Rating: 
Summary: Be wary of negative reviews...
Review: Be wary of negative reviews from a user of a Windows iPod who has only read the First Edition of this book, written when the Windows version of the iPod had barely been released. The "featured" review of Secrets of the iPod -- which gave the book 1 star -- is clearly inapplicable to the Third Edition of the book. I've read the CURRENT version and it's a great book, clearly the best iPod book on the market, especially in terms of troubleshooting and "tips." It's entertaining and informative, and at this price costs less than one of the CDs you're transferring to your iPod.
Rating:
Summary: This book ROCKS !!!!
Review: Chris Breen is a talented writer and he does a wonderful job with the Secrets of the iPod book. I received an iPod as a gift in June, happily his book was released in July. This book was a real life saver.It is filled with useful information secrets, tips and very useful tips. He give you a step by step look at the insides of this fun toy, and I didn't need to break my Apple warranty to see what it looks like inside. The two areas I found the most beneficial were learning about all the accessories and the section on trouble shooting. The book is filled with useful information on how to get the most out of your iPod and when you are done with the book you are rewarded with a wonderful surprise. I plan on giving copies as a holiday gift to my iPod owner friends. A "must have" for any holiday list.
Rating:
Summary: shocking!
Review: Did you know that there's a New Testament verse etched into the inside casing of every iPod? Or that the original name was ePod, but they didn't want it to be "doPe" spelled backwards? Or that the original concept of the iPod came about through Apple's failed attempt to create the iVibrator? Learn these and other shocking yet true secrets behind the sordid and scandalous history of the iPod in this well-written and well-illustrated guide. Mr. Breen is certainy back in form after a much-hyped, but frankly under-delivering, "Mac 911"
Rating:
Summary: shocking!
Review: Did you know that there's a New Testament verse etched into the inside casing of every iPod? Or that the original name was ePod, but they didn't want it to be "doPe" spelled backwards? Or that the original concept of the iPod came about through Apple's failed attempt to create the iVibrator? Learn these and other shocking yet true secrets behind the sordid and scandalous history of the iPod in this well-written and well-illustrated guide. Mr. Breen is certainy back in form after a much-hyped, but frankly under-delivering, "Mac 911"
Rating:
Summary: shocking!
Review: Did you know that there's a New Testament verse etched into the inside casing of every iPod? Or that the original name was ePod, but they didn't want it to be "doPe" spelled backwards? Or that the original concept of the iPod came about through Apple's failed attempt to create the iVibrator? Learn these and other shocking yet true secrets behind the sordid and scandalous history of the iPod in this well-written and well-illustrated guide. Mr. Breen is certainy back in form after a much-hyped, but frankly under-delivering, "Mac 911"
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book for new and experienced iPod users
Review: Five stars; highly recommended. This is an excellent book for new users and experienced iPodders alike because the information is thorough, accurate, and fun to read. The author discusses not only each version of the iPod and iPod Mini, but also includes detailed discussions of accessories, cases, and iTunes. He also includes power-user information, such as setting up the iPod as a boot disk. This leads me to the best reason to purchase this book: time savings. The author covers so much information in such depth and in such a clear and easy-to-understand manner, that almost any reader will save an enormous amount of time as compared to searching for answers about the iPod on the Web. Although this book has been a big help to me with my new fourth-generation iPod, my hope is that Chris Breen will write an updated edition specifically including the Click-Wheel iPod and the latest iPod accessories.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I bought the second edition of Secrets of the iPod when it came out at Macworld Expo in January. I've had an iPod for almost a year and I thought I knew it all. Not! This book taught me a lot about my iPod. The troubleshooting and iTunes chapters were really helpful. And the whole book is well written. Its even funny in some parts! I don't know what this other reviewer is talking about, but the second edition of this book has tons of information on the Windows iPod. Maybe he got an earlier version? My girlfriend has a Windows iPod so I bought her a copy of the book too. (I'm trying to get her to switch to the Mac) She said it really helped her and she was really glad that the author recommended other music programs to use with her PC.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment!
Review: I expected this book to really go into all the in's and out's of the ipod. Unfortunately, if you are a Windows user and have a 20GB iPod, this book is not very useful. The author finished the book in the Summer of 2002, and mentions several problems in the software that have already been corrected in the Windows, 20GB version I own (January 2003). If you own this version of an iPod, this book won't be very useful. The most useful elements are the descriptions of the functions of the select button and troubleshooting tips, though admittedly the latter could be crucial if something goes wrong. The author has a very reverential attitude toward the iPod and he tiptoes around the problems he encountered in earlier versions of iTunes. I am glad that Apple Corp. was listening to their iPod fans and fixed the bugs so quickly. The iPod is truly a wonderful machine, as author Breen says. I love it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not great
Review: I recently purchased a 40GB iPod and am using it with iTunes on a PC. This book is helpful but it was published before the 40GB unit (not a big deal) but also before iTunes was ported to the PC. Most the information in here is easily learned through the basic user manual, some experimentation and a visit to some of the iPod sites that exist. In reading this you need to make that adjustment.
All that said it was not a waste of money, I learned quite a few useful things but it took a lot of reading through things I already knew.
Technology moves quickly and it is not unusual for books on breaking technology like the iPod to be out of date nearly as soon as they hit the stores.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not great
Review: I recently purchased a 40GB iPod and am using it with iTunes on a PC. This book is helpful but it was published before the 40GB unit (not a big deal) but also before iTunes was ported to the PC. Most the information in here is easily learned through the basic user manual, some experimentation and a visit to some of the iPod sites that exist. In reading this you need to make that adjustment.
All that said it was not a waste of money, I learned quite a few useful things but it took a lot of reading through things I already knew.
Technology moves quickly and it is not unusual for books on breaking technology like the iPod to be out of date nearly as soon as they hit the stores.
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