It's been one month since Apple changed music distribution forever by launching its iTunes Music Store in line with brand new iPods supporting larger storage and a sleeker design than previous iPods. Most important is that along with both products comes the new AAC MP4 format which offers CD quality sound at MP3 file sizes (for more info on MP4 see the May 2003 Spot Light).

iTunes is Apple's digital music jukebox for Macs with Mac OS X, and iTunes is also how you get to Apple's online music store via the Internet. The iPod connects to your computer, which allows you to transfer your iTunes music library to the portable digital music player.

Later this year Apple will release iTunes 4 for Windows, so PC users will be able to create MP4 files and go to the Apple Music Store online. Until then windows iPod users will have use the MP3 format.

With AAC MP4 as the main audio compression format, the impact an iPod can have on your music listening and home theater is tremendous. No longer are you tied to CD switching, and you can design your own playlists on the fly in iTunes with minimal effort. The whole process is just so simply well designed and so easy-to-use, once you're exposed to iPod and iTunes you'll be hooked.

The AAC MP4 format is the brand new compression format that offers CD quality sound at MP3 file sizes. So music files that were once 70MB on a CD can now be saved on your computer at 5-7MB. Allowing you to save roughly 10 times more music than would otherwise be possible, and with AAC MP4 the full sound quality of the original CD is retained.

The iPod and iTunes go hand in hand. iTunes is the music manager, enabling you to import and manage your music and playlists, which you then upload to the iPod.

Getting Your CD Library Into iTunes
Most everyone who has recorded an audio CD or MiniDisc knows what a pain it can be to have to switch between CDs to make a mix CD, or the trouble it is to enter title and track information. With iTunes, creating your CD library and making custom playlists couldn't be easier or more effortless:

• Insert a CD
• iTunes starts up (if not already started) and shows lists tracks on the CD
• From the "Advanced" menu selecting "get CD track names" goes to an online database to retrieve all song information including name, album, year, and genre
• From the list you can choose to import all or deselect which tracks you don't want to import
• The songs are then downloaded into your iTunes library

Sorting Through The Library and Adding Playlists
Managing your music library couldn't be easier than with iTunes. Searching for a keyword dynamically changes your music library list on-the-fly. As soon as you start typing the list of songs changes to matching results instantly.

Creating playlists is a breeze as well. Simply add a folder, drag the songs you want from your library into the folder, and sort the song order anyway you like. Making custom mixes takes mere seconds and can be just as easily modified. Everything should be made this easy-to-use and convenient. You can practically do everything you want with your music library without thinking. The only downside is that iTunes is so easy to use that it's downright addicting.

The Mother of All Things Cool
When the iPod was introduced it was way cool. The only downside was that the original iPod offered only a decent amount of storage space for the $300-$400 asking price of 5GB and 10GB units. One other downside for audiophiles is that the iPod relied solely on the MP3 format, which sounds decent over computer speakers and headphones, but lacks the full audio quality for use in a dedicated stereo.

The new iPod is simply way cool. It's looks simplistically elegant, which is also how it operates. All buttons are touch sensitive, which offers an almost completely flat front surface. The LCD screen is easy to read and navigate with one hand, and the new iPod screen is backlit, which automatically activates when you start pressing buttons. The buttons illuminate in an orange-red glow while the LCD screen lights up in a bluish-white color. The backlighting definitely makes reading the already intuitive user interface much easier to see in all lighting conditions.

The new iPod now offers 10GB, 15GB, and 30GB versions for $299, $399, and $499. The 30GB has a slightly bigger size than the other two but is still small in scale. The new iPods offer a far better value and now play the AAC MP4 format which offers the same audiophile quality sound the CDs offer. What's even better is that through a software update the old iPods can enjoy the MP4 AAC format as well.

The iPod's design is so sleek and cool looking you may find yourself gawking at its beauty from time to time. It's about the size of a deck of cards, fits nicely in your hand, and is relatively lightweight. It's built with clean lines with a completely durably feel. The iPod is no cheap hunk of plastic, but rather an elegant portable music library.

The Sound Quality Is The Key
Yes the iPod looks and interacts at such an elegantly simplistic level you'll wonder why nothing like it has been created before, and why everything else isn't made at this level. Even with all the design finesse, when it comes down to it, it's the sound quality that makes the iPod shine. The iPod playing AAC MP4 files just simply sounds as good as the original CD.

Portable Sound Quality
The iPod's truest role is as a portable digital music player, which most likely how it will be listened to the most. The provided ear-plug style headphones sound crisp and detailed. While you won't hear all the deep level bass and soundstaging as with a home theater, the earbuds sound awesome, and can crank pretty loud. So loud in fact you most likely never turn the iPod's volume all the way up. The earbuds are so light you may just forget you're wearing them.

