It is the new sensation. It’s small, functional, and the stocking stuffer that every college… It is the new sensation. It’s small, functional, and the stocking stuffer that every college student wanted for Christmas, Hanukkah or any other holiday.

iPods, Apple’s digital storage devices, have replaced the popularity of portable CD players and the tape players that preceded them. The 2.4-inch-by-4.1-inch box can hold 20 or 40 gigabytes of memory — about 4,800 or 9,600 songs, respectively — in the MP3 computer memory format. With a recent iPod commercial featuring U2 and music from their new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, very few television viewers remain unaware of the iPod’s existence.

Pitt, among other college campuses, has come under the iPod’s thrall, and the signature white earphones are seen dangling from sweater necks and in the ears of students everywhere.

“I love my iPod,” junior Amy Fisk said. “It’s one of the best innovations ever. It makes walking everywhere so much more enjoyable.”

But the convenience of iPods makes it more likely that students will be “in their own world,” rather than hearing the sounds around them. Some people worry that this poses a danger to students crossing busy streets on an urban campus.

“It depends on the user and their concentration,” Pitt Police Chief Tim Delaney said. “Some people could use an iPod and perform brain surgery.”

Delaney pointed out that Walkmen and Discmen, the predecessors of the iPod, were just as popular on campus.

“Students weren’t concentrating on traffic five years ago, either,” Delaney said.

Delaney nevertheless believes that “not being able to hear audible signals like car horns is still a concern.”

While it doesn’t reduce any potential danger to city-dwellers, the newest version of the device makes the enjoyment even easier. iPod Shuffle randomly selects music in its drive, making every play order unique. The machine is less than half the size of the original iPod, and starts at less than $100 for a 512-megabyte storage capacity.

All types of iPods are not only useful, but have become a fashion statement around campus. Belt-clips and lanyards display the little boxes from hips and necks, showing that the user is in the new, elite clique.

There are several ways to stock iPods with music. Apple offers iTunes, software included with the device, through which a person can download songs off the Internet for a small fee.

But among Pitt students interviewed, nearly 90 percent use Internet fileshare services such as KaZaA, or borrow and copy CDs to fill their iPods’ memories, despite the crackdown on illegal downloading of copyrighted material.”

“It’s just so convenient, I can’t resist,” one sophomore said. “Also, I’m broke, like everyone else I know.”

For those who have the money to spend, courses for iPod users of all interests and skill levels are available at the Apple outlet store in Shadyside and elsewhere. Seminar courses range from $99 to $250, after a free class that Apple says “teaches the finer points of iPod living.”

Other amenities offered by Apple include speaker adapters, controls on earphone cords, and carrying cases. Many automobile manufacturers have teamed up with Apple to “deliver complete iPod integration into car stereo systems” for cars such as Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Nissan.

iPod owners can also personalize their iPods with designer colors and name engravings. A special edition was released in connection with the recent U2 album.

After other personal listening devices have faded into recent history, Apple’s recent innovations show the company hopes the iPod is here to stay.