The first iPod mini was released in late February 2004. It was a smaller version of Apple’s first portable music player, the iPod. The iPod mini was able to operate on both Macs and PCs. A year later, in February 2005, a second generation mini was introduced.
Apple discontinued production of the iPod mini in early September 2005 when they unveiled the new iPod nano.
The iPod mini was more popular than even Apple thought it would be. The first generation units sold out quickly, and the iPod mini one of the United State’s most popular holiday gifts during the 2004 season.
But the iPod mini has a strong following even now. Many consumers have been willing to pay top dollar to obtain one. People have been known to purchase iPod minis on eBay for way over the original list price. Why? One reason might be the trendy range of colors – pink (always in demand), blue, green, gold, and silver. (With the second version of iPod mini, the color gold was discontinued.) In fact, statistics show that over 36,000 iPod minis were sold on eBay during the 2005 Christmas season alone.
iPod mini Features
As you would expect from Apple, the iPod mini has exceptional ergonomics, a screen that is easy to read, and great audio performance. The iPod mini features a click wheel that was developed by a third-party vendor called Synaptics. Now however, the nano and 5GB click wheels are developed and produced by Apple in-house.
Both of the two iPod mini models were similar in size, but each had different battery and storage capacities. The iPod mini came with an anodized aluminum case. The iPod mini’s battery life was only about eight hours, which was a main criticism of the device. The second generation iPod mini’s addressed this problem, and boasted a battery life of almost eighteen hours. While this was appreciated, in order to cut costs, these second generation iPod mini’s no longer came with a FireWire cable or an AC power adapter.
Apple did provide a dock connector, found on the bottom of the unit. This allowed for a computer connection which then charged the battery. On the top of the iPod mini, there was a jack for a headphone, another remote port that could be used for accessories, and a hold switch.
The iPod mini supported several different audio formats, including WAV, MP3 and other less familiar formats such as AIFF and Apple Lossless.
Collector’s Item
Today, most consumers will choose one of Apple’s current models: the iPod shuffle, the iPod nano, or the iPod with video. However, the iPod mini is still available if you look for it, and its fans can still enjoy its great features. Like a classic car, the iPod mini can be both a collector’s item and a practical means of enjoying music.
http://www.ipodtipsandtricks.org/The-History-of-the-iPod-Mini.php
