First, let me say I have read a lot of iPod books. Some have been very informative (especially when I got my first iPod and there was a lot I didn’t know). This book is right up at the top of the list for ones I would recommend. For one thing, it covers all the latest iPods with the exception that the Shuffle now comes in colors. The last iPod book I read didn’t have any information on the iPod with Video (which I have now), so this book contains new information for me—not just a new way of going over what I already knew.
Since the iPod can be used with a Mac or Windows PC, you will notice the screenshots in this book are about equally divided. Some show Windows pictures and others Mac pictures. You may not even notice the difference since Apple has done so well making both versions almost identical.
This book is in full color and almost every page has a screenshot or picture that is big enough to see the details. I learned quite a few things I didn’t know about my current iPod—like the ability to use it as a stopwatch. There were lots of other tips that I really hadn’t known that much about also. If you don’t know you can do something, how would you know to try and find out how to do it?
All iPod books tell how to use iTunes as well as the iPod. No exception here.
There are plenty of third party software applications that can be purchased or downloaded for free. Hardware to enhance the iPod experience is also available as we all know. Different devices are reviewed as to what they do and how you would use them—such as connecting your iPod to an existing audio system or listening to it in your car through an inexpensive cassette adapter or an expensive FM Transmitter.
Since many of us have video capability on our iPods, tips are provided on how to convert video to play on the iPod (other than just purchasing video from the iTunes store). If you are interested in streaming your iPod using Airport Express or just plugging into a speaker system, you can learn what advantages there are either way. It is always good to know as much as possible before spending more money.
One thing I would like to know more about but didn’t see much information here is earbuds that cancel outside noise but fit well. You can’t just try out different earbuds in a store to see which ones you like, so reading about other people’s experiences is about the best you can do. Some of the earbuds can cost $200-400 which is too expensive for me, but I would pay $40 for some that were better than what I already have. A couple of headphones are shown in this book but nothing on different earbuds.
If you need to troubleshoot your iPod, there is a chapter telling you how. I once got a call from my brother at work asking me how to reset his iPod which had frozen up. If you are home and have a book, you can look it up or go on the Internet, but that isn’t usually where these things happen.
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