There are a few limitations that the iPod has that disappointed some consumers. The first limitation that I myself have witnessed and have experienced frustration over is the limitation of only being able to sync your iPod to one computer. Whatever computer you own that holds your entire iTunes library is the only computer you are able to sync you iPod too. Therefore if you have a laptop that doesn’t have your iTunes on it you are incapable of getting your new content on your device. This is very annoying because if your library is on your desktop your limited to only updating your iPod at your home. The iPod touch is also limited because of its lack of a camera. This is strange to me because apple actually added a camera on the iPod Nano, but not on the more advance more expensive iPod touch. This restricts users form being able to record and store directly onto their device. Being that the technology already exist and is being used on the iPhone and iPod Nano, I find it a huge disadvantage that it is not on the iPod touch. Also because of the lack of video recording capabilities new featured like face time aren’t accessible. This could be possible being that wifi is enabled on the device but the lack of video record takes this option away. Lastly the there have been complaints about the responsiveness of the touch screen. I own a iPhone 3G and I too have been experiencing problems with the touch interface. It is very sluggish and takes a long time to respond to my commands. This is a huge limitation because it takes away from the amazing experience you get from navigating through such a masterpiece of technology.

There are a couple of unique technologies that make the iPod touch stand out among all other MP3 players. These few advancement is what put the iPod touch on a whole other level then any other MP3 players. The first technology I would like to mention would have to be the multitouch display. This display has created whole new ways to navigate through the device because it is the most interactive way to date. The display uses electronic fields to sense where your finger is touching to make a command. This creates new way to move through the device that other MP3 players don’t offer. The user can flick their finger through list of songs or albums covers and pictures. Another very innovative addition to the iPod is the accelerometer. This allows detection when you rotate the iPod touch so it appears in either landscape or portrait mode. This gets the most use when the user is playing a video game such as a racing game. In the game the entire iPod simulates the steering wheel of the car being driven. Wifi is also featured on the device. For the first time people can check their emails, surf the web, and purchase content from the iTunes store right form their iPod. Wifi also lets users take advantage of youtube and Pandora along with other sites that allows streaming content. Lastly another feature the iPod touch offers the Bluetooth capability. This technology isn’t really unique but I feel most other mp3 players don’t offer it. Bluetooth is a very convenient technology that allows people to use deviced such as headphones without the hassle of cables or wires. All of the technologies together make the iPod touch the best mp3 player on the market and make the device the most unique as well.

The technology that has been incorporated within the iPod evolution has changed dramatically. Major improvements have been made to keep the consumer base extremely happy. the screen and navigation have gone through the most obvious advancement over the years. The earlier models of the iPod had a black and white display and used the click wheel to navigate through the menus. The click did use a touch sensitive reaction using your bodies electric energy. This technology is still used in iPods but has advanced tremendously. The entire 3.5 inch color screen uses this technology to make the entire screen touch responsive. Navigation is still as smooth as earlier models but now there are even more layers. Users can flick through the phone to move on to more apps. If they enter the actual iPod section of they are introduced to the classic layout but now have a fresh new way of going through it. They use the touch display to navigate through their music. If the iPod is switched to landscape mode the user can flick the finger to navigate in cover flow mode. Advancements in technology have also allowed more of a variety in content. The earlier iPods soley focused on music. Now with the newer generation out, user are able to view video, photos, listen to music and play games. The design of the iPods has gotten better as well. The devices have gotten lighter and thinner due to the introduction of better material. They have even gotten incredibly smaller. The Nano offers almost all  the same feature as most iPods at half the size. The user only sacrifices storage space. The remarkable iPod shuffle became available due to new technology. It only plays music and has no display but the ridiculously small size of it wouldn’t allow much otherwise anyway. Apple and the iPod remain to be the leaders in technology and innovation. I can see them leading the way for years to come.

