How to Find Out the Generation of Your iPod

Before you buy any accessories for your Apple iPod, you will need to know which generation it is. This is easily done by looking at a few key features of your iPod.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Check whether your iPod has a scroll wheel or a touchpad. First-generation iPods have a mechanical scroll wheel that actually moves around. In all later generations, there is simply a touch sensitive pad. If you have a moving scroll wheel, you have a first-generation iPod

2. Check to see if the Menu, Play/Pause, and Skip buttons form a ring around the scroll pad. On a second-generation iPod, the scroll wheel is touch sensitive and the Menu, Play/Pause, and Skip buttons form a ring around it but are not actually attached to the pad.

3. Check to see if the Menu, Play/Pause, and Skip buttons are arranged in a line just under the screen. Third-generation iPods have the Menu, Play/Pause, and Skip buttons arranged in a line just under the screen. Additionally, these buttons are touch sensitive and do not click in when pressed.

4. Check to see if the Menu, Play/Pause, and Skip buttons are part of the scroll wheel itself. The fourth- generation iPod has the Menu, Play/Pause, and Skip buttons on the scroll wheel itself. iPod Minis (the smaller 4GB iPods in metallic green or pink, not to be confused with the tiny Nano which has a color screen) are also counted as fourth generation. Most devices that work for the larger fourth generation iPods work for the minis as well.

5. Check your screen. The iPod video is the fifth generation and it has a color screen and comes in 30 to 60GB sizes.

6. Check the accessories to see if they work with iPod Nano. The iPod Nano is in a class of its own and only accessories that say they work with the Nano are guaranteed to do so.