod shuffle to appear in Windows Explorer (or the Mac OS’s Finder) as a detachable hard drive. The slider positioned below the checkbox instructs iTunes how much space to leave empty for data when filling the iPod via either Autofill or manual management. For example, in the photo above, we’ve reserved 128MB for non-audio use. Autofill will only fill the other 380-some Megabytes with music.

Why don’t I have the full drive capacity I paid for?

Using either Windows Explorer or the iTunes capacity bar at the bottom of the iPod shuffle page, you’ll notice that your iPod shuffle is reporting a slightly smaller total hard drive capacity than the number on the box. Don’t worry… this is completely normal for all storage media.

Contrary to popular belief, this anomaly is not caused by factory-installed programs, file system overhead, or swap space… it’s an unfortunate consequence of little more than math and marketing.

Hard drives are sold and marketed using decimal gigabytes. That is, a “GB” consists of 1,000,000,000 bytes. However, computers interpret gigabytes in binary. To a computer, 1 GB = 2^30 bytes, or 1,073,741,824 bytes.

The ratio of “actual” to “marketed” file size is the ratio of these two interpretations, or roughly 0.931.

Therefore, a 512MB iPod shuffle actually has 0.9313225*512MB, or about 476.8MB of space usable to a computer. A 1GB iPod shuffle will similarly report approximately 953.7MB.

What are “bitrates”?

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The “bitrate” refers to the level of file compression in an MP3. The larger the bitrate, the less compressed it is.

Despite what you may have read in the papers, MP3s are not exact duplicates of the files on your CDs. Instead, the MP3 is a compressed file, and the type of compression is what computer-using folks term “lossy”, which means that information is “lost” when the MP3 is compressed.

For the most part, MP3s are designed to “lose” sound information you don’t hear anyway – CD Audio replays a large spectrum of sounds, even those human beings can’t hear. So the MP3 codec ditches some of those ultra-high and low frequencies. Bitrates are the deciding factor in just how much information will get ditched. The higher the bitrate, the more sound information is preserved. One of the results of this is what’s called a “data artifact” – if you listen closely to low-bitrate MP3s, you’ll be able to hear slight glitches, especially in the treble frequencies.

Thus, a 320k MP3 has more sound information than a 128k MP3. But, a 320k MP3 is also three times as large in megabytes as a 128k MP3.

Can I replace the iPod’s battery myself?

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Apple
Apple offers it’s own Battery Service for $59 plus $6.95 shipping. Apple will replace the battery for you and offers a 90-day guarantee on materials and workmanship.

iPod mini Battery (UK)
A Do-It-Yourself replacement battery kit for 1G, 2G and 3G iPods is available from iPod mini Battery with complete installation instructions for $29/£28 – a 3G iPod battery for $29/£25. We do not recommend opening the iPod using the included screw driver. Use a thin, sturdy piece of plastic or something similar.

iPodResQ
A Do-It-Yourself replacement battery kit for 1st -4th generation iPods (with dock) and iPod mini is available from iPodResQ with complete installation instructions and tool from $24.99 to $29.99. If you’re not comfortable with opening your iPod, they offer a 24 hour mail-in service in which they will do the installation for you for $54.

Laptops for Less
A Do-It-Yourself replacement battery kit for 1G – 4G iPods and iPod mini is available from Laptops for Less with complete installation instructions for $29. We do not recommend opening the iPod using the included screw driver. Use a thin, sturdy piece of plastic or something similar.

PDA Smart
A Do-It-Yourself replacement battery kit for 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G iPods and iPod mini is available from PDA Smart with complete installation instructions for $40 – $59 (dependent on model). If you’re not comfortable with opening your iPod, they offer a mail-in service in which they will do the installation for you for $50 – $68 (dependent on model).

For more battery info check out ‘The truth about the iPod battery and charging’ in the forums.

Review: WildCharge WildCharger Bundle for iPhone

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Back in early 2008, a company called Taylor Technologies showed off an accessory called iVolta, which was designed to enable any Dock Connector-equipped iPod to recharge without wires — instead, you’d plug in a little nub, rest your device on top of a specially designed flat charging surface, and the charging would just happen. Taylor claimed it would sell for around $25, but that sounded like a long shot, and the product never wound up materializing. Flash forward nearly two years to Fall 2009: using the same inductive charging technology, a company called WildCharge has recast the accessory as a combination device-specific charging tip and case called the Skin for iPhone ($35), with a separate Charge Pad ($50), also sold together in the “WildCharger Bundle” for $80. iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3GS users with extra cash to spend on something novel will find these accessories to be worthwhile; a separate iPod touch version is also available.

The Bundle ships in two boxes, one containing the Charge Pad, a glitter-black plastic surface that’s roughly 6” by 8” and very thin; it’s topped with 12 silver charging stripes, a blue power light, and a bulging, logo-clad top edge where an included wall power adapter connects. Another box contains the semi-hard rubber Skin for iPhone, which is model-agnostic and actually does fit the iPhone, iPhone 3G, and 3GS with minimal hassles. While protective of much of the body, there’s no screen protection, and there are thin holes for the buttons, switch, headphone port, camera, microphone and speaker, which puts this case into the middle of the pack relative to the many other rubber cases we’ve tested. The only real evidence of the electronics inside comes from two things: four charging pins on the back, and a bump below the Dock Connector. That’s how WildCharger gets its juice, and where the juice goes, respectively.

