iPod: The Missing Manual, 9th Edition

Chapter 2. Bopping Around the iPod Nano, Shuffle, and Classic

The original iPod, still with us in the form of the iPod Classic, was simple to operate, and it still is—five buttons and a click wheel take you to all your songs, movies, games, audio books, and everything else parked on your ‘Pod. Even though it doesn’t have a mouse, the player’s controls work just like those on a desktop computer: You highlight an item onscreen and click the Classic’s center button to select it. Performing this action either takes you to another menu of options or triggers an action—like playing a song, calling up a calendar, or checking the time in Paris.

Although older iPod Nanos operate in a similar manner, the latest Nano (introduced in September 2010) changes all this. This little iPod is so small, it has no room for a click wheel. Heck, it’s barely bigger than the iPod Shuffle, but uses some of the same touchscreen technology that its big brother, the iPod Touch, uses. You navigate the Nano not with a wheel, but with your finger—and it’s a lot of fun.

No matter how you control your iPod, though, it’s all about getting to your songs, photos, and other media. This chapter shows you what lies within all the menus on your Nano and Classic—and what each item does. Not to be forgotten, Shuffle owners will find special coverage of their screenless wonders sprinkled throughout.

Navigate the iPod Nano’s Menus

Click wheels are so 2009. On the modern Nano, you get to your songs, photos, FM radio, pedometer, ...