Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Breath-Taking Bohol

Last October 2010, We went to Bohol for my daughte's 4th birthday. Yeah, its like 2 years later.I decided to create a travel blog for all our travels. Hopefully, this can provide information for people who plans to spend their vacation at Bohol.This was the itinerary i came up with by reading blogs and forums.



BOHOL TRIP ITINERARY  
  
October 6, 2010, Wed - DAY 1  
02:30 AM – Leave Caloocan  
05:35 AM – Leave Manila     Philippines Airline - PR173     Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2, Philippines 



07:00 AM – Arrival at Tagbilaran Airport. 



1 Day Countryside tour:   
·                     Blood compact    
·                     Baclayon Church  
·                     Biggest python  
·                     Actual blood compact 
·                     Tarsier  
·                     Loboc river cruise  
·                     Hanging bridge  
·                     Man made forest 
·                     Butterfly center 
·                     Chocolate Hills 
·                     Hinagdanan cave  
·                     Bohol beefarm 



 First Stop was the Man-made forest:





Second Stop, Carmen. To see the famous Chocolate Hills.










Along the way, we saw this ship house. Our tour guide mentioned that many tourist drops by to take pics of this attraction.



Then we dropped by to the butterfly center, i didnt really enjoy it. Maybe because ive already seen one in Baguio before. If you want to save time you may skip this part.


Before seeing Tarsiers, we went to the Hanging Bridge, there were stored on the other end of the Bridge. This is where you can buy the cheapest  peanut kisses.




Last stop before our lunch. The Tarsiers! Make sure you turn off your flash before taking their pics.







12:00 PMLunch at floating resto (Riverwatch) 
Countryside tour: F tour agad pagdating dito ang rate sa car for countryside tour is 1.8k up to 4pax, f rgular van is 2.5k up to 12pax, shutle van is 3k- 13 to 18pax. Sundo port at hatid resort na after d tour. Sa inyo entrances 140 per head lahat2x na. Lunch sa floating resto (Riverwatch) is 400 per head. Target 12 spots until sawa service 
3:00 - 5:00 PMCheck in sa White and Green. (1.6k with breakfast po. Walang tv, wifi meron.) 
Relax sa beach 
BUDGET: Countryside tour: 1,800 +1,300 (floating resto/entrance fee) = Php 3,100 
October 7, 2010, Thur - DAY 2 
06:00 AM– Breakfast at White and Green 
07:00 AM - Seatour Itinerary: 
·                     Dolphin watching  
·                     Snorkeling in Balicasag Island 
·                     Island hopping in Virgin Island 
Rates: alona - 1.3k up to 6 pax and 1.5k if 7pax up. Dumaluan - 1.5k up to 6pax and 1.7k if 7pax up. Free 4 snorkling mask, exces wil rent 75 each. Sa inyo guide sa snorkling site 150 per head singil nla. 
01:00 PM Lunch : We asked our bangkero to make a stop at Alona Beach. There we bought some cooked food for lunch. Its cost us around 300 pesos for the 3 of us.
BUDGET: Seatour: 1,500 + 500 (tour guide)+ food = php 2,500  
October 8, 2010, Fri-DAY 3– HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY CAILYN!!! 
06:00 AM – Breakfast at White and Green 
07:00 – 05:00 PM  
·         Swimming sa Beach 
·         Pasyal/Lunch/Swimming sa Bohol Beach Club 
BUDGET: Seatour: 1,500 + 500 (tour guide)= php 2,000  

As we all know, Bohol is famous for their beach. I have never been to Boracay yet. But i can say Bohol is the prettiest beach ive seen  so far.


