| MP3 players are portable media players to listen to | | | | Today, the Apple product range comprises the iPod |
| your favourite music, store video files and images. | | | | classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle and the latest iPod |
| Without question the most famous one is the Apple | | | | touch as well as the iPhone. These small portable MP3 |
| iPod but other brands are catching up quickly with | | | | players can play audio files like mp3 and others but |
| the technology and features. | | | | also display images and play videos. Recent models |
| The development started with portable cassette | | | | also support the new MPEG-4 format. |
| players followed by CD players and finally Mini Disc | | | | In a nutshell, the Apple iPod provides an all-around |
| players. However, the devices were not able to | | | | solution for portable audio. The Apple software |
| store music in digital files and relied on external | | | | iTunes can be regarded as the most popular |
| storage drives. As they were much bigger than | | | | programme for organising and storing music and |
| today's MP3 players and had a limited functionality | | | | other audio and video files. Whereas it was previously |
| their use wasn't as handy and the audio quality often | | | | only available for Apple computers like the Mac, it can |
| suffered from movements. Consequently, portable | | | | now be downloaded by everyone. It offers the user |
| audio devices were not best for outside activities, | | | | the benefit of automatically updating the iPod as |
| running and exercising in those days. | | | | soon as it is connected to the computer. This makes |
| This all changed in 2001 when Apple released the first | | | | it easier to organise the music library and saves a lot |
| iPod with 5GB storage for more than 1000 songs in | | | | of time, too. |
| the new mp3 format. Supported by iTunes and | | | | Even though other manufacturers like Sony and |
| thanks to the small size and huge storage capacity, | | | | Samsung try to gain some market share, the iPod is |
| the iPod is still the most popular MP3 player on the | | | | still the outstanding market leader due to Apple's |
| market. According to recent surveys it is not only | | | | innovation focus this is unlikely to change in the near |
| the best selling MP3 player but also has almost no | | | | future. |
| substitute product. | | | | |