iPod

The iPod is a perfect example of convergence technology. you can now buy movies from the iTunes Store and sync them to your iPod as well as having music and games on your iPod.
An 80 GB iPod can hold up to 20,000 songs, up to 25,000 photos, and up to 100 hours of video. IPods are also now extremly personalised. they come in different colours, and there are now 3 different types of iPod, each of which has different features and facilities. Apple also provide the download facility iTunes, and are soon to provide Apple TV. They currently dominate the mp3 player market and are hoping to develop this further with their unveiling of the iPhone.
iPod was launched in 2001 with the the line-up consisting of the video-capable fifth generation iPod, the smaller iPod nano, and the display-less iPod shuffle by october 2005
On Monday, April 9, 2007, Apple announced that over 100 million iPods had been sold worldwide.
however, the iPod is known to be temperamental. the battery is known to run out after 18 months whilst the warranty runs out after a year. when the battery of an iPod needs replacing it cost more to replace the battery rather than have the battery fixed. also, when the iPod nano was first brought out, a batch had to be recalled as many of them had snapped.
however, by ensuring the songs downloaded from itunes can only be used on iPods and no other mp3 players, apple have made sure that their customers are less likely to download from another provider or buy another mp3 player.

iPod Sales
Since its launch, the iPod has gained fans from Downing Street to Hollywood and it has been reported that iPods take up approximately 60% of the mp3 player market. There are now more than 4,000 accessories for all the different versions of the iPod. Despite a brief dip last year, sales have picked up. In the three months to December, Apple delivered 21m players - an increase of 50% on the previous year's run-up to Christmas.