October 9, 2010, Sat - DAY 4 
06:00 AM– Breakfast at White and Green 
07:00 AM – Leave the resort 
07:30 AM – Buy Pasalubong 
08:30 AM – At the Airport 
TAGBILARAN    PR176 P 09OCT 1030 OK      PAN                   15K   OK 

Numbers to Remember: 
Dolphin Watching – 09081534117 
Bohol Tourism Office                                                                            Address: Ground Floor New Provincial Capitol Building, Marapao Street, 6300 Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines          Phone: +63 38 411 3666                                                                      Phone: +63 38 501 9186 
Miscellaneous: 
1.                    Resort Balance - 2,400  
2.                    Tatsky back to the Airport transpo fee – 500 
3.                    Pasalubong = 1,500 
4.                    Food Budget = 2,500 











Saturday, February 25, 2012

VoIP Services 101 | Broadband Phone Company Providers - VoIP Providers | VOIP in a nutshell

VoIP Services 101 | Broadband Phone Company Providers - VoIP Providers

CIRCUIT SWITCH TECHNOLOGY (PSTN)

Circuit Switch Technology

Historically, telecommunications companies have relied on what is commonly referred to as ‘circuit-switched technology’ to transport telephone calls. This technology establishes a 'permanent' connection between the calling and the receiving parties for the entire duration of the call.

The problem with circuit-switched technology is that it requires a significant amount of bandwidth dedicated to each call, and it can only support certain types of calls (i.e. telephone to telephone). Moreover, the hardware needed to run circuit-switched networks is very expensive due, in large part, to the fact that voice and data services must be carried by different wires and thus need separate hardware to accommodate the two types of traffic. The higher cost of the hardware has caused many traditional telephone companies to resort to using parts of the Internet infrastructure to connect PSTN calls. You may have already placed or received a call using VoIP technology without even knowing it.

Naturally, the traditional telephone companies pass along the costs of building and maintaining a circuit-switched network to the consumer in the form of higher rates for their telephone services. Telecom companies may save some money by borrowing from Internet bandwidth, but if your call is placed on a regular telephone using PSTN hardware you won't see those savings.

VoIP TECHNOLOGY:

VoIP Technology Diagram
As the name implies, VoIP refers to calls that traverse networks using Internet Protocol (IP). This may mean that the calls are going over the Internet, or it may simply mean that calls are traveling over privately managed data networks that are using IP to transport the calls from one location to the other.

The voice stream is broken down into packets, compressed, and sent toward its final destination by various routes (as opposed to establishing a 'permanent' connection for the duration of the call), depending on the most efficient paths given network congestion.

At the receiving end, the packets are reassembled, decompressed, and converted back into a voice stream by various hardware and software elements. Whether the call originated on a PC, telephone, or an Integrated Access Device (IAD), and whether it is going to be terminated on a PC, telephone, or IAD, will determine the type of software and hardware needed to initiate and complete the call. Over the years, broadband phone company providers have been working on improving and re-engineering the hardware and software used in VoIP calls. Today you can compare a VoIP provider’s voice-quality to the traditional circuit-switched technology and find that the VoIP provider’s quality is comparable and often superior. VoIP services and features have also evolved and allow customers many new and exciting options, such as online account management, three-way calling, call forwarding, and extra/virtual numbers.

VoIP 101 (DETAILED TECHNICAL OVERVIEW):

Many years ago it was discovered that sending a signal to a remote destination could be done in a digital fashion: before sending it we have to digitalize it with an ADC (analog to digital converter), transmit it, and at the end transform it again in analog format with DAC (digital to analog converter) to use it.

VoIP services work in just that manner, digitalizing voice in data packets, sending them, and reconverting them into voice at their destination.

Digital format can be better controlled. We can compress, route, and convert it to a better format, and so on. Also, we saw that a digital signal is more noise tolerant than an analog signal.

TCP/IP networks are made of IP packets containing a header (to control communication) and a payload to transport data. VoIP uses the header to navigate the network to its destination. The payload carries bits of the conversation.

What are the advantages to using VoIP rather than the PSTN-Public Switched Telephone Network (the phone company)?

When you are using a PSTN line, you typically pay a line manager company for the time used. The more time you talk, the more you'll pay. In addition, you will probably not have the option of speaking with more that one person at a time.

