In keeping with tradition, the iPod has a
Breakout game hidden as an "
Easter egg".
Here's how to access the game:
If your iPod has the 1.0.4 (or earlier) software
- go to the iPod's About screen
- hold down the center button for about five seconds
If your iPod has the 1.1 software
(which was released on March 21st 2002 at MacWorld Tokyo)
- go to the iPod's Settings screen
- select Legal
- hold down the center button for about five seconds
If your iPod has the 1.2 software*
(which was introduced on July 17th, 2002 at MacWorld New York City)
- from the main screen scroll down to, and select, Extras
- on the Extras screen scroll down to, and select, Game
Use the jog dial to move the paddle back and forth — play away!
Note:
Steve Jobs (Apple's current CEO) and Steve Wozniak (all around nice guy) created the original Breakout prototype for Atari. Similar Breakout game easter eggs have appeared in (Mac OS) System 7.5 and Casady & Greene's Conflict Catcher 8.
***
* The iPod v1.2 software (approx 6.77MB) is available for free download from http://www.apple.com/ipod/download. The update adds support for iTunes 3 Sound Check (so that all of your MP3s play at a similar volume), as well as support for spoken word content (books on MP3) from Audible.com. New menus in v1.2 add the ability to browse your MP3s by genres and composers (in additon to already being able to do so by artists, albums, and song titles). The new software also give your iPod a clock (with alarm) and a calendar which will sync with iCal (set to be released in September of 2002 for OS X version 10.2).
The v1.1 software added improved audio playback, an equalizer (hello bass booster!), a Contacts menu (for storing names, addresses, phone numbers), the ability to zip to a spot in a song using the scroll wheel, and now shows both the "time elapsed" and "time remaining" counters at the same time.