Home Theater Sound Quality
Grab a stereo mini-jack to RCA composite jack cable to allow connection via stereo line-left/right inputs on your receiver and the iPod instantly takes on the role of a portable music server. Connecting the iPod over a home theater sounds best when using the supplied docking station's (15GB and 30GB models only) direct line out. This bypasses the audio stage of the iPod, and offers a more direct path for the audio to your home theater.

If you don't have a dock, or prefer to use it for the computer connection, you can achieve fantastic results by connecting to your iPod to your receiver via the stereo headphone jack on the iPod. To achieve the best sound using this method you should turn the iPod all the way up, and use the receiver to adjust the volume level. Without the iPod cranked, the sound is not as dynamic sounding.

Car Sound Quality
Get a stereo mini jack to cassette tape converter and you're ready to take your iPod for some car rides. The iPod's audio quality is no different in the car... it just sounds awesome. There is a volume difference though. Setting your iPod's sound over half will result in overloading sound. The iPod sounds best over a car stereo with a setting under half. Note: this setting may vary when used on different brands of car stereos.

Which Size Is Right For You
After you weigh out the cost of accessories you'd like to come with an iPod, the $299 10GB version is pretty much a waste, as most people are likely to want either a docking station, remote, or the all important carrying case. With each accessory costing $40, if you only wanted only two of those items you'd be just $20 away from the $399 15GB iPod which offers all those accessories plus 50% more storage over the 10GB.

So narrowing your options between the 15GB and 30GB simply comes down to how much music you want to take with you. The 15GB fits more than 300 CDs worth of audio. Depending on the compression depth you choose you could fit between 3,000-4,000 songs. That's a lot of music, and it's a lot of music to mange without making playlists of some type. Honestly the 15 GB iPod holds so much music you'll be adding hundreds of songs at a whim without thought of how much space is left on your iPod.

For those of you that actually want to take over 350 full CDs worth of music with you the $499 30GB iPod is right up your alley. The 30GB is actually a little deeper in size than the 30GB but the size difference is negligible. If you also plan to use the iPod as a portable hard drive for your computer the 30GB would be the best option. If you just plan on using the iPod for your portable music player than you'll just have to evaluate you cost value of the $499 30GB version versus the 15GB model.

Is the iPod Worth The Money?
After you live with the iPod as your personal music library you'll never want to go back to not having one. At about the size of a PDA the iPod is just easy to take anywhere you go. What really changes is how much more you'll start listening to your music again. No longer will a CD with only one good song be banished to the bottom of the CD pile, due to it being too cumbersome to get out and load for just one song. On the iPod, one song is just as easy to get to as the next, add these songs to a custom playlist and you'll start listening to some of those hidden gems more and more.

Having most (if not all) of you music available at the touch of button is simply awesome. The iPod is definitely a value at $299, $399, and $499. To put it in perspective, MP3 music servers built for home theater cost a minimum of $2000, and that's with the crappy sounding MP3 format. The iPod can fill the role of a portable digital music player, music server, and music library. Enabling you to listen to your entire music collection much easier and more convenient than ever before.

The iPod is simply worth every dollar, which by the way is the cost of a tune if you want to buy one from the overly successful Apple Music Store which is currently available online through iTunes on MacOS X, and later this year with iTunes on Windows.

Buying Music Will Never Be The Same
The Apple music store has been a tremendous success for the Apple and the music industry. It shows that Internet users are willing to pay for music if sound quality and convenience are offered, and the Apple Music Store exceeds every expectation for quality and convenience.

Browsing or searching for music couldn't be easier. Setting up an account and buying music is just seamless. In fact, it's so easy to use that it's addicting. A broadband connection is recommend, but the site works flawlessly over a dial-up connection as well. With dial-up it does take about 3-5 minutes to download your typical 5 minute tune, but you can just walk away while your computer does the work for you.

The Apple Music Store just saves money. Instead of buying a whole CD for $10-$15 you can just buy just the tracks you want. If you do want the whole album, the Apple Music Store offers entire album purchases for $9.99. The AAC MP4 files from the Apple Music Store sound just as good as AAC MP4 made from CDs in iTunes.

Much More Than The iPod
The iPod introduces people to iTunes, and the Apple Music Store. The combination of all of these elements together offers a tremendously great musical experience. After being exposed to the iPod and what comes with it, music may never be the same. Will others try to offer what the iPod does? You bet, but if they don't have iTunes, the Music Store, the ease of use of the iPod, and use the AAC MP4 format they're not worth a penny much less the plastic they're made of.

It's no wonder why Apple's iPod is the number #1 portable digital MP3/MP4 player in the world. With everything the iPod offers Apple's "tour de force" is simply unbeatable.

For more information on the iPod visit http://www.apple.com/music/