I've started collecting iPods few months ago because of an 'Aussie who screams at ipods', and recently finished collecting every single generation of classics. As I don't have a lot of money, I bought 'broken' ones from ebay and most of them worked without any repairs. Also I really enjoyed fixing some of really broken ones. It's really heartbreaking to see iPod is now becoming the thing in the past, but they will always be in our mind.
i'm sure that guy cause a revival or some sort of spark of interest on ipods this couple of years, because i'm one of them, and i bought a sealed 3rd gen classic because of him.
i was a really poor kid growing up, so i was never able to get an actual ipod. i had a few different cheap mp3 players, but i really wanted an ipod. about a year ago i found a 2nd gen nano at a pawn shop for $20. and just today, i ordered a refurbished 5th gen from elite obsolete and i can’t wait for it to arrive
They're great and fit nicely in your pocket without carrying a giant phone. Great for working out at the gym or places where you don't want to carry a phone.
People want to say but “iPhone” but you really hit a nail on the head, “Distraction Free Listening” is incredible hard especially when iOS can only handle one audio source at the same time, this is why when you use safari or different apps your music keeps being paused. I just found my iPod classic recently and ordered a bunch of replacement parts to make it like new but seriously, it’s a niched market that it’s getting harder to do so 😭😭😭
@alwhitney68 it is rocket science, you can’t surf a social media app and listen to music at the same time with iOS, it pauses your music, because ads or videos will try to override your audio, It’s not even about distraction, but it boils down to the software literally interrupting your audio.
the ipod mini is honestly one of the easiest to work on, after you take the top and bottom adhesive off (guitar pick and a little heat) and remove the retaining clip the whole thing slides out. the hard drive interfaces with CF cards natively and with a CF to SD card adapter on the 2nd gen you can go up to 256gbs and still be able to random the whole ipod. the Nanos are impossible to work on or upgrade
Totally agree. With an aftermarket battery and CF card, iPod mini is fairly easy to mess with. The problem is that, at least from my experience, they sound a little dull when compared to 3rd and 4th Gen iPod.
I would have to disagree with Colin here. I think the iPod mini is pretty easy to work on and it's one of the more upgradable ones out there. Just watch the video from DankPods on it.
I definitely am bummed about this. The iPod defined an era, an experience, as well as childhoods of many people. As an iPod enthusiast myself, the discontinuation will only make me collect and use iPods more than I already do. Remember, just because Apple discontinued the iPod doesn’t mean that it is extinct forever. Collecting iPods is a great hobby, and if you have an interest in them, go for it! I will miss the iPod, and I know tons of other people will too, but as the iPod bin at FreeGeek says, The iPod is dead… LONG LIVE THE IPOD!
The only "iPod" part about the iPod Touch is the branding, i.e. the "iPod" name. The real death of the iPod occurred in 2017 when Nano and Shuffle were discontinued.
I remember when the Shuffle came out. I was in high school and didn't have a lot of money growing up, and was able to swing the $99 for the 512 MB version. It was one of the few things I had that people didn't give me crap for having the "Cheap Version"... People were like "Wooh! That looks like a thumb drive with a headphone jack!" I had it for like 7 years before it's battery finally stopped taking a charge. I also had an old set of computer speakers, that I soldered a few battery holders together to make them portable.
my first iPod was the original Shuffle back in 2005. it was a goodbye gift from a place of employment. I couldnt believe how cool it was!!! I had been lugging around a discman up til then... and this thing was smaller than my finger! life-changing. I still have it, but it hasnt worked after around 2014.
I am the buyer of the IPod in the year of around 2007, and the lucky one, it is still with me and working fantastic 😍.... The best buy ever... Loving it..
I had the 6th gen nano. Loved the tiny form factor for use in my car. It had a feature where you could double click the power button to skip to the next song, so it made it easy to change songs while driving without needing to fiddle with it too much. I actually broke mine over time because I kept clicking the power button and wore it out. Considered getting a shuffle to replace it, but by then I had a Touch and a car with bluetooth
The power button breaks really easy on that model and replacing that ribbon cable is Hell but if you can get it in there just right it will work for years to come.
I think a big thing to note is that iPod Nanos were a big hit with youth & children, so things like the smaller click wheel don't really matter. I had a couple of nanos during my childhood, and would use my 5th Gen nano to watch movies during long car rides. The first video that's still on my RUclips channel was also from the 5th gen's camera. I also used the radio on that iPod to listen to news updates after a large earthquake hit our city and communications went down. The iPod nano was quite a pivotal piece of tech for me before delving into iPod touch/smartphones.
Solid video!! Absolutely love iPod and still use all of mine daily and have amassed an iTunes library with over 900 songs. Was devastated by the announcement from Apple but was not surprised. The iPod will live on forever and it will not be forgotten anytime soon.
I have 3 last gen shuffles and I use them daily. I was a big fan of limited functionality as it forced me to listen to the music instead of being picky and endlessly searching my library. I grew up on radio where you had no say in the songs that played and this reminded me of that except better because there were no commercials.
The 3rd gen gumstick Shuffle was not only my first iPod but also my first apple product and I loved that thing, I guess I was the only one. I dropped it on the ground near my house and found it again months later and it still worked!
I modified a 6th generation iPod classic myself (with a 256gb micro SD and a new battery) and currently use it as a backup hard drive and primary mp3 player, and a seventh-generation nano as an mp3 player for exercise. I love these things. the nano is so light, it has FM radio and i can use it with my Bluetooth headphones while running. The classic fits absolutely my entire music library, all the study material from the university, photographs and there is still space available. And best of all, I can listen to music without ads, WiFi or annoying notifications.
This was an excellent trip down memory lane. My first real piece of tech was a 4th gen non-color iPod, which was imported here to Denmark for me by my mom's Aunt who (until recently) lived in New York. As I recall they hadn't even gone on sale here when I got mine! I still have it and actually fired it up not so long ago and it just works. I still think it is my single favourite piece of tech I ever owned. It was eventually replaced by an iPod Touch, though I never really fell in love with that in the same way I did my original iPod. I was recently helping my mom clear out her attic and found the bag it came in from the Apple Store on 5th Ave in New York, which was a really cool keepsake!
I was kind of scared going into this video, worrying that it would be too much information for me to understand what’s being said, but you made this so easy! Not complicated at all, you spoke in terms that someone who isn’t tech savvy like me could understand and use as a basic guide! Thank you!
Bought an iPod nano 6g last spring and it’s just perfect for me: listening to my music, the radio or attaching it with its clip to myself to have a pretty accurate tracker for walking or jogging :)
Hi, if you see this, let me know if yours has the black spot of death yet? I wanted a nano for so long but I need to know how long I could go before it craps out. Thanks.
I have two 8th Generation, 16 GB iPod Nanos (same as the 7th gen, different colors). I use one all the time. When I want to listen to music, I just want music on my device. It is perfect for traveling, easy to update, and has that Lightening cable. I love it! Great video!
21:36 - I was one of those. This was my first iPod, indeed my first Apple device after I started working for AppleCare in Cork, Ireland, back in summer 2012. I had to get a refurbished one as they were out of production by the time I joined the company. Using this as a "watch" with a wrist strap was actually quite convenient. Plus, it had the huge advantage of being usable on aircraft back then, since it didn't have any wireless functionality apart from a radio receiver when the headphones were plugged in, which was a huge bonus, given that I shuttled back and forth between Ireland and my family back in Germany quite a lot back in the day.
I absolutely LOVED my 4th gen ipod Nano!! Had it from middle school to high school (let a friend borrow it and she never gave it back) but I found a good replacement on FB marketplace! I’m so excited to get it for both nostalgia and no ads and distractions ❤ hoping I can upload my music onto it
The iPod was such a moment in history, it seems kinda redundant now(esp the iPod touch) but like lots of phones were still flip phones or at best those slider keyboard phones and it was sooo cool to have your music on the go. Discs were obvi in use but some players were looking like old tech so this was the IT thing for my gen(especially since I was young so it was always someone’s older sibling or young parent/teacher that had one of them)😊
I think it's worth noting, the ipod 5th and 5.5 gen models had a very good DAC in them, providing the best possible audio available in iPods. In addition, the 5.5 brought with it a brighter screen over the 5th gen model. You can find completely modded 5.5 models with 1 TB SSD storage and an increased 3000 mah battery capacity for around $330 presently, and for another $10 or so, a 30 pin dongle that connects to the bottom of the iPod classic to provide Bluetooth capability.
