The iPod Book: Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and the iTunes Store, Third Edition (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

~ Scott Kelby (Author)
Key Phrases: music library, click wheel, audio file, Main Menu, Party Shuffle, Smart Playlist (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The world's best-selling iPod book is back and fully updated with all the new iPods and features in iTunes 7. This book is so popular because it is a book of a different breed. There are basically two kinds of iPod books: (1) The "tell me all about it" kind, which includes in-depth discussions on compression algorithms, debates about analog vs. digital equalizers; and tutorials on how to export your playlist in Unicode format. (2) There's this book. It's not a "tell me all about it" book, it’s a "show me how to do it" book. Award-winning author Scott Kelby shows you step-by-step how it's all done, using the same casual, plain-English style that has made him one of the world's best-selling technology authors. You'll learn how to do only the most important, most requested, and just plain cool things you're going to want to do with your iPod—so you can start having fun with it today. Right now! Each page covers just one topic, complete with full color photos, making it easy to find just what you're looking for fast. Plus, it shows you how to get the most from the iTunes Store, how to watch movies and TV shows with your iPod, how to integrate your iPod into your car, which iPod accessories are hot, how to use photos with your iPod, and everything you need to know about the latest models in the iPod family, including the iPod Nano and the re-designed, tiny iPod Shuffle! It's all here, in the only book of its kind, and you're gonna love it!

About the Author

Scott Kelby is President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Editor-in-Chief of both Photoshop User and Layers magazines. Scott serves as training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour and is the technical chair of the largest Photoshop gathering in the industry, Photoshop World. He has written numerous best-selling creative technology books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 3 edition (November 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 032148617X
• ISBN-13: 978-0321486172
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #579,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet! I didn't know that was possible..., December 27, 2005

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

This review is from: The iPod Book: Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and the iTunes Music Store (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

OK... I finally joined the cult of the iPodders this month. I'm not a music fanatic like others I know, but there are some podcasts I really should be listening to. So, with iPod in hand, I started working my way through The iPod Book by Scott Kelby. He did a really nice job on this, and I think I know what I'm doing now...

Contents: I Can't Help Myself - The Chapter for People Who Must Play a Song Right Now; The Outsiders - How to Work the Stuff on the Outside of Your iPod; Pod's Theme - iPod Essentials; It's Tricky - Cool iPod Tips & Tricks; Cars - Using the iPod in Your Car; Get the Freeze-Frame - Using Your iPod's Photo Features; Home Sweet Home - iTunes Essentials; Imaginary Player - Playlists and Smart Playlists; Proof of Purchase - Using the iTunes Music Store; Tip Drill - Cool iTunes Tips; Add It On - iPod Accessories (and the iTunes Phone); Get the Lido Shuffle - How to Use Apple's iPod shuffle; Cast of Angels - How to Download (and Create Your Own) Podcasts; Recommended Dose - A Peek at My Own Personal, Ultra-Secret, Yet Surprisingly Way-Cool Playlists; Index

There were a number of things I enjoyed in this book... For one, the writing style has some great dry humor and wit. Each chapter is tied into some music, and it's Kelby's contention that editors never read the book and chapter forwards, and he can get away with stuff in there. So for some great humor, don't skip *any* of the intros. But the book is more than just a few laughs. He does a nice job covering the range of functionality that comes in the iPod, in iTunes, and in the large number of after-market add-ons you can buy for your new toy. Want to listen to your iPod from the car radio with no wiring? You can do that. Want to use your iPod as a voice recorder? Yup, it's there. Do you just want to use your iPod as your stereo system attached to a pair of high-end speakers? No problem... All that and more is covered. Since he covers all the different iPod models, you also don't have to worry that your iPod Nano (or Shuffle) will get short-changed. The book has great information regardless of your particular version. Each page has one complete tip or hint, so it's easy to scan for just what you're looking for. Throw in a number of iTips at the bottom of several pages, and even the most experienced iPodder will probably find something that causes him/her to say, "hey! didn't know you could do that!"...

Maybe it's because I'm an iPod newbie and this was the first book that unlocked the possibilities for me. Regardless, I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone looking for something more in the way of information than what comes packaged with the unit...

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing, January 13, 2008

By	William W. Smith "-wick smith" (Basking Ridge, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The iPod Book: Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and the iTunes Store (4th Edition) (Paperback)

Let me start by saying I like Scott Kelby, and I have the credit card statements to prove it.

But with these books he's just phoning it in. Along with the Gen-X har har humor (lots of "Hey" and "eh?" and "ya know" to give you that folksy feeling) you would like a little meat. There are about 60 pages devoted to Playlists, which are pretty much self-explanatory, and only two very sketchy pages about syncing iTunes with an iPod, which can be pretty frustrating if your preferences aren't set just right. Interested in Podcasts? Scott pretty much breezes over it. For example, in the Podcast part of the Library, what are the blue dots next to some of the Podcast titles? What are the checkmarks? Do the checkmarks determine which podcast episodes get synced? I'm not entirely sure, and you won't find out from reading this book.

I had hoped to find out why some music can be dragged to the iPod icon on the left while others cannot. Apparently it has something to so with the preferences and how much autonomy you give iTunes to automatically sync music.

If you have the iPod Touch, you might want to know about the multi-touch gestures. How do you zoom in or out? Nothing here that I could find. What about the hints that pop up inside the web address screen? I'd love to know how to use them, but Scott either doesn't know or thinks I must already know. Maybe he wants me to buy his iPhone book to learn these things.

Also, I couldn't find any mention of the MP3 downloads available here on Amazon that cost less and are not encumbered with DRM.

All in all, I found the book a little too breezy and boostery. Too much space allocated to easy stuff like accessories and visualizations, not enough space devoted to the effects of preferences and complexities of syncing. Admittedly this is just me and those who bought an iPod yesterday may well find it useful.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For beginners only!, March 4, 2005

By	Dawn R. Powell "dawne" (Fredericksburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The iPod Book: Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and the iTunes Music Store (Paperback)

This book would be great for iPod newbies. It guides you, with clear pictures and humorous text, through setting up your iPod, putting songs on and listening to the music.

But I found the subtitle "Doing Cool Stuff with the iPod and iTunes Music Store" very misleading - is buying a song from the music store a "cool" thing? What about clicking the Power Search button? Worst was the "Faking having your iPod in your car" (in case you do not have a tape deck, fm player or audio-in jack but do have a cd player). The "cool idea"? Mix your favorite songs up in iTunes and burn some cds with them in shuffled format! HUH!??!?!? you don't even need an iPod at all to do that.

The advertisements for various products made me feel like I was looking at a bulky iPod catalog. If I was new to iPod, I would have liked this book - at least it explains in simple language the basics. But I am not new to iPod, I am well-versed in iPod and wanted to learn something "cool". If you are like me, find another book.