There is a device you can take wherever you travel. It is guaranteed that more than one will be present in a room at once. Fashionable, yet versatile, wear it around your neck, belt or arm. Available in different colors, yet each one is guaranteed unique.

One of the most requested Christmas gifts this season is the Apple iPod. Whether a mini, nano or traditional iPod, the convenience and ability to carry your entire music collection in a small mp3 player excites most students.

The new iPods now carry the ability to download your favorite TV shows from NBC, the Sci-Fi Channel and the USA Network, all of which are available on iTunes. FM transmitters allow users to play your tunes through the car stereo or any available radio.

For those interested in gaming, the new X-Box 360 gives players the opportunity to listen to their own music through the system. Other plug-ins are available with special products from the Apple Company, such as stereos made especially for iPods.

The iPod comes in many shapes and sizes with different capabilities. The pencil-thin iPod nano starts at $199 and can hold from 2GB to 4GB of space, which is about 500 songs.

The new iPod is available in 30 GB and 60 GB and is capable of playing music videos, podcasts, photos, audiobooks and more. The lighter and thinner model holds 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and 150 hours of video.

If spontaneity is enticing, then the smallest model, the iPod shuffle, plays music in random order to keep listener’s attention.

Apple?s iTunes program, available on personal computers and the Internet, is the No. 7 leading music retailer in the world.

The Apple Company continues to make advancements in electronics and media availability. No more excuses for unexpected weather or ignorance of news briefs. It is available at your fingertips.

?iPods are cool because all my CDs can be put into one player,? Bethany Morton, ?06, said, ?I lose my CDs often, so it?s very convenient.?

Though sometimes the desire for the luxury of portable music is not priority, the convenience is always welcomed.

?I didn?t want one until about a month ago,? Sunny Petrie, ?06, said. ? I had a chance to win a free one at my church.?

The craze and hype surrounding the iPod sprouts from its advanced technology. It is this new technology that makes this generation unique as in other generations.

In the early 90s the portable cassette player hit the forefront of making teen music available. Then the portable CD players made cassettes obsolete just like records phased out 8-tracks.

It is hard to imagine what will come after mp3 players. Each generation has it?s own trend and equipment that amazes its participants and is laughed at by future teens.

For more information on Apple products, go to www.apple.com or www.itunes.com.