I still belive the final gen iPod shuffle is the greatest product apple ever made. It was affordable, ergonomic and easy to use, the battery lasted FOREVER, they were rugged, colorful, just all around as good a product as you could make. I have 4 lol...
I have a iPod shuffle 4th generation for 9 and 3/4 years and still have it now and I LOVE IT. I got if for my 8th birthday, I'm turning 18 this August.
I specifically bought a 4th Gen shuffle in green for the reasons you mention. Easy to use, nothing superfluous, just music. Great for exercise and working out. I also bought a second 6th gen classic and a 1st gen nano because I wanted them, and replaced the battery in my original classic and the one I bought because both were bad. The Nano I got because I've always wanted once since they were released but at the time and then when I got the 6th gen classic it just wasn't worth it at the time when I had limited funds for them. These days I can justify it as a for fun purchase. Great video!
I still have and use my 80GB 5th Gen iPod. I've made a ton of playlists over the years, so the analysis paralysis thing mentioned in the video doesn't happen to me. Everything is original, though the battery isn't as great as it used to be, and the plastic film on the cover has a small split in it between the wheel and screen from where I left it out in a hot car too long. I've never used it for photos or videos, just music, and it was purchased as a replacement for an 8GB 2nd Gen iPod Nano. I've dropped it numerous times, but aside from a few scuffs, it's no worse for wear. My wife use two 4th Gen iPod Shuffles for working out. Which ones she uses is based on what she wants to listen to. The gold one has rock and metal on it, the blue one has classical. Pretty cool little device.
I'll always be an Ipod 5th gen lover. It was the first one I owned and still have it to this day. Sadly, the battery solder snapped off and it took the pads. Had to fix my ipod classic and still use it to this day to go jogging. I love having NO distractions or 'notification' alerts from a phone. On top of that, I have purchased a few for dirt cheap. So I don't really worry much if I break it. They ARE A mess to take apart. Ones taken apart, I NEVER bother to fully 'click' it back. Not worth the hassle. I installed a flash adapter and I enjoy it. I did get confused when people were starting to call the 'click wheel gen" the 'classic' gen. SO googling was difficult. Now that I GET the name change. It's easier. But still, that was an issue. I personally would recommend the 5th gen of the 'classic' series. Easy to open and take care of. I did buy one that just does NOT want to format what so ever. I gave up on it for now, but it's still next to my bad every day. To remind myself to eventually look into it. Great video.
I’m amazed at the condition of your iPods. Every single one of them is in perfect shape with no scratches. You could make a lot of money if you were to sell them
Ironically the 6th gen nano is what I am still using today in my truck. Its one of the few devices that I have found that can stand the heat of inside the truck in summer in Texas. Because the dash is all black and the compartment is on the top of the dash it gets very hot in there and I have never had it trip out on high temp. Every other one that I have tried has that issue.
My first iPod as a kid was the 1st gen iPod shuffle. I didn’t even know what it was when I opened it on Christmas (my mom’s friend got me it). But by the end of the day it was my favorite gift I had gotten that year.
Great video, Colin. I have my original 3rd gen iPod from 2003 as my once-upon-a-time daily driver, and an iPod shuffle 2nd gen that I bought for exercise. You definitely nailed the compelling features of the shuffle, at least from my perspective. I’ve used my 3rd gen iPod recently (it still works great! - I replaced the battery and HD about 10 years ago) and your video is inspiring me to pull out my shuffle to see how it is doing.
you know it' really is iPod culture when they mention Dankpod's channel and him yelling at tech nuggets Loved the video! I really want to get my hands on a 5th Gen iPod! 😭
What would be a gamechanger for these devices is aftermarket housings. Housings to replace the backplate. Add in a removable battery housing and that converter board that would allow you to replace the hdd with a microsd card. Both accessible from the battery bay. If someone could figure this out, it would make ipod reuseability infinitely better.
Wow, I loved this. The earlier iPods, I totally missed out on, as I was rocking cheap Creative MP3 players at the time. I had a 1st-gen Nano (someone found it in a couch at a party and offered it to me), and a 6th-gen (my wife and I both surprised each other with them at Christmas). Now, I have a couple of iPod Minis... I think I'll avoid charging them to make sure they don't get destroyed. Thanks for the heads up!
got an ipod nano 5th gen for Christmas when I was 10 and I absolutely loved that little guy! i remember me and my friends recording "movies" with the camera at sleepovers and playing brick breaker under my desk in middle school! good times
love the look back on ipod history! i was given one of the 1st gen shuffles (i’ll never forget that lanyard..) in elementary school, was a great upgrade from my cd player and then got a 5th gen nano christmas of its release! and yes i did actually use the camera to record some dorky videos and did buy a couple episodes of tv shows i liked to watch on it. While the screen is pretty small it beat having to lug around a portable dvd player and dvds on long trips 🤷🏽♀️
I have a 3rd generation nano, really like it. Limiting the charging speed artificially should help reducing the risk of the battery destroying the display (reduce, not completely remove)
@@override7486 yes, slow and controlled charging makes a battery wear slower, and hence reduces the risk, but does not prevent the problem, just takes longer before your luck runs out.
Really enjoyed watching this! Great overview. I currently own a 4th Gen "Classic" and an 6th Gen Nano. But I've owned several: 2nd Gen Mini (my favorite ever), 3rd Gen Classic, Nano 1st Gen, Shuffle 1st Gen and I'm sure 1 or 2 more. I still love iPods and love the time they represent.
I have a 2nd gen iPod mini. I had a 16GB flash drive in it for many years, but it died. I put the original 4GB hard drive in it and it still works. I still use it in the car on long trips several times a year.
I watched multiple full length movies on the fourth gen iPod Nano (I’ve always known it as the Nano Chromatic). At the time, the iPod won out over larger display sized players in the battery life and pocketability realm. I’ve even had friends watch films with me, using a wired portable speaker system.
What a wonderful video, it felt like a documentary on music hardware history. The portable music player concept have always intrigued me, and although I was to late for being part of the ipod glory days, Im finally able to have my own music device and it is insane how much value we have these days on the portable player market. I feel like there will be a comeback for this segment, now that most phones dont have a headphone jack or sd card slot, so for people who just want a small convenient offline device for music, the new concept for this type of product will bew a huge value. I recently got a Shanling M0 Pro wich reminds me a lot of the ipod but for the same 100 dollars it is lightyears ahead in terms of functions, its nice to see how far we have come. The ipod is such a novelty, I hope yours never brake. Anyway, great video! made my day, cheers!
The iPod Video had cool games and also with a cable connected via the audio jack you could hook it up to a large TV screen and play the videos and games and the music (using the TV amp + speakers as a jukebox); that was the killer use with the 5th gen iPod for me
Apple made a doc with a remote. Actually, the remote that comes with the Apple tv first came out with that dock. I had a freind that had that and I remember him renting movies off iTunes. This was back when Netflix was still just mailing you the DVDs so we thought that was amazing he was able to get the latest rentals digitally.
Colin, great video! I love the classic iPods. When I went to school, the generation after the "fat boy nano" had just come out and I remember everybody having one eventually. Just wanted to comment that with the battery bulge, it can also go the other way! I haven't previously encountered the problem of swelling due to charging and thought this was due to discharged batteries sitting for a long time. I got a red nano just like the one you showed which had a spot in the screen already. After some charge-cycles, the bulge disappeared and never came back (it's been a year). Just plugged it in and it powers on right away. I know this won't be the case for everyone and I hope to enjoy it and some other 'ancient' battery powered devices for some more time while they last.