As a case, the Skin for iPhone is functional. If the plain, matte-finished rubber body came with screen protection and did a little more in the button coverage department, it would be easy to use for everything except non-charging Dock Connector functionality; the nub at the bottom adds only a little to its height, just as the charging pins on the back add only a little to its thickness. It’s inoffensively designed and easy to use; the Charge Pad is the same—not high-class, but not low-class, either. One could imagine BlueLounge having a field day redesigning these elements into sexier parts.

Under virtually all circumstances, the WildCharger set works just as it should. You plug the adapter into the pad and set the pad on any flat surface; then plug your iPhone of choice into the case, carry it around, and set it on the surface when you’re ready to charge—simple as can be. Using induction charging technology, the stripes supply the electricity needed for charging, and though you shouldn’t intentionally try and short out the flat surface, you also needn’t worry about maintenance or shocks. Just drop the iPhone or a similarly WildCharge-skinned device on top, and it charges without cables. Stereo Bluetooth and Wi-Fi continued to work while the iPhone 3GS charged; an iPhone and an iPhone 3G also charged without complaint while in the case.

The only hiccup we noticed was a seemingly only one-time thing—we thought that we saw the Skin cause some inaccuracy in the iPhone 3GS’s compass in early testing, but could not reproduce the result, and it’s possible that the polar flip we saw was just a part of the compass’s less than complete stability under normal circumstances. That leaves only the larger question of whether it’s worth spending a fairly steep $80 for the privilege of charging your iPhone without wires. You can make up your own mind on this point, but from our perspective, WildCharge’s set sits right on the fine edge of a general recommendation due to its pricing. We felt that it merited one on the grounds that it takes a generally smart approach to the concept of an inductive charging accessory—case rather than large plug-in, multi-device-compatible surface—though its price makes it a luxury item, and it needn’t be. If you don’t want to spend the cash, cabled iPhone wall chargers can be had for $20; for now, this is a pricey but neat little innovation that will appeal to the mainstream when it’s more affordable.

A Note From the Editors of iLounge: Though all products and services reviewed by iLounge are “final,”
many companies now make changes to their offerings after publication of our reviews, which may or may not be reflected
above. This iLounge article
provides more information on this practice, known as revving.

Can I convert a Mac iPod to a Windows iPod or vice versa?

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Yes. You can convert either format iPod to the other.

To convert a Windows iPod into a Mac iPod, just download iPod Software Updater 1.3.1 (1st & 2nd gen.) for Mac OS X. Download Software Updater 2.1 for 3rd gen. iPods. Once the appropriate Updater has been installed onto your Mac, run it while your Windows iPod is connected to the FireWire port on the Mac. Be sure to select “Restore” instead of “Update”.

To convert a Mac iPod into a Windows iPod, connect the Mac iPod to the FireWire port on your PC and then run the Windows 1.3 iPod Updater (or 2.1 Updater for 3rd gen iPods), selecting “Restore”.

NOTE: Running Restore from the iPod Updater reformats your iPod’s HDD and will therefore delete all the MP3s stored there – make sure the MP3s you want to keep are saved elsewhere, like on your computer. Performing a conversion may violate your iPod’s warranty and/or Apple will not give you any support for your iPod after having converted it.

How can I navigate my music on my iPod shuffle?

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Though it may be the simplest iPod yet, there are a few key iPod shuffle operation techniques worth discussing:

On the rear of your shuffle, you’ll see that the main slider has two “On” positions. The first is “sequential play,” and the second is “shuffle.” Use sequential play mode if you’re not “Enjoying Uncertainty” at the moment. You can, for example, switch modes from shuffle to sequential play during a song (if you just have to hear the rest of that album!) and it won’t be disrupted. You’ll continue sequentially.
When listening to a playlist sequentially, press Play three times quickly to return to the very beginning of the play order.
When listening to a playlist in shuffle mode, press Play three times quickly to re-randomize the play order.
When listening to the first song in the play order, you can navigate backwards to go straight to the final song. This is helpful for quickly getting to songs you know are near the end of your play order.

Should I take my iPod out of a case before (re)charging it?

iTunes Guru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Yes. Apple recommends that you take the iPod out of any case before (re)charging it. The hard drive won’t spin when charging from the wall or the car, but it still gets hot inside.

The iPod has no internal cooling fan and no vents, so relies on its stainless steel back to act as both a heat exchanger and a heat sink.
Any heat exchanger relies on having maximum continuous surface area in contact with the cooling medium (in this case ambient air). The continuous part is important, because it means that cases with ventilation holes still dramatically reduce the heat exchanger’s efficiency. Having the steel back in contact with an insulator (a case or jacket) is a bad idea.
Then iPod is full of narrow guage, minimum insulation wires and flimsy soldered connections which will become brittle or may fail, if regularly subjected to high temperatures.