What kind of iPod should you buy?

iPod Shuffle (From $79)

Also known as the "small one" and the "cheap one", the shuffle is the lightest and smallest of the iPod family. It's got a tiny form factor but plays back its music fully caffeinated. You don't compromise on audio quality.

The trade-off is this. With the Shuffle, you give up control of your music. There's no famous patented Apple click wheel. There's no large LCD screen. You basically let the player choose what you'll hear, shuffling the music you load onto it. (And yes, Virginia. You can turn off "shuffle mode" and just listen straight to your normal playlists.)

Its solid-state flash memory means no skipping during playback, even when you're bouncing around. With a long-lasting battery, you can play music for hours. The newer version can clip your belt or rest in your pocket or, if you're feeling especially geek, slip into your pocket protector.

iPod Nano (From $149)

The Nano is the iPod of choice for the listener who wants to hit the sweet spot between controlling playback and supporting an active lifestyle. Smaller than the iPod Video, and bigger than the iPod shuffle, the Nano comes in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB versions.

Nanos support many of the features of iPod Video, like the click wheel and on-the-go playlists and photo playback and so forth, but skips higher end options like the video and games.

Because the Nano is built around solid state flash memory rather than a hard drive, it's far more resistant to shocks and tumbles than the iPod video, so it's the player of choice for joggers. Yes, you get less memory to store your music but playback is skip-free.

The Nano offers a lot more control over your workout music than the shuffle and it has a smaller and lighter form than the iPod Video. It also has a great battery life.

iPod Video (From $249)

As you might expect, this one does video. Which rocks. Especially while commuting or on air planes and so forth. But the iPod Video packs a lot bigger punch than just video.

With 30GB and 80GB models, it's got a whopping big portable hard drive which means you can bring your entire life with you if you feel like it. Of course, given the rate at which people misplace iPods and iPods are stolen, you might want to consider carefully which and how much data you want to store on the thing.

The iPod Video is the most flexible and customizable of all the iPods. It does video. It does music. It lets you play games. You can load your favorite eBooks and Webpages onto its Notes section. You can even use it (with an optional add-on) to record lectures at school. (XtremeMac now offers microphones for Nanos too. Thanks Laurie!)

It's also the most expensive and heaviest iPod and the one most sensitive to shocks and possible break-downs during high-impact activities. Video playback puts a lot of strain on its battery life before a recharge is needed, although the recent firmware upgrade that lets you lower the brightness of the LCD display really increases playback time in a major way.

In many ways, the iPod Video is the Cadillac of iPods, compared the the Nano Volvo and the Shuffle Vespa. It brings all the power to the table if you're looking for high-end features--and lots and lots of disk space.