The easiest ones to open and flash mod would be the Mini and Classics, mainly 4th and 5th gens. These 3 I love to use but the 5th is my personal favorite, also my daily driver, because of the screen, back plate color choices from Blue to Iridescent and give it a bigger battery. You can use a cheap CF to CE/ZIF adapter w/ a cheap CF to SD adapter or the bit expensive but perfect for not having any problems in the long run, an iflash adapter. However if you don't want to spend too much, get the Mini. Easy to open, easy to flash mod. Just get a cheap CF to SD card adapter or again, perfect if you don't want any trouble in the long run with the cheap stuff, an iflash CF to SD adapter which is like $20+. I have a certain Aussie who's very dank to thank for bringing me back into iPods. I've always wanted an iPod Classic. I'm glad they're so cheap, fun to open and flash mod. My favorite iPod before was the Nano 5th gen but now it's the Classic 5th gen. Yeah Nanos are a pain in the butt to open especially the full body case ones AND should the battery bloat on those kinds, it's all ogre now. The ones that are slightly easy to deal with would be the 1st, 3rd and 7th gen Nanos since you can open up their back plates.
I remember having to resolder firewire ports on the first and second gen iPods. If you weren't careful when plugging/unplugging they were easy to break off the board.
The 5th Gen is the one to get, hands down. The iPod Classic was the 5th Gen in Black and Silver. Mine is 11 yrs old works fine today. Yes, I've babied it and in a rubber case. I have a ton of music in it, and about 8 playlists. The best part is no commercials (in cars) or subscription fees. The last 5th Gen Nano had FM Radio too! I have one of them too (my best Christmas Party playlist)
My first iPod was a 1st gen nano in white. I still remember listening to music on the bus on the way to school. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those days when everything was just so much simpler. Edit: after getting further into the video I realized I completely forgot I had a first gen shuffle. That was my first iPod.
My friend in high school had the 3rd gen with the touch sensing buttons. I thought that generation was the most stylish one. The blue backlighting was just looked so future tech.
The Nano came out in my senior year of high school a dude got one for christmas. I've never forgotten how cool that one in particular looks, well upon seeing ipods again. My other apple fav of mine would be the ibook g3/4 white.
49:40 - I found out that not all 7th generation iPods feature Bluetooth. I stepped on mine and cracked the screen; I eBayed a replacement, but it didn't include Bluetooth! I still have it but never used it.
I have that 'wonky' cable for my 3rd gen. That model is really a work of art. The iPod that really blew me away was the Nano 3rd gen: so small and so cool
I dug out my 30gb iPod Video a few days ago and gave it a try. It was sitting in my parents’ basement for 10 years. The 16 year old battery in it still holds 4 hours of charge - it literally just needed a charge and it worked just like it did back when the device was basically glued to me. I used it for a good 6 years until I got my iPhone 4S and I coincidentally ran out of storage in the iPod. I’m so impressed with this thing. My old MiniDisc player was in the same box, and the lens assembly is toast (it was fully functional last time I used it). My old Walkman held up a bit better, but needs a replacement drive belt. Both devices deteriorated over the years, while the iPod just patiently waited for some nostalgia to hit me! Edit: I have a first gen shuffle (with some random corporate logo on it) - hit me up if you want it
Regarding the older iPods, Apple discontinued development and maintenance of their FireWire Core Audio driver with Mac OS X El Capitan, and I had significant problems with using Firewire on my iPod 3rd Gen -- I ended up having to go to USB for synching and Firewire for charging.
The first iPod I ever owned was a handed down iPod mini that I got when I was like 5 or 6. A year ish later my grandfather gave me his old 1st gen iPod shuffle, which got ran in the washing machine a couple months later. Then, my mom gave me her second gen shuffle a little after that, and in 2012, I finally got an iPod touch
Great video. I was a minidisc hold-out until 2006 before I got my first MP3 player, an Iriver T30 (which I still have and use!). Ipods were rather expensive compared to a lot of units, and those early version of itunes on Windows were hell - they practically took over your computer. I've been using my Android phone to listen to music for the last few years, loading up my library on the SD card. But now that new phones have removed the card slot, and my phone is dying, I was on the look-out for a dedicated player, and a couple of years ago I got into retro ipods. I recently got a parts 5th gen for $20 and fitted it out with new battery and iFlash adapter, and couldn't be happier. I'm just afraid that now, with this announcement, there's going to be a huge interest in iPods again and the prices are going to skyrocket, just like they did for Minidisc a couple of years ago.
My first iPod was a 160GB Classic. Still have it, have managed to pry it open to fix the headphone jack. Considering upgrading with an iFlash kit. Also have two (still functioning!) 3rd gen Nanos and a handful of classics in various states of (non-)functionality.
My gawd this video makes me feel old! The third-gen was my first iPod (and I believe my first new Apple purchase, all my Macs until then had been second hand) and while it cost an eye watering AU$700 at the time, I still believe it to be one of my best tech purchases ever. It was my music mainstay for years, even when the iPhone came into view. Still works too: battery is toast of course, but it served as our workshop music player up until a few years ago. I had one of the ‘Fat Nanos’ and yeah, that was weird. Curiously enough I put a first-gen Shuffle through the washing machine and it survived too! The clip-Nanos were great, I remember owning at least two at different points for running/gym etc. Still incredible to think the product segment that helped Apple both diversify, survive and eventually thrive basically doesn’t exist anymore.
Goof video but you have spoken about only outer physical appearence and not discussed about internal dac and battery capacity... Would have liked to know those info too
I grew up going through those iPod shuffle’s for years. My dad actually won and iPod classic 5th generation in a golf tournament and gave it to my mom. She shared it with my sister and I. We each had our own folder with music in it.
My first ever iPod was the 2nd gen Nano, Black, 8GB. It was a high school graduation gift. I had been using MP3 CD players before, and going to a small, thin MP3 player was groundbreaking. My brother at the time had a 256MB Creative MuVo Slim which was super thin, but it was obscure and didn't have much storage. I still have the Nano to this day, it still works, albeit the Play/Pause button sometimes sticks. Once DankPods started his channel, I started collecting a few iPods.
Awesome retrospective! Also just recently got Nano 7 and was amazed how tiny it is (after all those pro-max-plus iPhones). The killer feat for me is crossfading! Man, it changes everything! Also there’s instant track changes I suspect also involving kinda half-second crossfade and there’s quick fade-in and fade-out when playing and pausing. Donno why iPhones never had this feature.. Even not all iPods had it, except couple of previous Nano.
Gen 3 was the best looking one. I believe you can also get a dock with an AC adapter that'll let you charge and sync, but it's been like 20 years since I've used it.
It's ridiculous how many of these I bought when they were the current ones. I seem to recall that for the first-generation one they didn't even have iTunes on Mac, that came later (and they used MusicMatch for their library management). For me the killer feature of the 5G (video) was that video podcasts were coming into their own by then, and I'd watch those on my bus commute. Channel Frederator and Logic QuickTips were the two I remember watching the most.
Yeah but, what if you don’t want the distractions of your phone. Like he said a dedicated music player is a great choice for people who just want music and just portable entertainment (even with movies) without all those distractions the phones have.
Can’t believe I watched this til the end ! Your post was excellent. Thank you 😊 I had x2 iPods in the past - I always wanted the OG one, then the ‘classic’, then the fat boy nano. But I could not justify it financially… by the time I could afford it the iPhone landed & I didn’t see the point in carrying multiple devices. Nowadays I dream of the scenario where I can just play my music and have about 30gb of storage, and a respectable battery life; without the distraction of e-mail/social media/texts/calls. I literally remember thinking I wonder what happened to the iPod as I don’t see them around anymore-like you say the iPod touch was just an iPod without the phone, hence I assumed they were still on sale. Thanks again!
The dang iPod bug has bit me. I have 5 of them still and am about to dive into modding mine. I watched this last year but felt it was a great vid to revisit. Thanks!
I still have and use my ipod Shuffle 1st gen (the one you are missing). Still works perfectly and battery is nice and the whole concept is still great today. It's also basically a USB flash drive with more than enough space to take most files, documents around and very useful at that and also you don't need any cables or chargers to sync or charge
really loved this video! whereas in the UK i'd argue it took apple until relatively recently to be in the consumer computing space, the ipod was popular here as soon as it got USB. so whilst i enjoy your apple laptop videos, this actually gave me a lot more nostalgia. thank you!