In contrast, VoIP Services allow you to talk as long as you would like with multiple people (other people may also need to be connected to the Internet) as far away as you want for free or for a fraction of the PSTN cost. You can also browse the Internet at the same time; sending images, graphs, and videos to the people you are talking with.

The Steps in VoIP communication:

  1. The ADC converts analog voice to digital signals (also known as bits)
  2. The bits are compressed into a format for transmission. There are a number of protocols, SIP being the most common for VoIP.
  3. The voice packets are compressed even further into data packets using a real-time protocol (typically RTP over UDP over IP).
  4. A signaling protocol calls the users: ITU-T H323 is the standard signaling protocol.
  5. Upon arrival at the destination the packets are disassembled, data is extracted, and converted analog voice signals are sent to the sound card (or phone).

All of the steps must occur in real-time to avoid waiting too long for a vocal answer! (See QoS section)

Analog to Digital Conversion

This process occurs inside computer hardware, typically an integrated card in your PC or an external telephone adaptor.

Today every sound card allows 16 bit conversion from a band of 22050 Hz (for sampling you need a freq of 44100 Hz according to the Nyquist Principle) obtaining a throughput of 2 bytes * 44100 (samples per second) = 88200 Bytes/s, 176.4 Kbytes/s for a stereo stream.

For VoIP, we needn't such a throughput (176kBytes/s) to send voice packets.

Compression Algorithms

Now that we have digital data it can be converted to a standard format that can be quickly transmitted.

PCM, Pulse Code Modulation, Standard ITU-T G.711

  • Voice bandwidth is 4 kHz, so sampling bandwidth has to be 8 kHz (for Nyquist).
  • We represent each sample with 8 bit (having 256 possible values).
  • Throughput is 8000 Hz *8 bit = 64 kbit/s, as a typical digital phone line.

In real application mu-law (North America) and a-law (Europe) variants are used which code analog signal in a logarithmic scale using 12 or 13 bits instead of 8 bits.

Quality of Service (QoS)

VoIP applications require real-time data streaming to support an interactive data voice exchange.

Unfortunately, TCP/IP cannot guarantee this kind of purpose; it just makes a "best effort" to do so. So we need to introduce tricks and policies that can manage the packet flow in EVERY router we cross. If you subscribe to one of the broadband phone company providers their technical support can help you setup your router to optimize voice transmission. Technical support can be a distinguishing factor in determining which of the VoIP providers you choose.

Here are some methods to improve VoIP transmission:

  1. TOS field in IP protocol to describe type of service: high values indicate low urgency while more and more lower values denote more and more real-time urgency
  2. Queuing packets methods:
    1. FIFO (First in First Out), the less intelligent method that allows passing packets in arrival order.
    2. WFQ (Weighted Fair Queuing), means fair passing of packets (for example, FTP cannot consume all available bandwidth), depending on the type of data flow, typically one packet for UDP and one for TCP in a fair fashion.
    3. CQ (Custom Queuing), user can define priority.
    4. PQ (Priority Queuing), a number (typically 4) of queues with a priority levels for each one: packets in the first queue are sent first, then (when first queue is empty) starts sending from the second one and so on.
    5. CB-WFQ (Class Based Weighted Fair Queuing), like WFQ but, in addition, we have class concepts (up to 64) and the bandwidth value associated for each one.
  3. Shaping capability allowing limitation of the source to a fixed bandwidth for:
    1. download
    2. upload
  4. Congestion avoidance, such as RED (Random Early Detection).

Source

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Evolution of Apple

With the 25th anniversary of the first Macintosh computer coming up on January 24th, 2009, we’re taking a look back in time at the evolution of Apple products.

Most have been notable leaps forward, while some were famous flops. Whether or not their inventions were accepted by the marketplace, Apple has consistently put out products that raise the bar for the computer and telecommunications industry.

The list compiled for this article is by no means a complete compilation of all Apple products. We chose to highlight those products where the design changes are best appreciated.

