iPod User Interface
The iPods with color displays use high quality anti-aliased graphics and text, with sliding animations. These iPods have five buttons and the newer generations have the buttons integrated into the scroll wheel — an innovation which gives an uncluttered, minimalistic interface. The buttons are:
- Menu — to traverse backwards through the menus, and toggle the backlight on older iPods
- Center — to select a menu item
- Play / Pause — this doubles as an off switch when held
- Fast Forward / Skip Forward
- Fast Reverse / Skip Backwards
The other operations such as scrolling through menu items and controlling the volume are performed by using the touch-wheel in a rotational manner. These iPods also have a Hold switch at the top, which prevents accidental button presses. Newer iPods automatically pause playback when the headphones are unplugged from the headphone jack, but playback does not resume when the headphones are re-inserted. An iPod that has crashed or frozen can be reset by switching 'Hold' on then off, then holding Menu and Center (Menu and Play on the 3G iPod) for 6 seconds. Apple also provides further troubleshooting advice.
The iPod shuffle does not use a touch-wheel and instead has five buttons positioned differently to the larger models. It has a Play / Pause button in the center, surrounded by four buttons: Volume Up / Down and Skip Forward / Backwards.