So this is when Apple became the Apple we're used to today (hostile towards users who would try to open the devices for repairs)... And this is a great example of the long-term consequences of this: the inability to even preserve the incredible history of these devices. Such a shame not to be able to replace the battery on these things! At least they never did that with the larger classic iPods, which are still very easy to open, mod and fix. That might have been the last Apple consumer device to offer that privilege...
I mean how exactly do you make an iPod that has both a very GOOD, seamless design, tiny footprint, easy to manufacture, as thin as can be, AND make it easy to open? It wasn't Apple's fault the Nano was hard to open, those designs just don't make it practical to make them easy to work on.
@@joeylantis22 My Sony NW-A55 (from 2019) is also tiny, has a bigger screen and battery (compared to any vintage iPod) and is still fairly easy to open to replace its battery... Sleek design does not have to be an excuse to make an unfixable/disposable product that is bad for the environment.
this was an amazing deep dive into ipods one thing to note though you didnt mention that the ipod 5th gen had a 5.5 gen model the way to check for this is to go into music and if you have a search option its a 5.5 gen and if not..its a 5th gen also the 5.5 gen has a way better audio chip in it so its more sought after probably the best chip in the classic ipod lineup along with the ipod mini 1st gen audio chip ive got a black 5.5gen with a 128gb sd in it
I think the later iPod Touch models (6th and 7th gen) can be considered too if you want a mix of offline music and streaming services. Yeah a used iPhone is cheaper and basically can do the same thing but it's worth considering for a dedicated player. Also, instead of iPod nano the 1st-4th gen iPod touch is better for a flash based iPod since the battery is way easier to replace.
My first iPod was a 60 GB 5th gen I received for Christmas 2005. It was a revelation, going from lugging around a big CD binder and having to load and eject a disc every time you wanted to hear new music. The old car I had at the time I replaced the old cassette stereo with an Aiwa head unit so I could play CDs. This was in 2004 and I had no idea what an auxiliary input was for until I got the iPod. I used the 5th gen until I dropped it 4 years later and the screen stopped working. Then for Christmas 2009 I received a 3rd gen iPod touch. That one was so cool and I used it like a smartphone, minus the calling feature. Connecting to Wi-Fi I could browse the internet without having to go sit at my desktop PC.
Amazing video, very nostalgic. Unfortunately my family was quite poor when iPods were all the rage, so all I could do was to envy my best friends 5th and later 6th gen classics. I am one of those people who really like the whole premise of streaming and wireless audio, but I would lie if I said I wasn't tempted to grab a classic just for the sake of having one.
@@Project68K Nokia N73. I think I got it at Christmas 2009/2010, when it was on sale from my provider because it was being discontinued and my parents got it for me. The headphones with their proprietary connecter were surprisingly good at that time. Or perhaps I was just so happy, I could've listened to something on the go, I didn't notice it was crappy :D I still remember loading it with some sick Naruto themes from the internet the day I got it :D
The 3rd generation iPod was also my first iPod back in late 2003. I do remember it well. It was also the only iPod that came with a fully featured accessory kit right o in. The box - remote, dock, holster and holster.
Had a laugh with the DankPods mention around the part of the 6th gen iPod because of the problem opening them. Remembered DankPods too with the expanding batteries of the Nanos. And honestly that reminded me of a blue 8gb 4th gen iPod Nano that was given to a relative that I tried plugging in around 6 years ago to test it as the battery was flat... Well chances are I made that thing gain the *black spot* too haha.
10:43 - …or they wanted the album artwork to show on the device 😂 The classics are great! Especially 3rd-5th gen. The modding capabilities are endless! I believe the 4th gen. Shuffle came i. 4GB capacity (at least towards the end). Great video!
This was a great video! Very informative and educational in regards to people that are looking to purchase an iPod today. Trying to get away from being on the phone so much and purchasing products that just focus on and do one thing. And they do it very well. I’ve been checking out the fifth and seventh classic generation of iPod. Thank you again for this video.
Are there any alternatives to using itunes? Have always wanted to an iPod but back in the day gave them a swerve because of no drag-and-drop functionality. I never got on with iTunes as I could never get my music library to play nicely with it - it always kept mis-tagging my files compared to other tagging tools. Is there any way to avoid using iTunes to manage an iPod nowadays?
Yup! Foobar200 with the Ipod Manager plugin. That's what I use. I also like that you can set your iPod to sort by Album Artist instead of Artist if you want.
I actually picked up one of the last stock iPod touch models Apple had in stock just to keep around unopened in the box for a while. I had a 4th gen iPod that I got around the time they were new and it was probably the most expensive toy or gift I had ever had up to that point. I had friends who had all kinds of different cell phones--and even though they were proper phones that could call and text, the iPod I had was still a lot more exciting to use and I remember I was actually pretty cool amongst the other middle schoolers having one. I carried around that iPod religiously for a good 5 or 6 years until I had a job and could afford to have a proper phone instead. It may not be quite the same as the 7th gen iPod touch but I think it will be cool years down the road to be able to open the box and be able to remember almost exactly what it was like back when I was a kid. Almost like taking a ride in the car that you remember riding around in growing up.
I really think the 'nano swell' thing is something that happens in hot countries. I'm in the UK and I've had a dozen on the older Nanos...In fact I recharge a 2nd gen quite often for audiobooks...and I've had a couple die, but not due to this
lots of repair kits for sale, or rebuilt iPods too... videos on youtube show how to remove and replace the screen and battery. Even iPod Classic can remove the physical hard drive and install a flash card storage and new larger battery.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I've started collecting iPods few months ago because of an 'Aussie who screams at ipods', and recently finished collecting every single generation of classics.
As I don't have a lot of money, I bought 'broken' ones from ebay and most of them worked without any repairs. Also I really enjoyed fixing some of really broken ones.
It's really heartbreaking to see iPod is now becoming the thing in the past, but they will always be in our mind.
The king of kings of nuggets.
A man of culture, I see
so you have a lot of dirty buds now
i'm sure that guy cause a revival or some sort of spark of interest on ipods this couple of years, because i'm one of them, and i bought a sealed 3rd gen classic because of him.
We're all a little bit Dank here
i was a really poor kid growing up, so i was never able to get an actual ipod. i had a few different cheap mp3 players, but i really wanted an ipod. about a year ago i found a 2nd gen nano at a pawn shop for $20. and just today, i ordered a refurbished 5th gen from elite obsolete and i can’t wait for it to arrive
They're great and fit nicely in your pocket without carrying a giant phone. Great for working out at the gym or places where you don't want to carry a phone.
did it arrive? how is it?
People want to say but “iPhone” but you really hit a nail on the head, “Distraction Free Listening” is incredible hard especially when iOS can only handle one audio source at the same time, this is why when you use safari or different apps your music keeps being paused.
I just found my iPod classic recently and ordered a bunch of replacement parts to make it like new but seriously, it’s a niched market that it’s getting harder to do so 😭😭😭
That's getting a lot easier. EOE and iFlash covers the bulk of what you'll need.
(Elite Obsolete Electronics)
@alwhitney68 it is rocket science, you can’t surf a social media app and listen to music at the same time with iOS, it pauses your music, because ads or videos will try to override your audio, It’s not even about distraction, but it boils down to the software literally interrupting your audio.
Really excellent video! And you have an impressive iPod collection! I especially love that orange iPod nano!
Hey!!! I know you have an impressive music collection. Did you have an ipod back in the day or were you a Creative Nomad kind of guy?
Hey! Metal Jesus!! 🤘
I wish Metal Jesus would play that sweet Black Les Paul he has in a video….
Some of these iPods are… HIDDEN GEMS.
What are your thoughts on the green 5th gen nanos?
the ipod mini is honestly one of the easiest to work on, after you take the top and bottom adhesive off (guitar pick and a little heat) and remove the retaining clip the whole thing slides out. the hard drive interfaces with CF cards natively and with a CF to SD card adapter on the 2nd gen you can go up to 256gbs and still be able to random the whole ipod. the Nanos are impossible to work on or upgrade
Completely agree. They take 256g easy.