There aren’t many issues with iPod content considering it is either personally created or digitally purchased from iTunes or other music sites. But one major issue that took place about one of the contents in the iPod was the occurrence of people illegally downloading content for their iPod. Computer users have developed sites where they upload music, video and audio files that can be shared from that computer to any other computer with the same program installed. Owners of this program saw nothing wrong with this form of stealing because they considered it to be a form of sharing, since they weren’t making any profit of off it. The first music swapping site was Napster. This site found itself in the middle of a multibillion dollar lawsuit dealing with four copyright infringement cases. (www.pcworld.com) the site was eventually shut down. Another controversy that stirred up behind the content for the Apple iPod was the issue that iTunes was being sued because the only allowed their files to be played on the iPod. “The lawsuit alleges Apple violated anti-trust laws by using content protection technology to protect music purchased from its iTunes music store that frustrates the ability of users to play downloaded tracks on anything other than an iPod”. (www.theregister.co.uk). This case was opened in the US but similar cases are now being made in Europe as well. The change needed to be made so that the the case can be resolved is the files from iTunes would have to be changed so they can be playable on all devices. Also some type of reimbursement must be made to all those who purchased music within the year.

As the content has grown with the evolution of iPods, the style and design of the content has changed as well. Because we are in more of a digital age the paper aesthetics that would normally come with music CDs and DVDs no longer exist. When a cd is purchased it comes with a booklet that contains information about who was involved in the making of each song, pictures and sometime even lyrics. With the digital download of a CD from iTunes you still receive a book let but its digital and can be viewed on your iPod. You also receive bonuses such as free music videos and of course the album art that is displayed while that bands song is playing. Technology has also affected ways in which DVD are produced and distributed. Along with most copies of DVD and Bluray movies you receive a complimentary digital copy that allows you to put the movie onto your iPod with no extra charge. Technology has also made getting content a lot easier. Since WIFI is now available on the iPod touch the user is able to download any type of content directly from the iPod and be able to use it within minutes. Another advantage of having WIFI on the iPod is that it allows the users to stream content, such as videos on youtube directly to the iPod for free and Instant viewing pleasure. The content that has had the biggest improvement due to technology would have to be the gaming content. With the integration of the 3.5 inch widescreen multitouch display and the motion sensor (www.apple.com), video games are more entertaining and more interactive than ever. Video games on the iPod touch look like playstation one quality games, which is leaps and bounds better then the brick breaker and solitaire games that were available on earlier iPod models.

All of the content available for use on the iPod makes it a very unique and very mutlitask capable product. There are countless features the iPod has that weren’t even discussed such as navigation, voice recording and all of the other cool features brought to you by the millions of applications available for purchase in the iTunes store. Not only does apple keep introducing more and more content to the iPod but they also take the initiative to make content that was already available better. This way the user can be even more amazed by the impact technology has on the content. From the beautiful display that allows watching full length movies on a 3.5 inch screen to be possible and still enjoyable to the arcade like feeling of playing a 3-D game on the iPod with the motion detector capabilities, the iPod is a entertainment machine which uses every slab of technology to bring the most out of their devices potential.

                The iPod generates revenue in many ways. The most obvious way they generate revenue for the apple brand is when the hardware is purchased by the consumer. Nearly have of apple revenue yearly is from the distribution of iPods alone. “14 million iPods were sold in the year 2005 alone.”(nytimes.com) When the consumer purchases the iPod, it only scratches the surface of the revenue potential. Along with the Mp3 the consumer also receives and the instruction to download the latest iTunes software program. Once this program is installed and they have access to the iTunes store they have everything they need for their iPod right at their fingertips all they have to do is purchase it. Consumers are then able to purchase music, movies, music videos, ebooks etc. these are all purchasable at different prices and all of them can be downloaded directly to the consumers’ computer, then transported to their iPod. “Steve Jobs reported to have a 70% share of the market for legal music”(nytimes.com)   The iPod continues to bring revenue with other things such as accessories. Many different types of accessories have been created to accommodate the iPod user’s needs. They provide everything from protective cases, more advanced headphones, even car integration. All of these accessories bring in more revenue to apple thanks to the iPod. But the revenue still doesn’t stop coming in. the iPod also brings in more money due to the theory of the iPod halo effect. The Apple brand believes that with the rise of consumers due to the iPod they will have gains in other departments of their brand such as their desktops and laptops. This may be because the apple brand really pushes the idea that Apple inc is a community within itself where their consumers have a tighter bond between each others than other brands consumers would.

