IPod and MP3 Player

Replies

• 

  Kaustubh Katdare

  Moved to chit chat.
  
  iPod is an MP3 player created by Apple Corporation, USA. MP3 player would be any device that stores and plays MP3 files.
• 

  electron1212

  So you mean IPods are patented and mp3 players are not. Is that the only difference ?
• 

  Saandeep Sreerambatla

  Ipods are from Apple company and only songs in the I - tunes format can be played using it.
  
  we can convert the normal songs into i- tunes with some software.
  
  We have MP3 players from many companies patented like sony etc etc.
  
  But if we considering a larger view both play music which we love to listen 😉😉
• 

  Ashraf HZ

  An Ipod is a patented portable music player manufactured by Apple Inc, and is able to play various audio codecs (including MP3). Its therefore can also be called an MP3 player 😉
  
  MP3 is known as a MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 codec, type of compression method to compress the raw audio sound that is recorded at the source into a smaller file, while retaining the quality. Basically, it will get rid of sounds that the human ear cannot hear, as well as take advantage of threshold techniques that the human ear utilizes. This produces almost the same sound as the original, but at much lower file sizes.
  
  MP3 is actually a licensed technology, so if any manufacturer wants to encode or decode it (whether its in software or hardware form) they need to apply for it. Therefore, anybody who manufactures mp3 players need a license... and you'll realise that mp3 players are essentially MP3 decoders anyway. Even Apple has applied for one, so Ipod players can decode the MP3 files for us to listen to.
  
  Regarding patenting, some MP3 players are, some are not. Its up to the manufacturers if they wish to protect their designs. Remember, patenting costs money too. Of course, this mostly works in places which strictly enforces patent law, like US and Europe. Move over to China, and you'll see manufacturers producing clones of patented devices at much lower cost. In some cases, they even improve the design! Thats how far the cloners have progressed 😉
• 

  Saandeep Sreerambatla

  Thanks for the info Ash..
• 

  showmines

  in my opinion, iPod is actually a mp3 player, but with stylish pattern, and named it as a fashional name to attractive young people. Its function is the same as universal mp3 players, even worse than them, as iPod does not have FM function, but average mp3 players have.
• 

  Anil Jain

  That stylish pattern of MP# player is copyright of Apple and named as Ipod.
  
  So its like you can say that Ipod is a mp3 player, but all mp3 players are not Ipod
  
  -CB