Secrets of the iPod, Third Edition (Paperback)

by Christopher Breen (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Everyone loves the iPod (though for a lot of us it's a fairly abstract love, given the gizmo's sticker price). In Secrets of the iPod, Christopher Breen--you may know him from TechTV--does a brain-dump on the latest version of the iPod. His coverage is complete, easy to read, and clearly reflects the personal experience of a man who likes to be able to listen to Monkees tunes wherever he goes. You're sure to learn a lot about your iPod--or deepen your wish to have one--by reading this book.

It's possible to criticize this book for explaining the obvious: No one really needs a tutorial on how to download music from the iTunes store, which was carefully set up to be easy to figure out. On the other hand, such documentation--which may be needed for the sake of completeness--takes up little space next to the many pages devoted to relatively obscure features. Readers get the complete run-down on using their portable music players as spare hard disks, and as contact-management utilities. There's also lots of coverage of third-party hardware and software that's sprung up to unlock additional iPod capabilities. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to use the Apple iPod, iTunes, the iTunes Music Store, and the various hacks that have grown up around the iPod. There's good coverage on hooking the iPod to a Microsoft Windows machine, and some troubleshooting tricks. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Got 10 seconds? Download an album! That's the kind of magic Apple's new iPod digital music players afford. That, and enough storage space for more than 7,000 songs; a slim, super lightweight design (weighing less than two CDs!); and access to the iTunes Music Store and its 200,000 or so songs. And these represent just the tip of the iceberg! To get the inside skinny on all you can do with the latest iPod models, you need this fun, practical, thoroughly updated volume from popular Mac columnist and author Christopher Breen. A reengineered, all-touch interface; customizable menus; on the-go playlists; support for more (and better) audio formats; a new travel alarm clock; wired remote control; an elegant and convenient charging and syncing dock; and a trio of fun games are just some of the new features covered here. You'll also find hints for accessorizing and protecting your iPod, tips for maximizing its storage capabilities, and troubleshooting advice for when it refuses to cooperate.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 3 edition (August 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321223713
• ISBN-13: 978-0321223715
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,100,697 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't discuss iPod's biggest issue, February 23, 2004

By	Douglas M. Brown "dbrown8888" (Denver USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book completely ducked the most controversial aspect of owning an iPod: the limited number of recharges (and ultimate battery replacement) that each and every iPod owner faces. Instead, Mr. Breen choses to talk about how to prolong a single battery charge (turn off backlighting), and not how to extend the limited life of the Apple-provided battery. For example, is it good or bad for an iPod to be left plugged into its dock, after it has fully recharged? Also missing was advice on replacing the battery with internet available kits, use of non-Apple replacement battery services, the value of Apple's own AppleCare warranty, etc. Overall, the book had a few useful tips (available for free on many web sites), seemed very out of date for Windows versions and on any 2003 iPod releases, and generally felt like a poor value. I also felt that Amazon.com's advertising made it sound current, when in fact it is not. I am sorry that I purchased it from Amazon.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very simple, January 15, 2004

By	Javier Gonzalez (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews

The book does not reveal many real secrets. The few interesting curiosities in it can be found also in any users forum into the Internet.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great, January 24, 2004

By	C. Upthegrove (Marin County, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I recently purchased a 40GB iPod and am using it with iTunes on a PC. This book is helpful but it was published before the 40GB unit (not a big deal) but also before iTunes was ported to the PC. Most the information in here is easily learned through the basic user manual, some experimentation and a visit to some of the iPod sites that exist. In reading this you need to make that adjustment.
All that said it was not a waste of money, I learned quite a few useful things but it took a lot of reading through things I already knew.
Technology moves quickly and it is not unusual for books on breaking technology like the iPod to be out of date nearly as soon as they hit the stores.