 

All-In-One Computers

Apple has sold “all-in-one” computers that have built-in monitors from its very early days. Although some models were classified as All-In-One, they had separate monitors packaged in the same box.

 

 

Apple I - 1976

 

File:Apple I.jpg

 

 

Apple II – 1977

1977 saw the invention of both the Apple II and the famous rainbow Apple logo. Steve Jobs added the colours to the logo to reflect the Apple II’s superior colour output. Colour graphics set the Apple II apart from its rivals on the market. Image: Wikipedia

 

Apple III – 1980

This next iteration of the Apple computer for business was created primarily to compete with business computing companies like IBM. Image: Wikipedia

 

Apple IIe – 1983

The Apple IIe keyboard was built in to the computer and did away with the numeric keypad. Image: Wikipedia

Lisa/Macintosh XL – 1983

While Lisa won the legendary race between itself and the Macintosh by being the first desktop computer to market with an intuitive GUI, it flopped with the public due to sticker shock at its $10,000 price tag and a lack of software titles. Image: Wikipedia


Apple IIc – 1984

The Apple IIc represented Apple’s first attempt at both a portable computer and “out-of-the-box” functionality. The only problem with classifying the IIc as a “portable” computer is the fact that it lacked a portable power supply. Image: Wikipedia

 

Macintosh – 1984

The Macintosh, for most of us, was the computer that started it all. In the first demonstration of the product at MacWorld, Steve Jobs pulled the very first Macintosh out of the bag and demonstrated product features that most of us take for granted now. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIGS – 1986

The first 50,000 of these came with Steve Wozniak’s signature silkscreened on the front. Image: Wikipedia


Macintosh Plus – 1986

The Plus version of the Macintosh originally featured the same beige colour as the original Macintosh, but in 1987 was changed to the warm gray Platinum colour that would characterize Apple computers for years to come. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh SE – 1987

Space for an internal hard disk and advanced SCSI support were some of the selling features of the SE. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc Plus – 1988

With this model, Apple did away with the 5.25″ floppy in the Apple II line and switched over completely to the 3.5″ floppy. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh SE/30 – 1989

The SE/30 sported the capacity for expandable RAM and a 1.44mb floppy disk drive as standard. Image: Wikipedia

 


Macintosh Classic – 1990

The Classic was an adaptation of Terry Oyama’s and Jerry Oyama’s Macintosh 128K industrial design. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Classic II – 1991

Two cases actually came out for the Classic II. The pictured one has a speaker cutout on the left side for better sound. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh Color Classic – 1993

This was the first colour compact Macintosh computer. Image: Wikipedia

Apple Macintosh LC 500 – 1993

The Apple MacIntosh LC series were sold as Apple’s upper low end computers for the mid 1990’s. Image: Wikipedia.

Macintosh Performa 5200 – 1995

This was one of Apple’s lower moments, featuring severely compromised hardware design. Image: Wikipedia

Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM) – 1997

12,000 of these were produced. Apple broke the moulds and didn’t make any more in order to make the product seem more “exclusive”, a strategy that did not help the TAM’s sales numbers. Image: Wikipedia

 

PowerMac G3 All-In-One – 1998

These were sold to the educational market only. Image: Wikipedia

iMac G3 Tray-Loading, Bondi Blue – 1998

In doing away with the tower and keeping the computing power, Apple completely revolutionized the desktop computer industry. The iMac G3′s were available in a bouquet of various colours. Johnathan Ive, the designer who was later the mastermind of the Cube, designed the iMac G3. Image: Wikipedia

iMac G3 Slot-Loading Indigo – 1999

The above model set the standard for the rest of the iMac G3′s with a slot-loading CD ROM rather than a tray-loading model. Image: Wikipedia

iMac “Flavours” – 1998-2003

Different colours were eventually added to the original Bondi Blue. Image: Wikipedia

 

eMac – 2002

The eMac was made available as a cheaper option to the educational market than the iMac. Image: Trimir