                Apple has had such success with the iPod because of the way they market themselves. Apple Is brand more than a computer company. They believe in lifestyle brands such as Nike and Virgin.  The Apple brand personality is about imagination, creativity, power to the people through technology and simplicity. (marketingminds.com) the brand also promotes simplicity over complexity which would be appealing toward any demographic. Steve jobs made technology more appealing by focusing on design as much as function. You can see this effort in the iPods when they began to use LCD screens, which fit a much more beautiful display into a lot smaller space. The design of the iPod also is shown consideration when you consider its simplicity the easy to navigate menus makes it so much more simple to scroll through your favorite music while the click wheel gives you a new, exciting, and innovative way to control it. The Apple brand gained even more popularity as there devices got smaller in size and became available in different colors. The marketing of the iPod made it seem like a must have because it did things other music devices couldn’t so even functionally. The iPod allows you to view calendars, notes, photos, capture video, and store other files on it as a hard drive. All this was capable even before the iPod touch was released which now allows users access to the internet using wifi through their iPod. Steve Jobs and Apple have made the iPod something consumers can’t live without. Even consumers who already own an iPod have to purchase new ones because their addicted to new technology. This also contributes to revenue because it brings repeat customers. The marketing of the iPod was very successful because they made it more than just an Mp3 player.

                Apple has matched their efforts in marketing with an extreme effort in distribution. They do a better job distributing their products than any other technology based company. They have opened several retail stores and have also made their products easy for purchase by making them available online, which makes them available to everyone. Apple has over 200 retail stores located around the world. These stores give the consumer and more direct form of contact with the brand. The consumer can find out more about the brand as a family and also about new products. The entire Apple product lines including all of the current iPods are available for use in the store. This is good because it shows that Apple is confident enough to let the customers try out the product fully before they purchase it. Most other companies don’t do that. Along with trying out the product the customers also have an expert staff to go to incase they have any questions. The online experience is similar in some ways. The consumers get to read and compare the specs of the product. They can also view showcases of certain products who are hosted by the CEO of Apple computers Steve Jobs himself. Whether in person or on the computer Apple tries to be as clear as possible with their products because they feel they have nothing to hide. The experience in store is a bit more personal, but if a retail store is not located the customer can still make an educated purchase online.  Distribution of their products should never be an issue for Apple. The only problem they might face is keeping those iPods on the shelves. Marketing and distribution have both made the iPod the clear and easy choice for MP3 players.

                Other companies who try and compete with Apple iPod normally have a hard time keeping up. Other keeping who have made products to keep with the iPod are Archos, Creative Labs, E Digital, Phillips and RCA. Other companies, such as Hewlett Packard and Time Warner have allied with Apple.  These companies that don’t decide to ally often find themselves just playing catch up. They can’t seem to find the balance of usability, style, and compact size. (www.pcmag.com) they lack feature that iPod users have become accustomed such as, a rechargeable battery, voice recording, and am/fm tuner. The feature of charging your device using a USB cord is also a plus iPod users have. Major companies such as Sony have reported to have plans to enter the MP3 player race but have put holds on those plans for another year. Another huge part of having an iPod is the presence of the whole iTunes software capabilities. Not only do competitors have to make a decent MP3 player, they also have to make software that can compete with iTunes. The last obstacle these competitors have to conquer is battling the reputation the iPod has created. The fan base of the iPod is really extensive and it is going to be difficult to take consumers away from the Apple brand. iPod continues to sets the pace for MP3 player and with their track record the innovation doesn’t seem to end anytime soon. Every time the competitors have the chance to compete Apple comes up with something new and amazing that makes the older technology seem dated.

                Piracy has become a major issue over the years as Mp3 and other files that are easily shared between millions of people gained popularity. The problem with piracy is the misunderstand people that that you aren’t committing a crime unless you are actually making profit off of the copyrighted works. Copyright laws were established so that creative works could be protected by law.  A warning for copyrights infringement is shown on every DVD and VHS cassette. It states the law and consequences for breaking that law. More specifically the law states, “Federal law provides severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, rental or digital transmission of copyrighted sound recordings. (Title 17, United States Code, Sections 501 and 506). The FBI investigates allegations of criminal copyright infringement and violators will be prosecuted.”(www.riaa.com) This law is shown before every movie but not before every song that is downloaded. Many people don’t realize that the law has the same weight with downloadable music. The same also applies to text, photos, and software. The laws are to protect the creative works of the owners of the copyright from having their work reproduced with their consent. There are many different ways the copy right laws can be broken. Ways in which many people don’t even realize. Whether the person breaking the laws is aware of it or not the punishments are exactly the same.  Even the punishments for first time offenders are harsh. The government is not lenient with the violation of these laws.  

