The iPod & iTunes Pocket Guide, Second Edition

Chapter 1: Meet the iPod 9

without the foam disks, the latest headphones don’t

fi t my ears terribly well; they just won’t stay in a

position where I can hear the audio “sweet spot.” If,

like me, you fi nd the earbuds unsatisfactory, you can

purchase smaller or larger earbuds, or you can opt for

a pair of over-the-ear headphones.

If the included earbuds do fi t you, you may or may

not be pleased with their performance. Apple made

great efforts to create the fi nest music player on

the planet, and it didn’t skimp on the headphones,

but sound is subjective, and you may fi nd that other

headphones deliver a more pleasing sound to your

ears. If you believe you deserve better sound than

your Apple earbuds provide, by all means audition

other headphones.

USB 2.0 cable

The iPod’s proprietary Dock connector (that thin port

on the bottom of the iPod) is the avenue for trans-

ferring both music and information on and off the

iPod and for charging the device. Likewise, the USB

2.0 cable included with the iPod can perform double

duty. When you string the cable between your iPod

and your computer’s powered USB 2.0 port, power

fl ows through the cable and charges the iPod’s

battery. At the same time, this connection allows

you to swap data—in the form of music and other

fi les—between the player and the computer.

note

The USB cable also can be attached to Apple’s optional

$29 iPod USB Power Adapter to charge the iPod’s

battery when it’s not connected to a computer.