Totally agree. With an aftermarket battery and CF card, iPod mini is fairly easy to mess with. The problem is that, at least from my experience, they sound a little dull when compared to 3rd and 4th Gen iPod.
I had 2 Minis and they are really easy to work on. The sound quality isn't the best but it's serviceable though
i 100% agree.
it was my first ipod and it was really fun.
I would have to disagree with Colin here. I think the iPod mini is pretty easy to work on and it's one of the more upgradable ones out there. Just watch the video from DankPods on it.
I definitely am bummed about this. The iPod defined an era, an experience, as well as childhoods of many people. As an iPod enthusiast myself, the discontinuation will only make me collect and use iPods more than I already do. Remember, just because Apple discontinued the iPod doesn’t mean that it is extinct forever. Collecting iPods is a great hobby, and if you have an interest in them, go for it! I will miss the iPod, and I know tons of other people will too, but as the iPod bin at FreeGeek says, The iPod is dead… LONG LIVE THE IPOD!
I am an idiot, but can you tell me what we can do about the battery?
The only "iPod" part about the iPod Touch is the branding, i.e. the "iPod" name. The real death of the iPod occurred in 2017 when Nano and Shuffle were discontinued.
@@jacquelineliu2641 Glad I got my Nano just in time.
@@eishuno There's replacement batteries for sale everywhere online
I remember when the Shuffle came out. I was in high school and didn't have a lot of money growing up, and was able to swing the $99 for the 512 MB version. It was one of the few things I had that people didn't give me crap for having the "Cheap Version"... People were like "Wooh! That looks like a thumb drive with a headphone jack!" I had it for like 7 years before it's battery finally stopped taking a charge. I also had an old set of computer speakers, that I soldered a few battery holders together to make them portable.
my first iPod was the original Shuffle back in 2005. it was a goodbye gift from a place of employment. I couldnt believe how cool it was!!! I had been lugging around a discman up til then... and this thing was smaller than my finger! life-changing. I still have it, but it hasnt worked after around 2014.
I am the buyer of the IPod in the year of around 2007, and the lucky one, it is still with me and working fantastic 😍.... The best buy ever... Loving it..
I had the 6th gen nano. Loved the tiny form factor for use in my car. It had a feature where you could double click the power button to skip to the next song, so it made it easy to change songs while driving without needing to fiddle with it too much. I actually broke mine over time because I kept clicking the power button and wore it out. Considered getting a shuffle to replace it, but by then I had a Touch and a car with bluetooth
The power button breaks really easy on that model and replacing that ribbon cable is Hell but if you can get it in there just right it will work for years to come.
I think a big thing to note is that iPod Nanos were a big hit with youth & children, so things like the smaller click wheel don't really matter. I had a couple of nanos during my childhood, and would use my 5th Gen nano to watch movies during long car rides. The first video that's still on my RUclips channel was also from the 5th gen's camera. I also used the radio on that iPod to listen to news updates after a large earthquake hit our city and communications went down. The iPod nano was quite a pivotal piece of tech for me before delving into iPod touch/smartphones.
Solid video!! Absolutely love iPod and still use all of mine daily and have amassed an iTunes library with over 900 songs. Was devastated by the announcement from Apple but was not surprised. The iPod will live on forever and it will not be forgotten anytime soon.
I have 3 last gen shuffles and I use them daily. I was a big fan of limited functionality as it forced me to listen to the music instead of being picky and endlessly searching my library. I grew up on radio where you had no say in the songs that played and this reminded me of that except better because there were no commercials.
The 3rd gen gumstick Shuffle was not only my first iPod but also my first apple product and I loved that thing, I guess I was the only one. I dropped it on the ground near my house and found it again months later and it still worked!
I modified a 6th generation iPod classic myself (with a 256gb micro SD and a new battery) and currently use it as a backup hard drive and primary mp3 player, and a seventh-generation nano as an mp3 player for exercise. I love these things. the nano is so light, it has FM radio and i can use it with my Bluetooth headphones while running. The classic fits absolutely my entire music library, all the study material from the university, photographs and there is still space available. And best of all, I can listen to music without ads, WiFi or annoying notifications.
This was an excellent trip down memory lane. My first real piece of tech was a 4th gen non-color iPod, which was imported here to Denmark for me by my mom's Aunt who (until recently) lived in New York. As I recall they hadn't even gone on sale here when I got mine! I still have it and actually fired it up not so long ago and it just works. I still think it is my single favourite piece of tech I ever owned. It was eventually replaced by an iPod Touch, though I never really fell in love with that in the same way I did my original iPod. I was recently helping my mom clear out her attic and found the bag it came in from the Apple Store on 5th Ave in New York, which was a really cool keepsake!
I was kind of scared going into this video, worrying that it would be too much information for me to understand what’s being said, but you made this so easy! Not complicated at all, you spoke in terms that someone who isn’t tech savvy like me could understand and use as a basic guide! Thank you!
Bought an iPod nano 6g last spring and it’s just perfect for me: listening to my music, the radio or attaching it with its clip to myself to have a pretty accurate tracker for walking or jogging :)
Hi, if you see this, let me know if yours has the black spot of death yet? I wanted a nano for so long but I need to know how long I could go before it craps out. Thanks.
I have two 8th Generation, 16 GB iPod Nanos (same as the 7th gen, different colors). I use one all the time. When I want to listen to music, I just want music on my device. It is perfect for traveling, easy to update, and has that Lightening cable. I love it! Great video!
21:36 - I was one of those. This was my first iPod, indeed my first Apple device after I started working for AppleCare in Cork, Ireland, back in summer 2012. I had to get a refurbished one as they were out of production by the time I joined the company. Using this as a "watch" with a wrist strap was actually quite convenient. Plus, it had the huge advantage of being usable on aircraft back then, since it didn't have any wireless functionality apart from a radio receiver when the headphones were plugged in, which was a huge bonus, given that I shuttled back and forth between Ireland and my family back in Germany quite a lot back in the day.
I absolutely LOVED my 4th gen ipod Nano!! Had it from middle school to high school (let a friend borrow it and she never gave it back) but I found a good replacement on FB marketplace! I’m so excited to get it for both nostalgia and no ads and distractions ❤ hoping I can upload my music onto it
The iPod was such a moment in history, it seems kinda redundant now(esp the iPod touch) but like lots of phones were still flip phones or at best those slider keyboard phones and it was sooo cool to have your music on the go. Discs were obvi in use but some players were looking like old tech so this was the IT thing for my gen(especially since I was young so it was always someone’s older sibling or young parent/teacher that had one of them)😊
I think it's worth noting, the ipod 5th and 5.5 gen models had a very good DAC in them, providing the best possible audio available in iPods. In addition, the 5.5 brought with it a brighter screen over the 5th gen model. You can find completely modded 5.5 models with 1 TB SSD storage and an increased 3000 mah battery capacity for around $330 presently, and for another $10 or so, a 30 pin dongle that connects to the bottom of the iPod classic to provide Bluetooth capability.
It’s a good DAC and all but it’s not THAT big of a difference
Good note, I was wondering if that was going to be covered in this video. People will pay a premium for the better DAC
@@ozmondthe dac on the 6th gen ipod sucks but the 120gb and thinner 160gb incarnations post 2007 sound better
@@Aaron-vj8kwbut the ipod is still pretty cheap used they’re still being sold underneath msrp
@@staringcorgi6475 I've had a 6th Gee for years, the bad DAC never bothered me, using good phones. Now I have a 7th.
I still belive the final gen iPod shuffle is the greatest product apple ever made. It was affordable, ergonomic and easy to use, the battery lasted FOREVER, they were rugged, colorful, just all around as good a product as you could make. I have 4 lol...
I have a iPod shuffle 4th generation for 9 and 3/4 years and still have it now and I LOVE IT. I got if for my 8th birthday, I'm turning 18 this August.
I specifically bought a 4th Gen shuffle in green for the reasons you mention. Easy to use, nothing superfluous, just music. Great for exercise and working out.