                In a more detailed look at the punishments the government has decided to place on violators of copyright laws they have divided it into criminal and civil sections. For criminal offenders their first offense of punished with fines up to 250,000 and 5 years in prison. In a civil case a first time offender can pay up to thousands of dollars in damages and court fees. They have reported to have fines up to $750 dollars per song that was downloaded. I know people who have well over 2,000 songs downloaded. If you do the math, that is a lot of money. Computer users need to be aware of the consequence of their actions and think twice before they continue to download illegal copies of music and any other files. The government also established the no electronic theft law, which is somewhat similar to the copyright laws except referring more to the electronic world of copyright. Within this act, even if the violator had no intention to make a financial or commercial profit, he is still punishable by $250,000 in fines and up to 5 years in prison. The idea of expected profit is disregarded the violater are subject to pay court fees as well as all the loss of profit by the copyright holder. Also if the copyright holder was interested in suing the violator, he could sure them for up to $150,000 per work that was stolen. Apple charges a little over one dollar for each song on their site and lower prices if you buy whole items. There are also lots of other music sites that allow users to pay one monthly payment and have unlimited download capabilities. Considering the extent of money that can be lost in fines if one was prosecuted, I don’t find it a reasonable to download illegal copies of music because they are too expensive to purchase. Some people feel that these laws are exaggerated and are just scare tactics to stop people from downloading. They say that there are too many people doing it and it is too hard to regulate so there chances of being caught are slim. Either way one has to stop and think is this song worth five years of my life or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

                It is up to the computer user to be aware of what constitutes breaking the law of copy right infringement. There are many ways you can be breaking the law every day and not even be aware of it. For instance if someone sends you an email that has copyrighted content and you forward that email to more people, you are breaking the law. You don’t have to download the file yourself to be guilty sharing it alone is a crime.  Sometimes when you purchase a CD or DVD it allows you to make a an mp3 copy of it to carry in your iPod, but if you take that copy and send it to your friends so they can use it in turn you are breaking the law.  Email and music sites are not the only forms of file sharing that are illegal. If you use aim or any other instant messaging service to transfer files from your computer to another that is another violation of the no electronic theft law. All of these hold the same consequences of the more obvious ways of breaking this law, these being downloading music from music sharing sites and making CD copies of copyrighted material and handing them out to friends. Basically obtaining songs without paying or without consent from the copyright holder for personal use or not is illegal and will result in prosecution if caught. It is important to stop this form of breaking the law. many people agree that copyright infringement for profit results in funding for terrorism. This may be the reason for such harsh punishment for such an almost harmless crime. The only way this crime can be reduced drastically is if all the users of these music sharing sites stop using them because there self made and self maintained by the users. This needs to be done because even if songs or other materials were uploaded without intent to be sold, it may end up in the hands of someone who does have that intent. This person may be funding terrorism, so in a sense uploading this material is helping them.

                The government regulations that have been made so far are not affecting the iPod in sales or marketing at all. Since the government hasn’t really enforced the law I think it has help iPod more. In some ways they have only brought downloading music illegally into the spotlight attracts more people to do it. This means more people with mp3, which turns into more potential iPod owners. Even if the case was reversed and people became scared to download music illegally, they in turn would have no choice but to purchase from iTunes store. Therefore creating even more profit for the Apple Company. I believe the only way Apple would be directly affected by government regulations is if the government makes a way in which mp3 players could only play mp3s that were purchased legally. This would eventually hurt iPod sales because consumers would probably try to find another player which would support the illegal files. I doubt this would ever be the case. I doubt the government would ever put so much effort into such a small matter when there are much larger things going on in the world. In a nut shell the iPod is somewhat benefiting from the music sharing sites whether there illegal or not. It creates more people who are in need of an MP3 player. Apple with their popularity and technology will most likely be the chosen provider for that consumer, especially since they offer the most storage space. With all the music being downloaded for free consumers need all the space they can get.