 

iMac G4 – 2002

The iMac G4 was produced from 2000-2004 and represents the first iteration of Apple’s desire to “slim down” the components necessary for an out of the box personal computer experience. It was nicknamed the iLamp because of its swiveling monitor. Image: Marc Burr


 

iMac G5 – 2005

The G5 lacked the swivel functionality of the G4 but introduced the “behind-the-screen” component design principle which characterized future iMac designs. Image: Wikipedia

 

iMac (Intel Based) – Aluminum – 2007

The current iMac models pack all of the components necessary to the operation of a computer behind the monitor in a perfect realization of “slim design”. Image: Wikipedia

Desktop Computers

Macintosh II – 1987

This was the first “modular” design computer that Apple put out. All of the rest preceding it had been “all-in-one” models. Image: Wikipedia


Macintosh IIx – 1988

This was simply an update to the Macintosh II. One of its code names was “Spock”. Image: Wikipedia

Macintosh IIfx – 1990

This computer was introduced as the “fastest Mac” and was dubbed “Wicked Fast” by the then Product Manager, Frank Casanova. Image: Wikipedia


Quadra 700 – 1991

Introduced with the Quadra 900 as the first Apple systems to feature Ethernet networking. Image: Wikipedia


 

Quadra 800 – 1993

The case on this was smaller and not as accessible as others, earning it the “worst case of all time” title at Low End Mac. Image: Wikipedia

 

Quadra 630 – 1994

This last entry in the Quadra line featured an IDE drive, a slower yet cheaper replacement for the standard SCSI drives that earlier Quadras contained. This was the last in the Quadra line. Image: Wikipedia

 

Power Macintosh G3 – 1997

The PowerMac G3 was tested and proven to be the fastest desktop computer of its time by Byte Magazine. Image: Wikipedia


 

PowerMac G3 Blue and White – 1999

This shared the hardware with its predecessor but little else. The case was redesigned to bring it in line with the new iMac. Image: Apple.com

Power Mac G4 – 1999

This line was sold by Apple between 1994 and 2006. While the hardware varied between models, they all adhered to the same basic design principles. Image: Wikipedia

 

Power Mac G5 – 2003

At the time of its launch the Power Mac G5 was touted as the fastest computer ever built. Image: Wikipedia


Mac Pro – 2006

This machine integrated Intel’s 5400 chipset with Xeon microprocessors for a lightning fast processing speed. Image: Apple.com

 


Mini Desktops

PowerMac G4 Cube – 2000

This 8″ cube garnered a lot of kudos in the short time that it was in production. The designer of the Cube, Jonathan Ive, won several international awards for its design. Image by Apple.com



Mac Mini – 2005

This diminutive computer only measured 6.5″ by 2″. It weighed in at 2.5 pounds. Image: Apple.com

Notebooks

Macintosh Portable – 1989

The Macintosh Portable represented Apple’s first computer with a portable power supply and an active matrix LCD screen which sported a clearer picture than many desktop monitors of the time. Image: Wikipedia


PowerBook 100 – 1991

The PowerBook 100 was a result of a collaboration between Sony and Apple – Sony miniaturized the parts for Apple for the 100. The 140 and the 170 are the first PowerBooks completely designed by Apple. Mobile PC magazine named the PowerBook 100 as its “#1 gadget of all time” in a 2005 article. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook Duo – 1992

This precursor to the MacBook Air was a subnotebook that interfaced with larger storage media either through a docking port or through cables. Image: Wikipedia



PowerBook 180c – 1993

First PowerBook to display 640×480 resolution and 256 colours. Image: Wikipedia

 


PowerBook 540c – 1994

The trackpad replaced the trackball with this model. Image: Wikipedia

 

PowerBook 1400 – 1996

This entry-level notebook came in a number of different configurations. Image: Wikipedia

eMate 300 – 1997

Personal digital assistant designed for classroom use and based on the Newton engine. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook G3 – 1997

