IPod mini

The iPod mini was a series of digital audio players designed and marketed by Apple. It was the midrange model in the iPod product line. It was announced on January 6, 2004, and released on February 20 of the same year. A second-generation version was announced on February 23, 2005, and released later that year. The iPod mini line was officially discontinued on September 7, 2005, when it was replaced by the iPod nano.

Features
The iPod mini uses the touch-sensitive scroll wheel of the third generation iPod. However, instead of the four touch buttons located above the wheel, the buttons were redesigned as mechanical switches beneath the wheel itself—hence the name click wheel. To use one of the four buttons, the user must physically push the edge of the wheel inward over one of the four labels. Like its predecessors, the wheel was developed for Apple by Synaptics. The click wheel is now also used in the fourth, fifth and sixth generation iPods and the iPod Nano, from first generation through the fifth; however, in the Nano and 5G iPods onwards, the click wheel is developed by Apple.

Above the wheel is a monochrome 138x110 LCD that displays a menu or information about the selected track. Newer-generation iPods have since adopted color displays.

Product history
Both generations of iPod mini were almost identical in their external features, except for two noticeable differences: the Menu, rewind, forward, and play/pause buttons of the second generation came in the same color as their casing, while on the first generation, all buttons were colored gray, also the gigabyte capacity was engraved on the back whereas on the first generation it was not.Their main differences lay in their storage and battery capacities. Both versions are 3.6x2.0x0.5 inches (91x51x13 mm) and weigh 3.6 ounces (102 grams). The case consists of anodized aluminum. The first generation iPod minis were available in five colors: silver, gold, pink, blue, and green. The gold model was dropped from the second generation range, likely due to its unpopularity. The pink, blue, and green models had brighter hues in the second generation; the silver model remained unchanged. The iPod mini uses Microdrive hard drives (CompactFlash II) made by Hitachi and Seagate. First generation models were available in a 4 GB size, while second generation models were available in both 4 GB and 6 GB versions (quoted as capable of storing roughly 1,000 and 1,500 songs, respectively) and eventually the second generation had the capacity laser etched into the aluminum case.

The iPod mini's Microdrive (4 GB Hitachi model), seen here on the right The battery life of the first generation of iPod mini was about 8 hours, similar to the third generation iPod that was available when the mini was released, which some criticized for its short duration. Apple addressed this problem in the second generation models, which had a nominal battery life of about 18 hours. However, the second generation iPod minis no longer came with a FireWire cable or an AC power adapter, which were left out to reduce the selling prices of the new iPod minis. iPod mini batteries, like many Lithium Ion batteries, run down to 80% capacity after 400 full charge cycles. A proprietary dock connector was provided on the bottom of the device for a connection to a computer's USB or FireWire port. The unit's battery could be charged during connection. Along the top, it had a hold switch, a headphone jack, and a remote connector for accessories. Like the iPod Nano, the iPod mini supported MP3, AAC/M4A, WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless audio formats. It also retained the iPod's integration with iTunes and the iTunes Store, allowing for syncing between the software application and the iPod mini.

Requirements
The minimum operating systems required to sync to the iPod mini are Mac OS X 10.1.5, or Windows 2000 or XP. A FireWire or USB connection is required. Macs require Mac OS X 10.3.4 or later for USB 2.0 support.