I also bought a second 6th gen classic and a 1st gen nano because I wanted them, and replaced the battery in my original classic and the one I bought because both were bad. The Nano I got because I've always wanted once since they were released but at the time and then when I got the 6th gen classic it just wasn't worth it at the time when I had limited funds for them. These days I can justify it as a for fun purchase.
Great video!
I still have and use my 80GB 5th Gen iPod. I've made a ton of playlists over the years, so the analysis paralysis thing mentioned in the video doesn't happen to me. Everything is original, though the battery isn't as great as it used to be, and the plastic film on the cover has a small split in it between the wheel and screen from where I left it out in a hot car too long. I've never used it for photos or videos, just music, and it was purchased as a replacement for an 8GB 2nd Gen iPod Nano. I've dropped it numerous times, but aside from a few scuffs, it's no worse for wear.
My wife use two 4th Gen iPod Shuffles for working out. Which ones she uses is based on what she wants to listen to. The gold one has rock and metal on it, the blue one has classical. Pretty cool little device.
I'll always be an Ipod 5th gen lover. It was the first one I owned and still have it to this day. Sadly, the battery solder snapped off and it took the pads. Had to fix my ipod classic and still use it to this day to go jogging. I love having NO distractions or 'notification' alerts from a phone. On top of that, I have purchased a few for dirt cheap. So I don't really worry much if I break it.
They ARE A mess to take apart. Ones taken apart, I NEVER bother to fully 'click' it back. Not worth the hassle. I installed a flash adapter and I enjoy it. I did get confused when people were starting to call the 'click wheel gen" the 'classic' gen. SO googling was difficult. Now that I GET the name change. It's easier. But still, that was an issue.
I personally would recommend the 5th gen of the 'classic' series. Easy to open and take care of. I did buy one that just does NOT want to format what so ever. I gave up on it for now, but it's still next to my bad every day. To remind myself to eventually look into it.
Great video.
I’m amazed at the condition of your iPods. Every single one of them is in perfect shape with no scratches. You could make a lot of money if you were to sell them
Ironically the 6th gen nano is what I am still using today in my truck. Its one of the few devices that I have found that can stand the heat of inside the truck in summer in Texas. Because the dash is all black and the compartment is on the top of the dash it gets very hot in there and I have never had it trip out on high temp. Every other one that I have tried has that issue.
My first iPod as a kid was the 1st gen iPod shuffle. I didn’t even know what it was when I opened it on Christmas (my mom’s friend got me it). But by the end of the day it was my favorite gift I had gotten that year.
Great video, Colin. I have my original 3rd gen iPod from 2003 as my once-upon-a-time daily driver, and an iPod shuffle 2nd gen that I bought for exercise. You definitely nailed the compelling features of the shuffle, at least from my perspective. I’ve used my 3rd gen iPod recently (it still works great! - I replaced the battery and HD about 10 years ago) and your video is inspiring me to pull out my shuffle to see how it is doing.
you know it' really is iPod culture when they mention Dankpod's channel and him yelling at tech nuggets
Loved the video! I really want to get my hands on a 5th Gen iPod! 😭
What would be a gamechanger for these devices is aftermarket housings. Housings to replace the backplate. Add in a removable battery housing and that converter board that would allow you to replace the hdd with a microsd card. Both accessible from the battery bay. If someone could figure this out, it would make ipod reuseability infinitely better.
This is one of most informative iPod videos out there that explain all the different models. Thanks Colin!
Wow, I loved this. The earlier iPods, I totally missed out on, as I was rocking cheap Creative MP3 players at the time. I had a 1st-gen Nano (someone found it in a couch at a party and offered it to me), and a 6th-gen (my wife and I both surprised each other with them at Christmas). Now, I have a couple of iPod Minis... I think I'll avoid charging them to make sure they don't get destroyed. Thanks for the heads up!
not charging them can also damage them.
batteries should last awhile. if they do die, ipod mini’s are the easiest to repair
Charging to 50% and putting them in storage is the default method for most electronics.
I believe the Minis do not have this battery expansion due to it not being as compact. the problem is with the Nanos.
got an ipod nano 5th gen for Christmas when I was 10 and I absolutely loved that little guy! i remember me and my friends recording "movies" with the camera at sleepovers and playing brick breaker under my desk in middle school! good times
love the look back on ipod history! i was given one of the 1st gen shuffles (i’ll never forget that lanyard..) in elementary school, was a great upgrade from my cd player and then got a 5th gen nano christmas of its release! and yes i did actually use the camera to record some dorky videos and did buy a couple episodes of tv shows i liked to watch on it. While the screen is pretty small it beat having to lug around a portable dvd player and dvds on long trips 🤷🏽♀️
I have a 3rd generation nano, really like it.
Limiting the charging speed artificially should help reducing the risk of the battery destroying the display (reduce, not completely remove)
No.
@@override7486 yes, slow and controlled charging makes a battery wear slower, and hence reduces the risk, but does not prevent the problem, just takes longer before your luck runs out.
Really enjoyed watching this! Great overview. I currently own a 4th Gen "Classic" and an 6th Gen Nano. But I've owned several: 2nd Gen Mini (my favorite ever), 3rd Gen Classic, Nano 1st Gen, Shuffle 1st Gen and I'm sure 1 or 2 more. I still love iPods and love the time they represent.
I have a 2nd gen iPod mini. I had a 16GB flash drive in it for many years, but it died. I put the original 4GB hard drive in it and it still works. I still use it in the car on long trips several times a year.
I watched multiple full length movies on the fourth gen iPod Nano (I’ve always known it as the Nano Chromatic). At the time, the iPod won out over larger display sized players in the battery life and pocketability realm. I’ve even had friends watch films with me, using a wired portable speaker system.
What a wonderful video, it felt like a documentary on music hardware history. The portable music player concept have always intrigued me, and although I was to late for being part of the ipod glory days, Im finally able to have my own music device and it is insane how much value we have these days on the portable player market. I feel like there will be a comeback for this segment, now that most phones dont have a headphone jack or sd card slot, so for people who just want a small convenient offline device for music, the new concept for this type of product will bew a huge value. I recently got a Shanling M0 Pro wich reminds me a lot of the ipod but for the same 100 dollars it is lightyears ahead in terms of functions, its nice to see how far we have come. The ipod is such a novelty, I hope yours never brake. Anyway, great video! made my day, cheers!
The iPod Video had cool games and also with a cable connected via the audio jack you could hook it up to a large TV screen and play the videos and games and the music (using the TV amp + speakers as a jukebox); that was the killer use with the 5th gen iPod for me
Apple made a doc with a remote. Actually, the remote that comes with the Apple tv first came out with that dock. I had a freind that had that and I remember him renting movies off iTunes. This was back when Netflix was still just mailing you the DVDs so we thought that was amazing he was able to get the latest rentals digitally.
I just flash modded my iPod Mini with 128GBs and added a new battery. Love to see it!
Colin, great video! I love the classic iPods. When I went to school, the generation after the "fat boy nano" had just come out and I remember everybody having one eventually. Just wanted to comment that with the battery bulge, it can also go the other way! I haven't previously encountered the problem of swelling due to charging and thought this was due to discharged batteries sitting for a long time. I got a red nano just like the one you showed which had a spot in the screen already. After some charge-cycles, the bulge disappeared and never came back (it's been a year). Just plugged it in and it powers on right away. I know this won't be the case for everyone and I hope to enjoy it and some other 'ancient' battery powered devices for some more time while they last.
The easiest ones to open and flash mod would be the Mini and Classics, mainly 4th and 5th gens. These 3 I love to use but the 5th is my personal favorite, also my daily driver, because of the screen, back plate color choices from Blue to Iridescent and give it a bigger battery. You can use a cheap CF to CE/ZIF adapter w/ a cheap CF to SD adapter or the bit expensive but perfect for not having any problems in the long run, an iflash adapter.
However if you don't want to spend too much, get the Mini. Easy to open, easy to flash mod. Just get a cheap CF to SD card adapter or again, perfect if you don't want any trouble in the long run with the cheap stuff, an iflash CF to SD adapter which is like $20+.