Born on August 11, 1950 Wozniack always had a thing for technology. Although he dropped out of college he still pursued a life in technology. He himself would make money buy selling boxes he built, that would allow the owner to make free long distance phone calls. Being the computer savvy person that he was Wozniack wanted to creat a computer that was small enough and simple enough for everyone to use. He first took this idea to Hewlett Packard where he got denied. He then found himself at silicone valley homebrew computer club, where he met Steve jobs the other founder of apple Inc. There they accepted the idea and together they built the first Apple computer, selling enough of them to start their own business.(www.gizmodo.com) With the success of the Apple 1, they were motivated to work on a second prototype, apple 2. This computer was even more appealing to the eye. The Apple 2 came equipped with a keyboard, floppy disc drive, color screen, and processing unit. The success of the second unit was instantaneously better than the first due to their set reputation and the fact that it was the nicest computer around at the time. The company only grew more and more which left the door open for newer technologies to arise.

Wozniak had a very successful life as a technological innovator. For his work with apple he received the national medal of technology and was inducted into the innovator hall of fame. In 1985 Steve Wozniack announced that he would be leaving Apple. But his love for technology and willingness to help people is still at work. He now visits schools often to use technology to motivate children to learn. He has also donated lots of computers and other learning assisting technologies to many schools in hope that it would inspire the students and make learning more fun. (www.woz.org)

Another important part of a new technology and maybe the most important part is the person who invented it. This person can’t take complete credit of the IPod but he can take all the credit for being the on that came up with the idea. Tony Fadell, a graduate in 1991 with a b.s. in computer engineering, thought of the idea in 2001 and from then its been history. The IPod has been the most selling, most successful, most popular mp3 player to date. His idea was to create an mp3 player with a music sale service to compliment it. (www.fundinguniverse.com)

His idea was obviously successful but was not welcomed by all companies. Fadell first took the idea to fuse where he was turned down unfortunately. But fortunately for him and Apple, Apple thought it was a great idea. Apple would think so since they’re so innovative and not scared to take risk. (connect.in.com)

Tony Fadell has had great success being an innovator in technology. He has not only worked with apple, but has also worked with Phillips, Sony, General Magic, and Motorola.  He worked on gadgets from phones to computers. He spent most of his time with apple where he was the senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. (connect.in.com) He himself designed the iPod and the audio planning strategy. He was then promoted to vice president of apple engineering in 2004.

Tony Fadell is no longer with apple, but is still being paid as an advisor to Steve Jobs. Some believe there are reasons why apple decided to pay off Fadell. They believe this prevent Fadell from bringing an IPod killer to the market in the near future. Fadell also took part in the creation of the IPhone so it keeps him out of capability to create something worthy of competing with it. The source also claims its Steve Jobs attempt to remain at the center of the spotlight on the Apple Stage. Even though Fadells run at apple may have ended on a bad note he was still the “father of the IPod”. (www.macdailynews.com)

The last person I feel is most important to apple is Steve Jobs. He not only is the co founder of the company, but I feel that he is there best marketer as well. His crafty marketing scheme pushed the Apple name into pop culture. He himself made technology seem cool and fun.

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California. Growing up as a child Steve Jobs was always around technology even as a child he was spent countless hours in his neighbors, who was a Hewlett Packard employee, garage helping him rebuilds various pieces of technology. He continued his interest for electronics into college, where he would attend HP lectures, but then dropped out to study religion in India. Luckily Steve jobs ended up in Silicone Valley Homebrew computers where he met soon to be Apple’s co founder Steve Wozniak. Steve Jobs made money selling already built computer to company’s because at that time the only way to have a personal computer would be to build it yourself. Jobs and Wozniak joined forces and created apple 1 and 2 and therefore the legacy of the apple brand began. (www.notablebiographies.com)

After 1985 when Wozniak left apple Steve jobs had control over what products Apple would continue to produce. In 2001 when tony Fadell showed up with the idea to create a music player with a music selling service to compliment it, Jobs jumped at the opportunity to create and rounded up a team just for Fadell to create the IPod. That fearless Entrepreneurship is what leads to the IPod’s release and to the success of the Apple brand in general.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs is the forth highest paid CEO of the decade. (www.msnbc.msn.com) This is partly due to his amazing skill at making his newest additions to Apple line up seem as though they are going to change the world. For every new product whether it is the IPad or the IPhone Steve jobs holds a entire conference to walk through every feature and all of the benefits you can have from owning his product. His ability to convince his audience that his product is the greatest ever is part of his talent in marketing. Currently his latest Product the IPhone 4 has been having antenna issues. But of course the intelligent business man has offered full refunds or a free case for the Inconvenience. This type of response to a problem is what makes apple stand out as a company and be so successful, besides their amazing products.( www.msnbc.msn.com)