Wireless technology is all the rage in today's society. First there were remote controls for TVs followed by cordless phones and cellphones. Even our entertainment systems are predominantly wireless these days. Not only has technology removed the need for wires and cords, the devices themselves are much smaller. All these factors have made Apple iPods extremely popular and very lucrative for Apple.

The iPod's popularity is mostly due to it's small size which makes it a portable entertainment center more powerful than the televisions and stereos of the ?s combined. The iPod is small enough to fit in a purse or a pocket! Entire collections of CD's and DVD's can be stored in a device you can carry with you wherever you go. But iPods are not cheap. In fact, the high price prevents some from owning one. Let's see if we can't fix that.

Certainly the iPod is a luxury item and not as necessary as a cellphone might be. Cellphones can be a cheap insurance policy to help you escape potentially dangerous situations when help is only a phone call away. Still, it's nice to enjoy the finer things in life.

If you don't have the budget to afford the top of the line latest version of the video iPod, don't despair. The iPod comes in several versions one of which is certain to fall in your price range. Half the battle is understanding all the choices available when it comes to iPods.

The 512 MB iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod available. The iPod shuffle can hold up to hours of music. At an average of minutes per song, that's songs. Sure it would be nice to have hours of music, but do you really need it? 8 hours of music will be more than enough for most people. The Apple iPod shuffle costs about dollars as opposed to + for the latest model video iPod.

The price you pay for an iPod will be related to it's storage capacity. Differences in the amount of storage capcity drive the price. You'll pay more for 60GB than for 1GB obviously.

Consider moving up to the 1GB iPod Shuffle if 8 hours of music isn't enough. The extra storage space is worth the small price increase. Now your iPod will be able to hold 16 hours of music - that's 240 4 minute songs. For a small price you can double your listening pleasure. That's a sound investment.

Here's the bottom line:. You can in fact enjoy the benefits of owning an iPod for a fraction of the cost...if you know how to find a budget Apple iPod. And now you know how to find a budget iPod.