The Wallstreet model, pictured above, marked the last use of the rainbow-coloured Apple logo. The PowerBook G3 was a built-to-order laptop which allowed users to customize what they wanted on the machine. Image: Wikipedia


iBook – 1999

The first generation of the iBook featured a clamshell design and wireless networking. Image: eLanso

 

iBook G3 Dual USB – 2001

Many design advances were incorporated into this complete redesign, including the L-Shaped hinge for the screen and a slim-line design. Image: Wikipedia

PowerBook G4 – 2001

The titanium-skinned PowerBook G4 was the precursor to the MacBook Pro. Image: Wikipedia

iBook G4 – 2004

A slot loading drive and a lack of translucent design characterized this release of the iBook. Image: Apple.com

PowerBook G4 – Aluminum – 2003

Aluminum was used for the first time in this incarnation of the PowerBook. Johnathan Ive, the same award-winning product designer responsible for the Cube, designed this PowerBook. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook – 2006

2006 saw the introduction of the MacBook with now-standard features like the magnetic latch, the glossy display and the sunken keyboard. Image: Wikipedia

MacBook Pro – 2006

The aluminum standard by which all others are measured. In the case of the current MacBrook Pro, each case is constructed out of a single block of aluminum. Image: Wikipedia


MacBook Air – 2008

The MacBook Air was launched with a famous commercial that involved it being packaged up and shipped in an envelope. Image: Apple.com


MacBook – 2008

The latest version of the MacBook brings the aluminum case previously reserved for the Pro line into the regular MacBook. Image: Wikipedia


MacBook Pro – 2008

The most recent Pro design is available in a 15″ or 17″ model. Images via Apple.com


Keyboards

Macintosh Keyboard – 1984

This keyboard was standard issue with the Macintosh Plus and was the first keyboard to see the “Command” key. Image: Wikipedia

 

Apple Extended Keyboard – 1990

This keyboard represents the golden age of Apple keyboards for many fans. The large spaces between keys and the general feel of the board made it very popular. Image: Wikipedia

USB Keyboard – 1998

This board was packaged with iMacs beginning in 1998 and lasting until 2000. Image: Wikipedia


Apple Pro Keyboard/Apple Keyboard – 2000

This keyboard had the “Command” letters removed from the command key entirely. When it was originally introduced it was available in a clear case with black keys. After its name was officially changed to the “Apple Keyboard”, it was released only in white. Image by 2aday.com


Current Apple Keyboard – 2007

The current Apple keyboard features an aluminum enclosure and is the first since the Apple IIe keyboard to remove the Apple logo from the Command key. Image: Apple.com

Mice

Macintosh Mouse – 1984

While the Macintosh is responsible for making the computer mouse part of our everyday reality, it was actually an adaptation of the mouse designed for the Lisa and was not the first mouse used by Apple. Image: Wikipedia

Apple IIc Mouse – 1984

This mouse removed the contrasting colours featured on the Macintosh mouse and also offered support for gaming devices such as joysticks. Image: Wikipedia


Apple Desktop Mouse – 1986

Image: Wikipedia

ADB Mouse II – 1993

This update was included with all Macs between 1993 and 1998. Image: Wikipedia


iMac USB Mouse – 1998

This mouse was shipped with all iMacs for two years after its introduction. Image: Russell Heimlich.

Mighty Mouse Wireless – 2005

It was announced and sold for the first time on August 2, 2005. Before the Mighty Mouse, Apple had sold only one-button mice with its computers, beginning with the Apple Lisa 22 years earlier. Image: Apple.com

Displays

Apple IIc Flat Panel Display – 1984

Only 10,000 of these were ever produced, owing to the fact that you needed a strong light source to even see what was on the screen. Image: Wikipedia


AppleColor RGB – 1986

The first 640×480 stand-alone monitor made by Apple. Image: Wikipedia


Apple AudioVision 14 – 1993

This monitor featured a 14″ Triniton display. Image: Wikipedia


Apple Studio Display – 1998

This was released to be paired with the Power Macintoshes of the time and featured an active matrix LCD screen. Image by everymac.com


