- The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. The correct title is iPod mini.
The iPod mini is a smaller version of Apple Computer's iPod portable audio player. It was announced on January 6, 2004, and released on February 20 of the same year. It has a storage capacity of 4 gigabytes (roughly 1,000 4-minute or 4 megabyte songs), and is currently available for $249 USD. Initial popularity just after its release lead to supply shortage problems in early 2004. The device interoperates with both Macintosh and Windows PCs, with limited third-party support for Linux and other Unix workalikes.
The iPod mini uses ultra-thin Compact Flash Microdrive hard drives made by Hitachi.
The iPod mini is 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches (91 by 51 by 13 mm) and weighs 3.6 ounces (102 grams). Its case is composed of anodized aluminum, available in five colours: silver, gold, pink, blue, and green. (Some pink units have been known to turn to a more lavender hue over time.)
It retains the popular touch-sensitive scroll wheel of the 3G iPod; however, instead of the four buttons around the wheel, the buttons are beneath the wheel itself (hence, the new wheel is known as a "click wheel"). To access one of the four buttons, a user physically pushes the edge of the wheel inward over one of the four labels. Like its predecessors, this wheel is developed for Apple by Synaptics. The click wheel is now also used in the fourth-generation iPod.
Above the wheel is a display which shows menus or information about the currently playing song.
The iPod mini has a proprietary connector on the bottom for a USB 2.0 or FireWire connection to a computer; the unit's battery is charged by the connect. Along the top, it has a hold switch, a headphone plug, and a plug for connecting accessories such as the optional wired remote or a radio broadcaster.
Like the larger iPod, the iPod mini supports MP3, AAC/M4A, WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless audio formats. It also retains the iPod's seamless integration with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, allowing for true auto-sync between the software application and the iPod mini.
In March 2004, reports of sound glitches with the new iPod mini first emerged at the ipodlounge.com discussion board[1] (http://ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=25901&perpage=15&pagenumber=1). After numerous news sources picked up on this, Apple acknowledged that some users have been reporting the same problem. Some units would start playing static over the earphones, instead of music; research among users has determined that the earphone connection inside the unit is prone to breaking off from the unit's circuit board. A possible hardware problem raised concerns amongst consumers since it cannot be easily upgraded like firmware.
It is rumoured that a 5 GB upgrade to the Mini is in the works. Hitachi has also recently announced that the hard drive used in the Mini is expected to at least double in capacity by the end of the year, leading to speculation of 8 GB or 10 GB variants.
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