I have a certain Aussie who's very dank to thank for bringing me back into iPods. I've always wanted an iPod Classic. I'm glad they're so cheap, fun to open and flash mod. My favorite iPod before was the Nano 5th gen but now it's the Classic 5th gen. Yeah Nanos are a pain in the butt to open especially the full body case ones AND should the battery bloat on those kinds, it's all ogre now. The ones that are slightly easy to deal with would be the 1st, 3rd and 7th gen Nanos since you can open up their back plates.
I remember having to resolder firewire ports on the first and second gen iPods. If you weren't careful when plugging/unplugging they were easy to break off the board.
Oh damn this takes me back. My first iPod was a blue 3rd generation Nano. I got so much use out of that thing back in the day
The 5th Gen is the one to get, hands down. The iPod Classic was the 5th Gen in Black and Silver. Mine is 11 yrs old works fine today. Yes, I've babied it and in a rubber case. I have a ton of music in it, and about 8 playlists. The best part is no commercials (in cars) or subscription fees. The last 5th Gen Nano had FM Radio too! I have one of them too (my best Christmas Party playlist)
Love the mention of the black spot
My first iPod was a 1st gen nano in white. I still remember listening to music on the bus on the way to school. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those days when everything was just so much simpler.
Edit: after getting further into the video I realized I completely forgot I had a first gen shuffle. That was my first iPod.
I got my Ipod Shuffle back in action for my six year old son! Excellent for just music without all the worries of a smartphone
My friend in high school had the 3rd gen with the touch sensing buttons. I thought that generation was the most stylish one. The blue backlighting was just looked so future tech.
The Nano came out in my senior year of high school a dude got one for christmas. I've never forgotten how cool that one in particular looks, well upon seeing ipods again. My other apple fav of mine would be the ibook g3/4 white.
The little shuffles are also great for making an mp3 'mixtape' as a gift for loved ones also.
49:40 - I found out that not all 7th generation iPods feature Bluetooth. I stepped on mine and cracked the screen; I eBayed a replacement, but it didn't include Bluetooth! I still have it but never used it.
I have that 'wonky' cable for my 3rd gen. That model is really a work of art. The iPod that really blew me away was the Nano 3rd gen: so small and so cool
I dug out my 30gb iPod Video a few days ago and gave it a try. It was sitting in my parents’ basement for 10 years. The 16 year old battery in it still holds 4 hours of charge - it literally just needed a charge and it worked just like it did back when the device was basically glued to me. I used it for a good 6 years until I got my iPhone 4S and I coincidentally ran out of storage in the iPod. I’m so impressed with this thing. My old MiniDisc player was in the same box, and the lens assembly is toast (it was fully functional last time I used it). My old Walkman held up a bit better, but needs a replacement drive belt. Both devices deteriorated over the years, while the iPod just patiently waited for some nostalgia to hit me!
Edit: I have a first gen shuffle (with some random corporate logo on it) - hit me up if you want it
Regarding the older iPods, Apple discontinued development and maintenance of their FireWire Core Audio driver with Mac OS X El Capitan, and I had significant problems with using Firewire on my iPod 3rd Gen -- I ended up having to go to USB for synching and Firewire for charging.
Weird, I have no compatibility issues using my 1G and 3G iPods with macOS Monterey
The first iPod I ever owned was a handed down iPod mini that I got when I was like 5 or 6. A year ish later my grandfather gave me his old 1st gen iPod shuffle, which got ran in the washing machine a couple months later. Then, my mom gave me her second gen shuffle a little after that, and in 2012, I finally got an iPod touch
* insert dankpods reference here *
Great video. I was a minidisc hold-out until 2006 before I got my first MP3 player, an Iriver T30 (which I still have and use!). Ipods were rather expensive compared to a lot of units, and those early version of itunes on Windows were hell - they practically took over your computer. I've been using my Android phone to listen to music for the last few years, loading up my library on the SD card. But now that new phones have removed the card slot, and my phone is dying, I was on the look-out for a dedicated player, and a couple of years ago I got into retro ipods. I recently got a parts 5th gen for $20 and fitted it out with new battery and iFlash adapter, and couldn't be happier. I'm just afraid that now, with this announcement, there's going to be a huge interest in iPods again and the prices are going to skyrocket, just like they did for Minidisc a couple of years ago.
My first iPod was a 160GB Classic. Still have it, have managed to pry it open to fix the headphone jack. Considering upgrading with an iFlash kit. Also have two (still functioning!) 3rd gen Nanos and a handful of classics in various states of (non-)functionality.
I have this one as well and I use it everyday. Plus I have a lot of other iPods too. I did get a iPod Touch 7th generation in 2020. I love it.
Me too.
My gawd this video makes me feel old! The third-gen was my first iPod (and I believe my first new Apple purchase, all my Macs until then had been second hand) and while it cost an eye watering AU$700 at the time, I still believe it to be one of my best tech purchases ever. It was my music mainstay for years, even when the iPhone came into view. Still works too: battery is toast of course, but it served as our workshop music player up until a few years ago. I had one of the ‘Fat Nanos’ and yeah, that was weird. Curiously enough I put a first-gen Shuffle through the washing machine and it survived too! The clip-Nanos were great, I remember owning at least two at different points for running/gym etc. Still incredible to think the product segment that helped Apple both diversify, survive and eventually thrive basically doesn’t exist anymore.
Goof video but you have spoken about only outer physical appearence and not discussed about internal dac and battery capacity... Would have liked to know those info too
I grew up going through those iPod shuffle’s for years. My dad actually won and iPod classic 5th generation in a golf tournament and gave it to my mom. She shared it with my sister and I. We each had our own folder with music in it.
4th gen shuffle voice over is a really great feature, and I think it's somewhat better than on nanos
My first ever iPod was the 2nd gen Nano, Black, 8GB. It was a high school graduation gift. I had been using MP3 CD players before, and going to a small, thin MP3 player was groundbreaking. My brother at the time had a 256MB Creative MuVo Slim which was super thin, but it was obscure and didn't have much storage. I still have the Nano to this day, it still works, albeit the Play/Pause button sometimes sticks.
Once DankPods started his channel, I started collecting a few iPods.
Awesome retrospective! Also just recently got Nano 7 and was amazed how tiny it is (after all those pro-max-plus iPhones). The killer feat for me is crossfading! Man, it changes everything! Also there’s instant track changes I suspect also involving kinda half-second crossfade and there’s quick fade-in and fade-out when playing and pausing. Donno why iPhones never had this feature.. Even not all iPods had it, except couple of previous Nano.
3rd gen'er here. Still have my 30gig unit. Replaced battery once and it still is going strong!
Gen 3 was the best looking one. I believe you can also get a dock with an AC adapter that'll let you charge and sync, but it's been like 20 years since I've used it.
Rocking my 5.5 gen. 512gb sd card. love it. managed to get it before prices really shot up.
It's ridiculous how many of these I bought when they were the current ones. I seem to recall that for the first-generation one they didn't even have iTunes on Mac, that came later (and they used MusicMatch for their library management).
For me the killer feature of the 5G (video) was that video podcasts were coming into their own by then, and I'd watch those on my bus commute. Channel Frederator and Logic QuickTips were the two I remember watching the most.
Loved the vid!!! + fun fact on the nano 6 and 7 gen. when head phones with mic is pluged in a sound recorder app is added to screen. LOL it works ok.
me thinking to buy ipod while my iphone can do anything i want
Yeah but, what if you don’t want the distractions of your phone. Like he said a dedicated music player is a great choice for people who just want music and just portable entertainment (even with movies) without all those distractions the phones have.
I got myself a nano 1 for 5 bucks
@@clipmaker6138 is it working perfectly fine?
@@clipmaker6138 steal
The main point is to have all that music on a single dedicated device that you actually own.
Can’t believe I watched this til the end ! Your post was excellent. Thank you 😊 I had x2 iPods in the past - I always wanted the OG one, then the ‘classic’, then the fat boy nano. But I could not justify it financially… by the time I could afford it the iPhone landed & I didn’t see the point in carrying multiple devices. Nowadays I dream of the scenario where I can just play my music and have about 30gb of storage, and a respectable battery life; without the distraction of e-mail/social media/texts/calls.