Apple Studio Display – Blueberry – 1999

This was released to complement the PowerMac G3 which was released in “Blueberry” at the time. Image by everymac.com



Apple Studio Display CRT Blueberry – 1999

This monitor kept the “Blue” theme going with an attractive design. Image by everymac.com


Apple Studio Display CRT – 2000

This monitor was the last CRT monitor that Apple shipped. Image by everymac.com


Apple Cinema Display 22″ – 2000

The 22″ active matrix LCD display on this model was tailored to work with the newly released PowerMac G4′s. Image: Wikipedia


Apple Cinema Display 20″ – 2003

Featured a 20″ active matrix LCD display. Image by Amazon.com

Apple Cinema Displays – 2004- Current

Current Apple Cinema Displays come in three different sizes; 20″, 23″ and 30″. Image by Apple.com


LED Cinema Display, 24″ – 2008

This display is touted as Mac’s “greenest” ever. Image by Apple.com

iPod

While other MP3 players were on the market before 2001, none could match the ease of use of the iPod. The iPod line consists of four different products; the iPod Shuffle, the iPod Nano, the Ipod Classic, and the iPod Touch.

The Newton – 1993

While the Newton was a massive flop at the time of its release, it laid the groundwork for Apple’s massively popular iPhone and iPod. Two ex-Apple Newton developers founded the company that developed the iPod’s OS, Pixo.

Ipod/Ipod Classic

Generation One – 2001

The first generation of the iPod was debuted in 2001 to rave reviews and a very eager market. Image: Wikipedia


Generation Two – 2002

The second generation of the iPod featured a touch-sensitive wheel rather than a mechanical wheel. Image: Wikipedia



Generation Three – 2003

The third generation saw the introduction of a thinner iPod. Instead of being simply touch-sensitive as the second generation was, the wheel on this iPod was completely governed by touch. Image: Wikipedia

 Generation 4 – 2004

The fourth generation saw the Touch Wheel replaced with the Click Wheel from the iPod Mini. A special Harry Potter edition and U2 edition were released in this generation. Image: BatteriesForIpod

Fifth Generation – 2005

2005 brought this iteration of the iPod, unofficially dubbed iPod Video. Image: Les Numeriques


Sixth Generation – 2007

The sixth generation brought an official rename to “iPod Classic” in order to distinguish the iPod from the others in the line. Image: Wikipedia

iPod Shuffle – 2005

This first generation was introduced at MacWorld with the tag line “Life is Random”. Image: Apple.com

iPod Shuffle – 2006

The smaller iPod Shuffle is the smallest device made by Apple. It relies on flash memory rather than a hard disk like the other iPods. Image: Apple.com

iPod Shuffle in Colour – 2008

The Ipod Shuffle was updated in 2008 with four new colours. Image by apple.com

iPod Nano

First Generation – 2005

Image: eShop Macsales

Second Generation – 2006

Image: Les Numeriques

Third Generation – 2007

Image: Apple.com

Fourth Generation – 2008

Image: Apple.com


iPod Touch – 2007

The iPod Touch was launched to great media and consumer acclaim in March of 2007. The touch screen allows the user interaction with various games and applications. Steve Jobs has referred to the iPod Touch as the “training wheels” for the iPhone. Image: Apple.com

iPhone – 2007

The iPhone is the cellular phone of choice of nearly every tech aficionado, even winning over BlackBerry fanboys with its touch screen and wide range of cheap and free applications available from the iTunes AppStore. Image: Apple.com

Over the course of its lifetime as a company, Apple has been responsible for most of the groundbreaking design features that we have come to appreciate on any laptop, computer, or cellphone. Their consistent record as groundbreakers in the design field alone is enough to garner them a cult following; their technological advances simply cement their followers to whatever amazing product they will release next.

Source