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But what makes them so special?
A Best Buy store associate on Baltimore Pike said simply, "iPods are the easiest to use and sound the best."
He said iPod sales have surged during the holiday season, and with prices ranging from $236 to $569, depending on storage capacity, many Christmas shoppers may wonder what the fuss is about.
For one thing, the iPod adopts the convenience of the computer mouse, making it easier for users to perform dozens of tasks, unlike its Walkman and portable radio predecessors.
Just by moving thumbs across its touch-sensitive Apple Click Wheel, resembling those on laptops, manufacturers said, iPod owners can scroll through, select and play thousands of songs without lifting a finger.
The iPods also don’t need AAA batteries like Walkmans and radios, but consumers may find a hassle when it needs recharging.
The device keeps consumers aware of its charge level, but it must be plugged into a computer to recharge, which is somewhat inconvenient without a laptop.
Users can plug the iPod into a wall socket, but it needs a power adapter to charge. And if you’re listening to Bob Marley’s "Buffalo Soldier," it may have to sit on the backburner for two hours until it fully recharges.
But perhaps the most important reason consumers have an iPod on their Christmas list is its digital sound quality.
Consumers can load music in a variety of formats, such as MP3 or AAC, which offers better sound quality at about half the original’s size.
"The iPod is the gadget of the season," said Andrew Roberts, a technician at McMobile, a computer store specializing in Mac products. "It’s a great way to store and have your music portable, and the sound quality is terrific."
Unlike many other digital media players on the market, he said, iPods can store almost an entire CD collection.
Its built-in iTunes feature enables users to transfer their favorite songs from CDs to the iPod through a Mac or PC in 5 seconds or less.
The iTunes feature also helps build and manage 1 million digital songs that any jazz, reggae, pop, electronica, hip-hop music lover can download.
"Kids just dig them," Roberts said, referring specifically to the iPod mini, which is smaller than its original, and manufactured in shiny silver, gold, green, pink or blue.
He said the iPod’s popularity shows little signs of diminishing, especially since new versions enable users to download their personal photos to the device, in addition to their favorite music.
Analyst Charles Wolf of Needham & Co., predicted in a 27-page note released to clients that Apple will sell more than 13 million iPods in 2005, and more than 23 million in 2006.
He also predicted Apple revenues will rise to $11 billion next year.