I literally remember thinking I wonder what happened to the iPod as I don’t see them around anymore-like you say the iPod touch was just an iPod without the phone, hence I assumed they were still on sale. Thanks again!
Thanks so much Colin, I still have my 3rd gen but I thought it was broken. Turns out I forgot it needs FireWire to charge! It’s charging fine now.
Now I understand why there's so many "MP4" and MP5's looking like iPods. I didn't knew it until now! Great!
TDNC uploads ipod video
DankPods: hello there.
The dang iPod bug has bit me. I have 5 of them still and am about to dive into modding mine. I watched this last year but felt it was a great vid to revisit. Thanks!
I still have and use my ipod Shuffle 1st gen (the one you are missing). Still works perfectly and battery is nice and the whole concept is still great today. It's also basically a USB flash drive with more than enough space to take most files, documents around and very useful at that and also you don't need any cables or chargers to sync or charge
Remember "don't eat iPod" in the Shuffle ads, because they compared it to a stick of gum?
really loved this video! whereas in the UK i'd argue it took apple until relatively recently to be in the consumer computing space, the ipod was popular here as soon as it got USB. so whilst i enjoy your apple laptop videos, this actually gave me a lot more nostalgia. thank you!
So this is when Apple became the Apple we're used to today (hostile towards users who would try to open the devices for repairs)... And this is a great example of the long-term consequences of this: the inability to even preserve the incredible history of these devices. Such a shame not to be able to replace the battery on these things!
At least they never did that with the larger classic iPods, which are still very easy to open, mod and fix. That might have been the last Apple consumer device to offer that privilege...
I mean how exactly do you make an iPod that has both a very GOOD, seamless design, tiny footprint, easy to manufacture, as thin as can be, AND make it easy to open? It wasn't Apple's fault the Nano was hard to open, those designs just don't make it practical to make them easy to work on.
@@joeylantis22 My Sony NW-A55 (from 2019) is also tiny, has a bigger screen and battery (compared to any vintage iPod) and is still fairly easy to open to replace its battery... Sleek design does not have to be an excuse to make an unfixable/disposable product that is bad for the environment.
Glad I have a gen 2 and gen 3 still working and a mini and gen 5. Feel blessed I looked after them.
this was an amazing deep dive into ipods one thing to note though you didnt mention that the ipod 5th gen had a 5.5 gen model the way to check for this is to go into music and if you have a search option its a 5.5 gen and if not..its a 5th gen also the 5.5 gen has a way better audio chip in it so its more sought after probably the best chip in the classic ipod lineup along with the ipod mini 1st gen audio chip ive got a black 5.5gen with a 128gb sd in it
The 5.5 and the 5th gen have the same audio chip. No difference.
I did buy my first iPod Touch in April 2020 and I use it everyday for streaming Spotify and Apple Music.
I think the later iPod Touch models (6th and 7th gen) can be considered too if you want a mix of offline music and streaming services. Yeah a used iPhone is cheaper and basically can do the same thing but it's worth considering for a dedicated player.
Also, instead of iPod nano the 1st-4th gen iPod touch is better for a flash based iPod since the battery is way easier to replace.
Still needs to be soldered tho...
iPhone without the cellular connection is functionally identical to iPod touch.
My first iPod was a 60 GB 5th gen I received for Christmas 2005. It was a revelation, going from lugging around a big CD binder and having to load and eject a disc every time you wanted to hear new music. The old car I had at the time I replaced the old cassette stereo with an Aiwa head unit so I could play CDs. This was in 2004 and I had no idea what an auxiliary input was for until I got the iPod. I used the 5th gen until I dropped it 4 years later and the screen stopped working. Then for Christmas 2009 I received a 3rd gen iPod touch. That one was so cool and I used it like a smartphone, minus the calling feature. Connecting to Wi-Fi I could browse the internet without having to go sit at my desktop PC.
My heart breaks so hard for this.
I'm glad I got my 256GB iPod Touch. Will keep me going until.... Well the end.
I loved that little touchscreen watch-style iPod nano. I used it as a watch for at least a year. Good times.
Amazing video, very nostalgic. Unfortunately my family was quite poor when iPods were all the rage, so all I could do was to envy my best friends 5th and later 6th gen classics. I am one of those people who really like the whole premise of streaming and wireless audio, but I would lie if I said I wasn't tempted to grab a classic just for the sake of having one.
So you never had an mp3 player of any kind?
@@Project68K Nope. I could listen to music only on computer at home until I could finally get my first smartphone.
@@TheIrisCZ What was your first smartphone?
@@Project68K Nokia N73. I think I got it at Christmas 2009/2010, when it was on sale from my provider because it was being discontinued and my parents got it for me. The headphones with their proprietary connecter were surprisingly good at that time. Or perhaps I was just so happy, I could've listened to something on the go, I didn't notice it was crappy :D I still remember loading it with some sick Naruto themes from the internet the day I got it :D
SanDisk Sansa 1st gen. Was way cheaper than an ipod of the Era and did everything I needed when it came to music. Being poor sucks.
The 3rd generation iPod was also my first iPod back in late 2003. I do remember it well. It was also the only iPod that came with a fully featured accessory kit right o in. The box - remote, dock, holster and holster.
Had a laugh with the DankPods mention around the part of the 6th gen iPod because of the problem opening them. Remembered DankPods too with the expanding batteries of the Nanos. And honestly that reminded me of a blue 8gb 4th gen iPod Nano that was given to a relative that I tried plugging in around 6 years ago to test it as the battery was flat... Well chances are I made that thing gain the *black spot* too haha.
I had a mini and AppleCare replaced it with a nano, which is still weird to this day. The fact yours seems scratch-free is a miracle.
10:43 - …or they wanted the album artwork to show on the device 😂
The classics are great! Especially 3rd-5th gen. The modding capabilities are endless!
I believe the 4th gen. Shuffle came i. 4GB capacity (at least towards the end).
Great video!
Only 2 GB.
This was a great video! Very informative and educational in regards to people that are looking to purchase an iPod today. Trying to get away from being on the phone so much and purchasing products that just focus on and do one thing. And they do it very well. I’ve been checking out the fifth and seventh classic generation of iPod. Thank you again for this video.
Are there any alternatives to using itunes? Have always wanted to an iPod but back in the day gave them a swerve because of no drag-and-drop functionality. I never got on with iTunes as I could never get my music library to play nicely with it - it always kept mis-tagging my files compared to other tagging tools. Is there any way to avoid using iTunes to manage an iPod nowadays?
Yup! Foobar200 with the Ipod Manager plugin. That's what I use. I also like that you can set your iPod to sort by Album Artist instead of Artist if you want.
@@Joe4theRecord I use Rockbox, woks like a charm, just drag and drop everything.
I actually picked up one of the last stock iPod touch models Apple had in stock just to keep around unopened in the box for a while. I had a 4th gen iPod that I got around the time they were new and it was probably the most expensive toy or gift I had ever had up to that point. I had friends who had all kinds of different cell phones--and even though they were proper phones that could call and text, the iPod I had was still a lot more exciting to use and I remember I was actually pretty cool amongst the other middle schoolers having one. I carried around that iPod religiously for a good 5 or 6 years until I had a job and could afford to have a proper phone instead.
It may not be quite the same as the 7th gen iPod touch but I think it will be cool years down the road to be able to open the box and be able to remember almost exactly what it was like back when I was a kid. Almost like taking a ride in the car that you remember riding around in growing up.
I really think the 'nano swell' thing is something that happens in hot countries. I'm in the UK and I've had a dozen on the older Nanos...In fact I recharge a 2nd gen quite often for audiobooks...and I've had a couple die, but not due to this
I live in the uk also. Also never had a battery swell on any nano I’ve ever had, inc gen 1&2.
THE BLACK SPOT
lots of repair kits for sale, or rebuilt iPods too... videos on youtube show how to remove and replace the screen and battery.
Even iPod Classic can remove the physical hard drive and install a flash card storage and new larger battery.
I had my 5th generation since 2005 and it still works after 19 years